October 9, 2004

Restoring Our Seed Conference
December 4-5, 2004 in Vermont

Ever wonder how generations of farmers without advanced degrees grew their own seed and developed the foods of today? Join us to learn how to:

* Grow, select and breed organic seed for sustainable farming in New England,

* Integrate seed crops and wild habitats for enhanced biodiversity,

* Develop local markets for 'vintage vegetables' with communities, schools and chefs - to grow a bioregional food and seed system.

With New England's master seed growers, the Public Seed Initiative, Dr. Raoul Robinson, Dominique Guilette of kokopelli-seed-foundation.com, Bret Grohsgal and more.

Dec. 4-5, 2004, Saturday and Sunday
School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont
To register and for further information, visit:
http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?
module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10216894&u=88104
Phone: (207) 872 9092.
Email: humus1@netvision.net.il

Cost: $50.

Restoring Our Seed is for everyone: backyard seed-savers and breeders, market farmers, educators and researchers.

Schedule

Day One
8:00 Registration and Hot Cider
8:30 - Why Grow Our Own Seed?
Seed Basics and Reproductive Biology Dr. Mark Hutton
10:00 BREAK
10:15 - Seed-Saving Will Bonsall and Rowen White
- Crop Improvement on a Market Farm Bret Grohsgal
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 - Saving Seed of Self-Pollinated and Cross-Pollinated Crops: Will,
Rowen, Dominique
- Improving Self-Pollinated and Cross-Pollinated Crops: Mark and others
3:15 BREAK
3:30 - Crop Improvement: Tomatoes, Arugula and more
- Brett Grohsgal and Dr. Raoul Robinson
- Seed, Spirit, and Indigenous Peoples - Dominique Guilette
4:30 - Self-Organized Seed-Saving and Breeding Projects with Dr. Raoul
Robinson and lead-farmers: Tomato, Brassicas, Potato, Squash
6:00 DINNER
7:30 - Se
ed Exchange and Storytelling

Day Two
8:00 - Review and Questions
8:30 - Coming Home to Seed: Diversity and Heritage Foodways: Dominique,
Rowen, Eli
- Crop Improvement Projects Dr. Raoul Robinson, Farmers and Backyard
Breeders
9:30 Round-Tables:
- Building a Local Seed-Saving Network with Will Bonsall and others
- Traits to Improve in Vegetables Michael Glos, PSI
Farmers will discuss traits to improve, and which diseases and pests
far
mers should select against- to build NE seed-saving and breeding
partnerships
10:30 BREAK
10:45 Round-Tables:
- Crop by Crop Regional Projects
- Seed-Saving Network
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 - Native Habitats, Pollinator Ecology and Wild Edibles -
- Vintage Vegetables: Marketing your Unique On-Farm Variety - Brett,
Jeremy
2:30 BREAK
2:45 - Crop by Crop Regional Projects
- Self-Organizing Small Groups
4:00 - Concluding Discussion and Future Planning

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This page was posted on 10/11/04