It was a seed lover’s dream come true. Those who found themselves at the Anderson Valley Grange on Saturday morning March 14th could have their choice of hundreds of seed packets free for the taking. Enthusiastic farmers and gardeners had to hold themselves in check to keep from sweeping the unbelievable variety on show directly into their shoulder bags. Whether you favor vegetables or flowers, there was plenty to get excited about.
This event was sponsored by the AV Food shed and Cloud Forrest Institute. Barbara and Rob Goodell are heavily involved in the organization of the event and must be commended for their contribution to our plant based community.
If gathering seeds was not your aim, the grafting demonstrations and free scions to take home for grafting were a whole other opportunity. At the back of the hall The Philo Apple Farm's Tim Bates was behind a long table filled with twigs. A lifetime of experience as an orchard man made him a likely target for grafting questions. There were many other scions available.
What is a scion you may ask? “A scion is a young shoot or twig of a plant especially one cut for grafting or rooting.” A second meaning: “A descendant of a notable family” as in “he was the scion of a wealthy family” is also pertinent. These twigs that can give rise to new varieties when grafted onto existing trees are indeed descendents of notable families in the plant kingdom.
There were ongoing talks in the Grange dining room.
10:15-11:45 - Basic Grafting by David Ulmer, 12-1 - Basic Seed Saving Josh DeVries and 1:15-2:15 – Farm Talk Round Table with Camila Guerrero.
The Grange was packed with enthusiastic growers. There was lots to see and many tips to absorb. For example, did you know that if you take a jar and put some rotten meat in it then insert a funnel, flies will fly in but will not be able to fly back out? If you take the jar to your garden with your plants needing pollination and remove the funnel, the flies will come out to pollinate. Did you know that in the book, “How to Grow Mushrooms” you can find a recipe that will allow you to inoculate a woodland location and harvest your own chanterelles or even morel mushrooms? Did you know that 14% of all humans grow 100% of the food we eat?
Seed savings is the foundation of the food system.
I was struck by the “glow” that some of the presenters emanated. They were so eager to share and so excited by what they know and were learning. I asked Josh Devries, head gardener at Orr Hot Springs, about this. He said that these growers gathered for the event had so few opportunities to be around other like-minded plant geeks that this day was important for all of them. Thomas Jefferson said, “I’m an old man but a young gardener.” The fountain of youth just might be found somewhere inside the love of plants and growing.
Camila Guerrero told us, “In the end everything works.” This is her summation of the process of adaptation that over the long haul all living things experience. It’s a very positive way to look at the future. She also told us that in the plant world there is a point where plants stop competing for resources and begin to co-operate. This is another great “words to live by” metaphor.
Lots of organizations were represented at the exchange. “Field of Dreams,” and “Agroecology,” among them. If you are a grower or a plant appreciator you can find your people for sure,
For more information look to avfoodshed.com/winter-abundance-fair. Also check out, “going to seed.org” and the book, “Seed Savers Exchange” which is a terrific resource.
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