Some excellent sources to buy seeds

www.fedcoseeds.com
www.seedsavers.org
www.groworganic.com
www.seedsofchange.com

Where To Find Organic Seeds

Where To Find Organic Seeds
Choosing seed awakens the gardener's vision

Source: http://eartheasy.com/grow_organic_seeds.html (link below)

There is growing interest among gardeners for untreated, open-pollinated and heritage seeds for vegetable gardening.

The listings below, while not conclusive, offer a range of suppliers of organic seeds in the US and Canada.

When sourcing seed sources through catalogs and websites, look for the following labels which are commonly used to identify the seed characteristics:

"U" - untreated. These seeds have been produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. or subject to genetic modification.
"O" - organic. These seeds are taken from parent plants which have been organically grown.
"OP" - open-pollinated. These seeds are capable of reproducing themselves. Open-pollinated seeds can be dried and saved over winter, then used for planting in the next season.
"H" - heritage (or heirloom). These seeds are saved and passed down through generations by gardeners looking to preserve their genetic diversity and the unique qualities of the plant they produce. Heritage seeds may be carried by some of the smaller seed companies, but are more commonly found through local seed exchanges such as "Seedy Saturdays", the Seed Saver's Exchange and Seeds of Diversity (Canada).

Hybrid seeds have been developed to enhance a plant's growth and fruiting, as well as hardiness. Hybrids are produced by cross-pollinating plants of different varieties in order to improve the characteristics of the resulting offspring. However, hybrid seeds do not always reproduce true to type. That is, second generation plants may produce different results. If you are buying hybrid seeds, look for seeds which are labelled as reproducing "true to type".

Biodynamic seeds are from farms or gardens which use Biodynamic practices of managing land for ecological balance. The organic growing methods and planting cycles are integrated with the local environment where possible.

Organic Seed Sources in the US

Abundant Life Seed Foundation
Certified organic and biodynamic vegetable, flower and herb seeds.
P.O. Box 772 930 Lawrence St. Port Townsend, WA, 98368 360-385-5660 Fax: 360-385-7455 www.abundantlifeseeds.com

Albert Lea Seed House
Organic seed for soybean, corn, alfalfa, clover, small grains, sorghum, native and lawn grasses
1414 West Main Street P.O. Box 127 Albert Lea, MN 56007 800-352-5247 Fax: 507-373-7032 www.alseed.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Over 1000 varieties of rare and unusual heirloom seeds.
2278 Baker Creek Road, Mansfield, MO 65704 Phone: 417-924-8917 Fax: 417-924-8887
www.rareseeds.com

Botanical Interests
Well known for their attractive, information-rich seed packets, Botanical Interests offers a variety of organic flower, vegetable and herb seeds. The prices are reasonable, with most packets costing less than two dollars.
660 Compton Street, Broomfield, CO 80020 Phone 720-880-7293 www.botanicalinterests.com

Bountiful Gardens
Heirloom, untreated and open-pollinated varieties of vegetables, herbs, grains and compost crops.
18001 Shafer Ranch Road Willets, CA, 95490 707-459-6410 Fax: 707-459-1925 www.bountifulgardens.org

Burpee
Burpee's is one of gardening's most popular catalogs, offering wide variety and reasonable prices. They have a limited selection of organic seed for vegetables. Organic varieties are listed separately in the catalog for easy identification.
300 Park Avenue Warminster, PA 18974 800-333-5808 www.burpee.com

Dirt Works
A small, family-owned business offering a selection of organic and heirloom, non-GMO vegetable seeds.
1195 Dog Team Road, New Haven, Vermont 05472 Phone 877 213 3828 www.dirtworks.net

Fedco Seeds
Seeds for organic cover crops and soil amendments, certified seed potatoes and onion sets, seed garlic, hardy fruit and nut trees, berries.
PO Box 520 Waterville, ME 04903 207-873-7333 www.fedcoseeds.com

Filaree Farm
Filaree offers over 100 unique strains of organic seed garlic collected from sources all over the world. They cater to small organic gardeners, plant nurseries and commercial farmers.
182 Conconully Hwy. Okanogan, WA 98840-9974 509-422-6940 www.filareefarm.com

Fungi Perfecti
A certified organic company specializing in gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, ready-to-grow mushroom kits, and mushroom-related products.
P.O. Box 7634 Olympia, WA, 98507 360-426-9292 Fax: 360-426-9377 www.fungi.com

Great Harvest Organics
Organic seed products grown for organic farmers - wheat, soybeans, corn and alfalfa.
6803 E. 276th St. Atlanta, IN, 46031 317-984-6685 317-984-8798 www.greatharvestorganics.com

High Altitude Gardens/ Seeds Trust
Over 80 years experience growing gardens and seeds at high elevation. Find seeds from around the world for the coldest climates and shortest seasons. Heirloom, organic, native and high altitude varieties.
4150 Black Oak Drive Hailey, ID, 83333 Phone: 208-788-4363 Fax:208-788-3452 www.seedsave.org, www.seedstrust.com

High Mowing Seeds
The catalog offers over 350 varieties of organic seed. These are mostly certified organic vegetable seeds, but there are also some flowers, cover crops, and gardening supplies available.
813 Brook Road Wolcott, VT 05680 phone: 802-888-1800 fax: 802-888-8446 www.highmowingseeds.com

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny's catalog lists over 300 organic products, and both conventional and organic seeds.
955 Benton Ave. Winslow, ME, 04901 800-854-2580 Fax: 800-738-6314 www.johnnyseeds.com

Kitazawa Seed Company
They offer a tremendous selection of Asian Vegetable seeds and are the oldest seed company in America. Kitazawa has over 250 varieties of traditional and heirloom seeds native to Japan.
PO Box 13220 Oakland, CA 94661-3220 Fax 510-595-1860 Phone 510-595-1188 www.kitazawaseed.com

Local Harvest
An online service that helps you find local sources for sustainably grown food. They also sell a wide variety of vegetable seed and nursery stock. Read the product notes to see which are organic and/or untreated.
220 21st Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Phone: 831-475-8150 Fax: 831-401-2418 www.localharvest.org

Main Street Seed & Supply
Main Street is a small company which specializes in offering small amounts of seed (with the home gardener in mind) for reasonable prices. Their choice of seeds is limited to the basic vegetable varieties.
401 Main Street, Bay City, MI 48706 toll free 866-229-3276 www.mainstreetseedandsupply.com

Mountain Valley Growers
Certified organically grown seed for basil, sunflower, annual herbs, gourmet greens.
38325 Pepperwood Road Squaw Valley, CA, 93675 559-338-2775 www.mountainvalleygrowers.com

The Natural Gardening Co.
Online catalog offers organically grown and open-pollinated vegetables and herbs. The organic items are clearly marked as such, and the prices are reasonable.
P.O. Box 760776 Petaluma, CA , 94975-0776 707-766-9303 Fax: 707-766-9747 www.naturalgardening.com

Native Seeds/ SEARCH
More than 2000 different seeds representing traditional native crops such as corn, bean, squash.
526 N. 4th Ave Tucson, AZ , 85705 520-622-5561 Fax: 520-622-5591 www.nativeseeds.org

Nichols Garden Nursery
Complete garden seeds catalog featuring new and unusual vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Emphasizing short season varieties, flavor and performance.
1190 No. Pacific Hwy. NE Albany, OR, 97321 541-928-9280 866-408-4851 800-422-3985 Fax: 541-967-8406 www.nicholsgardennursery.com

Park Seed Company
Over 50 varieties of ertified organic, non-GMO organic seeds. Flower, herb and vegetable seeds.
PO Box 527 Williams, OR 97544 Toll Free: (888)709-7333 www.organicseed.com

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
This catalog offers organic seeds from a variety of seed companies. There is a good mix of edible and ornamental varieties here, as well as books and gardening supplies.
PO Box 2209 Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-272-4769 888-784-1722 www.groworganic.com

Plants of the Southwest
Specializes in drought-tolerant US native plants (wildflowers, grasses, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees) and seeds.
Agua Fria Road Route 6, Box 11A Santa Fe, NM, 87501 800-788-7333 Fax: 505-438-8800 www.plantsofthesouthwest.com

Seeds of Change
A favorite among organic gardeners, Seeds of Change features a wide range of heirloom vegetable seeds and informative articles on organic gardening, tools and techniques. The 2009 Seeds of Change catalog, with over 600 certified organic items, is available free as a pdf download or home delivered.
P.O. Box 15700 Santa Fe, NM 87506 888-762-7333 www.seedsofchange.com

Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares heirloom seeds. Members can choose from thousands of heirloom vegetables, and share rare garden seeds with other gardeners. Downloadable catalog, online seed sales.
3026 North Winn Road, Decorah IA 52101 Phone: 563-382-5990 Fax: 563-382-6511 www.seedsavers.org

Territorial Seed Co.
Territorial offers a wide selection of organic vegetable seeds, especially greens, tomatoes and lettuces.
P.O. Box 158 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 541-942-9547 Fax: 888-657-3131 www.territorial-seed.com

Tomato Fest
More than 600 varieties of certified organic heirloom tomato seeds.
PO Box 628, Little River, CA 95456 www.tomatofest.com

Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seeds
Turtle Tree offers a wide variety of 100% open-pollinated seeds for farm, grain and cover crops as well as vegetables, flowers and herbs.
Camphill Village, Copake NY 12516 Fax 678-202-1351 Phone 888-516-7797 www.turtletreeseed.com

Vesey=S Seeds for Shorter Seasons
Veseys offers a selection of certified organic seed produced under strict guidelines which govern the production of certified organic products. Canadian-based, but sells to the US market.
PO Box 9000, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 8K6 Phone: 902-368-7333 Fax: 800-686-0329 www.veseys.com/us/en/

Victory Heirloom Seed Co.
A small, family owned company that works to preserve plant varieties by locating, growing, documenting and offering heirloom and rare open-pollinated seeds to home gardeners. Catalog offers a wide variety of rare heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.
P.O. Box 192 Molalla, OR, 97038 503-829-3126 phone/fax www.victoryseeds.com

Wood Prairie Farm
Certified organic seed potatoes, organic vegetable seeds, cover crops and farm seed.
49 Kinney Road Bridgewater, ME 04734 800-829-9765 800-631-8027 Fax: 800-300-6494 www.woodprairie.com

To read many more seed sources and the full article: http://eartheasy.com/grow_organic_seeds.html

Organic Seeds Basics

Organic Seeds Basics
How do you know that the seeds you are buying are organically grown and where is the best place to buy organic seeds?
By Marcie Snyder
May 18, 2009

You know your soil is ‘clean”, that your soil is not contaminated in any way because you got your soil tested, so now comes the second step: looking for organic seed sources for organic gardeners. At this point you are probably asking yourself “How do I know that the seeds I am buying are organically grown and where is the best place to buy organic seeds?”

Well you can wait till the last minute and chance buying your seeds at your nursery or garden center. However, your best bet is to plan ahead and order via organic seed catalogs so you can determine whether the company’s seeds are labeled as organically grown.

When researching seed sources, organic seed buyers look for companies who can identify their seeds as having the following labels: “U” for untreated, “O” for organic, “OP” for open-pollinated, and/or “H” for heritage.

U — Untreated seeds are seeds which have not been coated with chemicals which may be harmful to soil life and humans. Some varieties of imported seeds are unavailable as “untreated” due to importing regulations.

Also, organic growers shun like the plague any seeds that have been genetically modified, that is, seeds in which the genes of anything from a pesticide-resistant weed to an animal or even a bacteria have been inserted or spliced right into the seed’s DNA.

There are two main reasons for this:

Organic growers have no idea how these injected genes will mutate into something that will endanger a person’s health, such as create different allergens in the food, damage the liver or the kidneys, combine with the good bacteria in the gut to create its own version, etc.

The second concern is the environment. Once introduced into the environment, no one can predict where the wind will carry the seeds, and there could be irreparable damage done if these genetically engineered plants cross breed with wild ones.

O — Organic seeds come from plants which have been grown via organic methods.

OP — Open-pollinated is the best type of seed because these seeds are capable of reproducing themselves.

To read the full article:
http://www.eartheasy.com/blog/2009/05/organic-seeds-basics/

A Ficus Falls in Florida: Green Inspiration Grows from Hurricane Debris

COMMENTARY: A Ficus Falls in Florida
Green Inspiration Grows from Hurricane Debris
By Gary S. Hines

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4620&printview&imagesoff
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4620

It was late October, 2005. Hurricane Wilma had just raced across South Florida...

Wilma had been weakening when it reached Broward. It first attacked Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm, then marched across the Everglades. It reached the Atlantic Coast as a Category 2. Parks wondered: How could Wilma snatch such a big tree completely out of the ground and fling it across a boulevard?

Michael Garretson, the school system’s facilities chief, had an answer. Trees native to Florida have evolved through many millennia of hurricanes; they have sufficient roots to hold their ground, he told Parks. But the ficus is a non-native invader.

For Parks, this was a pivotal revelation. For Broward County Public Schools, it was the first step in a program of environmental awareness that has made the school system—the nation’s sixth largest—one of the greenest, too.

To read the full article: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4620

Seed Companies Have a Bumper Crop of Customers

Seed companies have a bumper crop of customers
By Erik Lacitis
206-464-2237 or elacitis@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2008829989&zsection_id=2002242419&slug=seeds09m&date=20090309
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008829989_seeds09m.html

ELLENSBURG —

Out here on a farm just off Interstate 90, Greg and Sue Lutovsky hear every day how the economy is going.

Not so great for everybody else, excellent for them.

America had its Victory Gardens in backyards during World War II — not just for the food, but also to boost morale.

Now Victory Gardens are making a comeback: the 2009 Recession version.

Sue is the one who answers the phone at the couple's Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, which produces more than 400 kinds of seeds (mostly vegetables), as well as 70 different kinds of potatoes and 25 kinds of garlic.

By some of the questions they get from customers, the couple know these are first-time gardeners.

"We had one person ask us which way the seed goes in the ground," says Sue.

These days, she's handling 100 customer calls a day, and the family business expects to gross $1 million in sales this year. Business is up 20 to 30 percent over last year, both in seeds under its own label and seeds it packages for companies such as Burpee and Park Seed.

The business has a dozen employees packing seeds from shelves full of bins.

In another warehouse, seed potatoes fill big wooden crates, the kind used in apple orchards. Last year, Irish Eyes produced 160,000 pounds of seed potatoes, up from 30,000 the year before.

They've already sold out of six varieties of the tubers.

Why potatoes?

Maybe people are reaching back, back into their collective memory, back when potatoes were a staple food. Irish Eyes gets its name from that connection, the eyes referring to the eyes in a potato.

"It's the perfect food crop. It's got everything you need. It's a food source with very little effort. It can be stored a long time," says Greg. "There are not many things you can harvest in September and still be eating in June. You could live on potatoes and half a cup of cream and be healthy."

Some dietitians would argue against a cream-and-potatoes diet, but there is no denying that many in this country are now in survival mode.

Out-of-state visitors

There is no retail outlet at the 13 acres at Irish Eyes (the couple leases an additional nearby 90 acres), but customers find it anyway in the wind-swept Ellensburg countryside.

Greg says the wind is just fine with him. It helps pollinate the crops, he says, and it keeps the crops dry so fungal disease is almost nonexistent.

Recently, a customer drove from Montana, and another from northern Idaho, to pick up potato seeds.

"We can ship them to you at the appropriate planting time, probably mid-April" Greg says he told them.

But the Montana customer, who bought 500 pounds of potato seeds, "physically wanted them in their hands, I guess afraid we might run out," says Greg.

Says Sue, "I think they're scared."

Greg says about the run on seeds, "It's just about everything that's happening in the world, the stock market, the economy."

The Montana customer, says Greg, is a contractor who does part-time farming and sells produce at local farmers markets.

With not too much contracting work these days, the farming helps a lot. Those 500 pounds of seed potatoes will produce 5,000 pounds of potato crop, says Greg.

Greg says others show that they're newbie gardeners by placing an order for, say, one-eighth of an ounce of tomato seeds.

"That's like 900 tomato seeds. That's a lot of plants," he says.

Still, there is a simple math about planting your own garden.

"If a person has been laid off, and had a finite amount of money, they're looking at spending $2 for a head of lettuce that'll last two days," says Greg. "Or for $2 they can buy a packet of lettuce seeds that has 300 seeds and eat lettuce all summer long."

Belt-tightening time

It's not just Irish Eyes that has been booming.

A retail garden store like Sky Nursery in Shoreline says seed business is up "at least 20 percent."

And Burpee, the Pennsylvania-based world's largest seed company, says business also is up by that much.

Although it came up with the idea too late for this year's print catalog, on its Web site Burpee sells a "Money Garden" that for $10 puts together $20 worth of pea, tomato, pepper, bean, lettuce and carrot seeds.

It says the seeds will produce "over $650 worth of vegetables!"

"People are belt-tightening, particularly on large-ticket items," says George Ball, chairman of Burpee. "It results in an almost Depression mentality."

But it's not just about saving money, says Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association.

"I think one place where a lot of people feel they have some small control over what is going on around them is in their backyard," he says. "It's this whole sense of, 'I'm gonna have better-quality food, and save money.' "

And if you don't have a backyard, or you want to garden in the company of others, P-Patches have proved popular.

In Seattle, the P-Patch program in 2008 had a waiting list of 1,230 for plots at its 68 sites, nearly triple the waiting list in 2006.

Food-system concerns

It's not just saving money that has increased business for Irish Eyes, says Greg Lutovsky.

It's also about GMOs.

That stands for genetically modified organisms — for example, corn that has been genetically modified to resist insects and diseases.

"People are starting to rebel against genetically modified seeds in our food system. There is no reason to have fish hormones spliced into a tomato," says Greg. He says that 95 percent of the seeds Irish Eyes sells are certified organic.

At Sky Nursery, Andrea Kurtz, 31, an acupuncturist who lives in Phinney Ridge, is looking over the seed rack.

This is the second year she's having a garden — Armenian slicing cucumbers, beets, pole beans, snow peas, lettuce, tomatoes. She's even going to raise chickens — three hens for eggs, and later they'll be slaughtered for meat.

"I like being able to grow what I eat, to pick something and eat it 10 minutes later," she says.

She's among the youngest of the garden crowd, who tend to be baby boomers.

Gordon Smith, 61, and Saphire Blue, 64, are husband and wife who've gardened for decades. They're retired city of Seattle employees, she a gardener, he a carpenter. They have two properties, one in Seattle and another on Vashon Island.

They talk about the joy of eating fresh produce.

But Saphire also mentions why they'll be growing more potatoes this year.

"If we have an earthquake, or in any way have to survive," she says, "you can trade potatoes with a neighbor for eggs."

That's not a quote you'd have expected to hear a couple of years ago during the boom times.

But these days, it's not about flipping houses for an easy profit.

Flipping dirt for that bumper bean crop is more like it.

It's Time To Start Shopping For Seeds

It’s Time to Start Shopping For Seeds
22 Jan 2009

With an unusually harsh winter still underway, it might be hard to visualize
working in the garden. But parts of the United States are already closing in on
their official frost free dates,
http://www.naturalgardening.com/shop/frostdatesa-n.php3
so it’s time to order seeds.

This weekend would be a great time to plan your early season beds.
Seeds can be started indoors anywhere from one to eight weeks ahead of planting.

Track down what you need — and here’s to warmer days ahead!

- - -

Seed Starting Chart

http://www.organicgardening.com/featureprint/1,7759,s1-5-19-212,00.html
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/1,7518,s1-5-19-212,00.html

If you don't know how to use this table, check out our article WhenTo Plant Your
Seeds for directions.

YOUR SEED-STARTING PLAN
The Spring Frost-Free Date in My Garden is_______________
CROP WHEN TO
START INSIDE

WEEKS
FROM SOWING
SAFE TO SET OUT TIME (RELATIVE TO FROST-FREE DATE) SETTING OUT DATE
Basil 6 1 week after
Beets* 4-6 2 weeks before
Broccoli 4-6 2 weeks before
Cabbage 4-6 4 weeks before
Cauliflower 4-6 2 weeks before
Collards 4-6 4 weeks before
Corn* 2-4 0 to 2 weeks after
Cucumber 3-4 1 to 2 weeks after
Eggplant 8-10 2 to 3 weeks after
Kale 4-6 4 weeks before
Kohlrabi* 4-6 4 weeks before
Lettuce 4-5 3 to 4 weeks before
Melons 3-4 2 weeks after
Mustard* 4-6 4 weeks before
Okra* 4-6 2 to 4 weeks after
Onions 6-8 4 weeks before
Parsley 9-10 2 to 3 weeks before
Peas* 3-4 6 to 8 weeks before
Peppers 6-14 2 weeks after
Pumpkins 3-4 2 weeks after
Spinach 4-6 3 to 6 weeks before
Squash 3-4 2 weeks after
Swiss chard 4-6 2 weeks before
Tomatoes 6-8 1 to 2 weeks after
* These crops are usually direct-seeded outdoors, but they can be started
inside.

"10 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget" by Heather Havey, M.A.

"10 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget" by Heather Havey, M.A.

1. Grow your own organic food. Seeds are very affordable. Simply takes a bit of prep, water, sunlight, and TLC. The joy of harvesting food that you grew yourself is priceless, will bring you great joy, and can change your life. Watching these plants grow can bring you peace, gratitude, and awe. Feeding yourself, friends, and loved ones will also bring you great joy.

2. Buy organic from local farmers. Food that has been shipped around the country or world is more expensive than food grown in your own town. Also, by supporting local organic farmers, you are supporting a healthier world (no poisons), and you are not supporting the destructive corporatization of the bigger farms. Huge companies typically care about profit and growth; consideration of your health is an afterthought, if a thought at all.

3. Buy seasonal produce. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains that are in season, are cheaper to buy.

4. Drink more water. People spend a LOT of money on sodas, alcohol, coffee, tea, and so on. Drink more water. Also, do not buy bottled water. Drink water purified from your own faucet or well. Also, you can easily grow camomile, peppermint, lavender, and other herbs to make your own tea with.

5. Buy bulk. You will save money by not buying quantities of foods with no need for packaging materials.

6. Prepare your own food rather than eating our or buying prepackaged meals. This always saves money. Also, typically your own homemade meals will be significantly healthier than any canned, jarred, packaged, processed, altered, or restaurant foods (though some restaurants can be very healthy).

7. Be a grazer. Rather than prepare elaborate and expensive meals, eat simply. Make a simple salad. Eat a cucumber, sliced. Eat a piece of fruit. Make a simple fruit salad. Make a simple soup. If you have fruit trees in your yard, you can eat those fruits for a snack. Be a grazer, of natural foods.

8. Eat less: when you feel hungry, sometimes all you need is a big glass of water. Americans eat far too much food!!! Eat smaller quantities of more nutritious food.

9. Organize potluck dinners or picnics with friends...and enjoy them out in nature.

10. If you see a particular sale on an item, eat that for the day or week.

Heather Havey, M.A., is a naturalist, veganic farmer, and author. She teaches yoga/meditation as well as organic farming techniques. She supports the "food not lawns" philosophy of filling your life with natural organic beauty, wildlife, and nature - rather than overly-manicured, poison-filled "lawns." To reach her: www.peacethroughkindness.com

Click here to read more articles by Heather Havey.
Click here to see books published by Heather Havey.

Campesinos rescue their native seeds

Campesinos rescue their native seeds
source: http://www.latinamericapress.org/articles.asp?art=5749

Susan Abad 11/13/2008

Government agrarian policy undermines native seed use.

The more than four decades of internal violence Colombia has suffered continues to take its toll on the countryside.

Germán Vélez, director of the nongovernmental Grupo Semillas organization says that when the displaced and others who suffer from economic exclusion cannot make lives for themselves in the countryside, they move to the city.

“The first thing they lose is food security,” he says. “When a farmer leaves, the first thing he loses is his seeds, which are the base of his productive system. And when a farming community abandons its land, their lands suffer from severe erosion.”

“The few who return to their plots find that they have not only lost their way of providing food for themselves, but also their seeds and soil quality, so they have to start over from zero.”

The governmental Agustín Codazzi Geophysics Institute found that more than 61 percent of Colombia´s land is in the hands of 0.4 percent of the landowners, and that the violence and poor government policies has driven Colombia´s population of small-scale farmers from 50 percent of the national population in the 1970s to 24 percent.

Forced displacement has only compounded this. Over the last 10 years, some 2.3 million campesinos, Afro-Colombians, indigenous and settlers have been forced to abandon around 2.6 million hectares (6.42 million acres), Colombia´s Comptroller´s Office says. The National Movement of Victims of State Crimes estimates the area at around 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres).

Recovering lost seeds
Two years after members of the Zenu indigenous people were displaced from their home in Uraba in early 1995 by paramilitary groups, they returned only to find that using their ancestral seeds would no longer be easy. The new industrial agricultural model left many using different seeds and farming techniques, as well as farming chemicals.

“The problem got worse because the initial aid the government gave them included improved seeds, which in principle the campesinos do not know how to work, and the majority of them are apt for special production conditions such as optimized water, special soils … that if you don´t have it, if you don´t have the required technology, it doesn´t render the production it should,” says Mauricio García, coordinator of the Swissaid Foundation’s Seeds of Identity Campaign, which also runs in Ecuador and Nicaragua.

The Zenu began a process to recover their lost native seeds with the help of some neighboring villages, and they were able to again have their corn, bean, yuca and yam seeds.

García says the campaign was born out of the idea of strengthening the native agricultural model by allowing the indigenous community to be independent and work with their own resources.

“In this case, the seeds are a focal point in this process that not only gives the communities food autonomy, but also allows them to recompose their social fabric and ancestral knowledge,” says García.

He notes that the first step after returning to the community is a quick inventory of the lost seed varieties followed by searching in neighboring communities to replace them.

“If it was a massive displacement [of people], the work is more difficult and a product the communities had used for centuries could be lost,” he adds.

Swissaid has also written a guide called “Recuperando Vida” or “Recovering Life,” which outlines which seeds should be planted in the short- and long-term, proper transportation and storage, and planting within the community.

García says that indigenous, Afro-Colombian and campesino organizations have been working to recover their seeds since the 1990s in the Caribbean, Cundiboyacence, Pacific and Cauca regions, as well as their traditional farming knowledge. They are also developing new eco-friendly farming proposals, such as chemical-free farming and organic farming.

The resistance model
The arduous task has clashed with state policies that seek industrial farming with heavy use of transgenic seeds for the production of biofuels, tree plantations and export-targeted monoculture.

García calls it a model “that says the small-producers shouldn´t stay in the fields if they are inefficient and not very competitive.”

But on Oct. 7, 2005, in San Andrés de Sotavento, in northern Colombia, the Zenu, Córdoba and Sucre Indigenous Reservation declared itself transgenic-free and opened the way for the governmental Colombian Agricultural Institute in its norms on transgenic corn to include a prohibition of this type of seed on indigenous lands, and establish a minimum distance of 300 meters between the transgenic plantations and the indigenous reservations.

“But despite these cases of resistance and the alternative proposals, a lot remains to be done,” said Vélez. “These networks are very few, they are not articulated to demonstrate that this agricultural model is viable, sustainable and could be a counterweight to the state´s policies.”

He added that while there are no national figures for this kind of agriculture, it is estimated that more than half of the 10 to 15 million campesinos — working plots of 1 to 5 hectares (2.47-12.4 acres) — using subsistence farming with their native seeds yield 70 percent of the food produced in Colombia. —Latinamerica Press.