Seed Production and Breeding
I have had a lot of fun this month learning more about seed production and breeding. I had the opportunity to take a class at Wild Garden Seed about growing seed for market. This class was a fantastic inspiration for me. Living in the Oregon all my life, I’ve seen grass seed and wheat farmers driving huge expensive machines through their fields. I had previously thought that seed production on an economic scale might mean investment in a combine or other pricey equipment. It was refreshing to see Frank Morton’s ingenious methods for seed cleaning using relatively simple and easily accessible materials. Some of the equipment he uses in seed cleaning are:
a pick-up truck and tarp for threshing,
screens (window and perforated steel of various diameters and slot shapes) for sorting grain sizes,
a box fan with a simple cardboard screen modification, and
some slightly modified tofu tubs.
It was amazing to see uncleaned seed skillfully transformed into a salable product. There was discussion of marketing ideas, germination testing, and other related topics.
I just got back from another exciting class on seed breeding for organic systems. The class was lead by John Navazio of the Organic Seed Alliance, Jim Myers of Oregon State University Department of Horticulture, and Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed. Several trials and breeding programs were toured and described. These included programs developed through the Novic program, OSU breeding programs, and Wild Garden Seed on-farm breeding programs. It was inspiring to meet committed seed farmers, plant breeders, seed company owners, vegetable farmers, and homesteaders working to improve our biological heritage.
