Upper Valley Seed Savers
November 8 th , 2018
Attending: Kye (facilitating), Stuart, Ruth, Sylvia D, Sylvia S. (keeping time), Harpreet, Margaret, Jeff, Li,
Susan, Dixie (taking notes).
This is our first winter meeting back at the Upper Valley Food Coop, beginning with a delicious potluck (as always) featuring many dishes from saved seed and/or home-grown delights.
Agenda Items:
Announcements of seed saving events and news:
- Hilltown Seed Savers Seed Swap, next Saturday, 11/17. Link to some info below:
https://hilltownseeds.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/7th-annual-fall-seed-swap-is-coming/
- Chestnut trees found near Smith Pond in Enfield, in Woodstock, and in Thetford
- Sylvia D will be hosting a seed saving workshop at Bale Commons in South Royalton on December 8 th. Link to some info below:
https://balevt.org/2018/10/24/resilience-university-enroll-now-for-upcoming-2018-2019-workshops/
- Later notes include possibly extending the above event to a UVSS hosted community seed swap.
Open Action Items for review and Discussion:
- Evaluation of the last year of our transition as an organization:
o There’s more open participation
o Not the same few people carrying the load for the group as much as before.
o Getting more structured
o Summer notes and photos were great, even though meeting time was less formal after the garden tours.
o Ruth reminded us of the roles (not to be stressful – helpful, informational and still a team effort), and that this is a work in progress.
o Kye has shared Chestnut seeds, acquired books, recipes, and info as tree coordinator
o Other crops could use more focus this year
- Discussion of inviting presenters to our meetings:
o Laurel offered to reach out to someone from UVM working on a VT suitable chick pea variety. Interest at this meeting varied.
o Suggestion to invite someone from UVM to discuss practical plant genetics (Stuart?)
o If inviting, we could coordinate a larger event - Presentation at Howe Library, etc?
o Ruth reached out to Laurel to send more info or a link for the group or interested parties to review.
Old and Ongoing Projects:
Update the WIKI with your seed inventories!!
- Should be your current inventory (not just what was saved this year).
- Room to note what you can share or have just a few or are just experimenting with.
Highlights from group seed saving efforts 2018:
- (Along with other things) Ruth grew Yellow Ebenezer Onion and Rywal beet for seed
- Sylvia D. grew seed for Brian and the Catalog, Giant Hokkaido Black Soybeans, Octorora Cornfield Pole Beans, Corona Rice, and other rice varieties, Bennie’s Red Onions.
- Sylvia S. Grew several Beans, Black Chick Peas, Zeppelin Delicata Squash, and cover crops.
- Jeff grew Blue Greasy Grit Beans, has collards in their 3 rd year (has not gone to seed yet), and Bill(?) Fava Beans as cover crop. Jeff grows these among his tomatoes.
- Stuart grew Clear Dawn and Jaune Paille de Vertus Onions for year 1, Gilfeather Rutabaga for year 1, Apple Peppers, a white cucumber, and beans including True Cranberry, Good Mother Stallard, Papa De Rolla, and Mitla Black. The Mitla Black Beans have some variation in color: dark
brown, black, and grey speckled.
- Susan had tried Giant Zittau Onion for year 1 but had very small onions. She’s raising the pathways between rows with mulch to slow the soil drying out.
- Dixie saved Jimmy Nardello peppers for the first time, some familiar repeats from other years, Red Bottle Torpedo 1 st year, and a few Bennie’s Red onions 1 st year. Had some discouraging failures with rodents and drying tomato, lettuce, parsnip and onion seeds, and some failures in
the garden with pests as well. Tadorna leeks still in the ground, need a plan for overwintering.
- Kye saved enough Newburg Onions 1 st year to plant next year, and Naked Seed Pumpkins (not for seed), Kye had some trouble with cucumber beetles. This led us to the topic of squash bugs… Kye stomped the live ones and had no further trouble.
- Susan also described her fights with squash bugs, admitting to us all that she felt the need to eat the eggs!! She described them as crunchy….!
New Projects/Proposals/Ideas:
- We talked about our upcoming seed swap, and whether to invite the public
- Talked about inviting ourselves to an existing event (Central Vermont Seed Swap, or the event at Bale in South Royatlon in December).
- We decided to look into extending the Sylvia D.’s time at Resilience University on December 8th to include a community seed swap after her talk. Sylvia has already reached out to Bale about the possibility.
- Ruth offered to loan her copy of the film “Deeply Rooted” with anyone interested. We decided to view it together at the December meeting, during our seed swap.
Action Items:
- Ruth to check in with Laurel form more info on presentation options (she did this already).
- Stuart and Sylvia D to look into other presenters.
- Everyone: WIKI! List your seed inventory.
- Seed Swap – Stay tuned for another update from Sylvia D., and see Ruth’s email to the group
sent Friday 11/9. This event comes before our next meeting!
- Kye will look into projector for the film at the next meeting.
Next Meeting:
- December 13, 2018 , 5:00 pm. Annual Seed Swap & Movie - Deeply Rooted
- Deeply Rooted: John Coykendall’s Journey To Save Our Seeds and Stories
For nearly four decades, John Coykendall’s passion has been preserving the farm heritage – the seeds and stories - of a small, farming culture in Southeastern Louisiana, and this work is the subject of this documentary from Louisiana Public Broadcasting.
- We'll start with our potluck and then move on to the seed swap and the movie.
- Stuart has volunteered to facilitate.
- Susan has agreed to be timekeeper.
- Li will be note taker if she’s available (Dixie can try again if she’s not).
Parking lot (Ideas saved for future discussion or meetings).:
- Chick Pea Presentation.
- Sylvia D. on Carrot Crops.
- Talk about what we intend to grow for seed in 2019 so we can coordinate (February?)