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:
Phone: (207) 872 9092.
Email: humus1 (at) 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 – Seed 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 farmers 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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