Many times this season and every farming season, I find myself returning to the Buddhist saying my father told me as a child, “the ox is slow but the earth is patient.” It is with this reality in mind that we come to the work of seed saving.
Seed saving and working with nature is a lifelong commitment that takes patience, faith, and a long view. For instance, many crops take two seasons before they will produce seed. Adaptations to our unique climate and soils may take years of continually growing crops, selecting plants, and saving seed. This process is not instantaneous, but an ever evolving continuum.
Since starting to farm, I have been captivated by the power packed within seeds. How does the tiny, tiny amaranth seed, for instance, create a 7 foot tall plant, producing 300 times that number of seeds? Held in every seed is the history of generations of farmers and gardeners who have saved that seed, as well as the environmental impacts that have shaped its expression. Within the saving of seed is the genesis of civilization which allowed us to settle in one place, create community and subsequently, art. It is a craft that has been nearly forgotten by most farmers and eaters alike.
It is with this understanding that we created High Desert Seed and Gardens. It is our belief that everyone can save seed and in doing so become more connected to the way their food is produced. This connection to food breeds relationship and allows for stronger communities to grow. Just as a seed needs nurturing to grow, so do we.
THANK YOU for joining with us as we evolve, for being the soil that will nurture our vision, and for supporting our work to grow a resilient community.
