Barbara Faurot

“Every seed is life.” That simple idea is at the heart of the Community Seed Project, a collaborative effort to plant, save, and share locally developed seeds. 

According to Karen Seabrook, WSU Extension Master Gardener and director of the Seed Library of Jefferson County, the mission is to improve and preserve the genetic diversity of local seed varieties. Since the Seed Library was formed in partnership with WSU in 2019, more than 250 gardeners have borrowed seeds, planted a wide variety of vegetables, and saved seeds at the end of the growing season.

This fall, the Community Seed Project is focusing on two locally developed varieties: Sunfield Super Sweet Corn, and a black bean shelling bush bean. A contest with local schools will determine the name of the shelling bean.

The Sunfield Super Sweet Corn was developed at Sunfield Farm with support from Organic Seed Alliance (https://seedalliance.org/), a nonprofit that serves as a resource for education and support of local seed production. 

Cara Loriz, executive director of Organic Seed Alliance, explains: “In 2017, we conducted a super-sweet sweet corn trial with local farmers as part of the Northern Organic Variety Improvement Collaborative project funded by the USDA. Laurie McKenzie and Katie Miller of our research team were both impressed and surprised with how well all seven varieties performed and how high quality the ears were.” 

The alliance worked with Ezra Sullivan, Farm Director at Sunfield Farm, to allow all the varieties to cross pollinate and to save seed from the best of them, resulting in a variety well-suited to our maritime climate. It requires a growing area of about 10-foot-by-15-foot and full sun; it can be started in seed trays and then transplanted into the garden. 

The shelling bean was developed by Steve Habersetzer and Jadyne Reichner at Oatsplanter Farm, a local organic seed farm. This early and productive bean requires full sun, can be direct seeded, and is great for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

The first crops were planted this year, and seeds are just about ready to gather. 

“We’ll bring seed together, clean it in a community event, and put some seed in the Seed Library for sharing,” explains Seabrook. “We’ll encourage people to steward their own seeds, keep a seed store, and share with the community.” 

The Seed Library will continue to be part of the Jefferson County Library Bookmobile. Gardeners can borrow seed cleaning screens through the Bookmobile or the main Seed Library. Visit the Community Seed Project website for more information: https://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/community-seed-project/. 

These seeds are two examples of collaboration among Organic Seed Alliance, seed developers, partners like Finnriver Farm and the Food Co-op, and the Seed Library. As Loriz points out, “learning to grow and share seeds locally builds resiliency in our community food system and empowers people in our community to become stewards of their own sustainability.”  

Community Seed Project volunteer Mado Most shares that seed saving used to be a common practice, with deep roots in indigenous communities worldwide. 

“These communities helped create our modern food supply,” adds Most. “They slowly adapted wild plant varieties and coaxed forth the early stages of crops we have come to know.” 

The growth of industrial agriculture has resulted in a loss of crop diversity. Community seed saving and sharing is one way to preserve local heirloom seeds and food sources. According to the Seattle nonprofit Tilth Alliance (www.tilthalliance.org), seeds saved and planted in a bioregion often perform better and are more disease-resistant than seeds sourced from other places. 

The fall months are a good time to collect mature heirloom or open-pollinated seeds and plan for 2022 planting. Seabrook and Most cite one of the challenges: leaving some of the healthiest plants for seed rather than harvesting them for food. Seeds of most vegetables are ready to be saved when they are dry and easily separate from the plant. 

For example, cut seed heads or remove pods from beans or peas and place in a paper bag. Let them dry, protected from heat and sunlight. When completely dry, open the pods or shake the seed heads to release the seeds, and store in glass jars or paper envelopes in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. The 13,000-member nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange offers more information and tips on seed saving: https://www.seedsavers.org/how-to-save-seeds. 

The goal of the seed library is to have an entire community grow, save, and share these local seeds. Additional varieties planned for next year include Pearl’s White Runner Bean, an heirloom seed donated by a Community Seed Project member; Frog Nation Fava bean; and Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Loriz and the team from Organic Seed Alliance sum it up well: “It’s really fun and inspiring to save seed and share it with others! 

“When we save seeds from the foods, flowers, fruits, and grains that flourish in our backyards and gardens, we are perpetuating and advancing the genetic combinations of these crops that are well adapted to our local growing conditions. These are the plants that have the genetic resilience and strength to flourish here and that’s what we want to keep and bring forward for our future.”

If you have questions, Master Gardeners at the online plant clinic host weekly live Zoom sessions from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mondays. To make an online appointment or submit a written question, visit http://jefferson.wsu.edu/plant-clinic.

(Barbara Faurot is a Jefferson County Master Gardener and Master Pruner, working with other volunteers who serve as community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship.)