Where did our heirloom seeds come from?

Penny Blazey writes a personal account of the history of Seed Savers

Founder and author Diane Whealy (centre) with Penny and Clive Blazey, July 2011

he idea for Seed Savers exchange began when dianes Grandpa Ott gave Kent and diane Whealy his treasured seeds into their safekeeping just before he died in 1974. From reading articles in magazines like Mother earth the Whealys realised there must be other like-minded gardeners who were saving heirloom seeds. Their dream of saving seed with others became a reality in 1975 when twenty-nine gardeners from all over the USa and Canada sent twenty-five cents and a large envelope to the True Seed exchange in return for a six-page publication listing other gardeners who were willing to share their seed and stories. The Whealys mission when they founded the True Seed Exchange (with its first name meaning true to type, non-hybrid seed) was to preserve and distribute heirloom seeds of flowers and vegetables to other gardeners.

diane Whealys ancestors had come from Bavaria hence she grew up surrounded by German families near Festina in north-east iowa, just south of decorah where the Seed Savers exchange has now settled. her grandfather, Bob Ott, had inherited some special seeds from his parents who had carefully carried them all the way from Bavaria in 1884. Seeds become heirlooms when they are chosen as favourites of the people who saved or inherited them - usually because they were the most beautiful or had the best perfume in the case of flowers, or because they had the best flavour or keeping qualities or were the best early or late varieties in the case of vegetables.

Defining Heirlooms

There were many similarities between their not-forprofit organisation and our Diggers Club for profit company. One reason for starting diggers was Clives frustration with the lack of interesting and old varieties in our local nurseries. By the 1970s in both america and australia nearly 90% of old varieties of fruit and vegetables that had been available in the early 1900s had disappeared as the commercialisation of the agricultural and horticultural industries took over. during the 1950s this trend accelerated as new technology created hybrid varieties which rapidly began to replace garden heirlooms in the market. Both Seed Savers and diggers hoped to counteract this trend by re-introducing the best heirloom varieties before they were lost. america had over 200 mail order seed companies compared with just three in australia, and an older and richer garden tradition explained no doubt because of the huge number of immigrants who arrived from all over europe and the rest of the world over the last 400 years. Consequently america had a far larger source of diverse heirloom seeds than we did as our food traditions were narrowly British and started much later. Bob Otts favourites were a beautiful purple morning glory with a red throat (called Grandpa Ott) and a big juicy tomato called German Pink. Grandpa Otts morning glory still climbs up the old barn at heritage Farm of Seed Savers exchange just as it climbed up the front porch of every house and farmstead diane and Kent have lived in since they were married in Iowa in 1971. Their first five years of marriage involved moving to five states and as many houses until they bought thirty acres in Missouri. Whilst their first house had no inside plumbing or electricity, they always planted a vegetable and fruit garden so diane was constantly bottling, canning and pickling. Kent and diane changed the name of True Seed exchange to Seed Savers exchange in 1979 as all members saved and circulated their heirloom seed between themselves through the exchange, which became a seed bank containing the Whealy collection and the seeds of their members. This seed bank grew each time the Whealys met other heirloom seed fanatics like Gary Nathan, who came from arizona to stay in 1980. he had been collecting seeds from remote mountain villages in Mexico to give to Native americans whose tribes had lost the seeds for their crops. his collection, especially the squash and melon seeds became an important contribution to the SSe seed bank. another contact in 1981 was John Withee who in 1983 sent his entire bean collection of over 1,200 varieties to the SSe bank which currently holds over 5000 varieties of beans. When the core collection of seeds became larger in 1988 the Growers Network of experts was needed to grow out specialist seeds which then became the Curator Network. They renewed fresh seed for the SSe bank and shared extra seed with other members. Glen drowns, who had come to help Kent and diane plant out the Preservation Garden in 1985 became the curator for corn, melons and squashes. Suzanne ashworth, who wrote and donated to SSe the expert handbook for saving seed called Seed to Seed, became curator for eggplants, as did Will Bonsall, who is an expert in self sufficiency and became curator of peas, potatoes and biennials as well as contributing an unbelievable 4,570 varieties of seed since 1982.

A True Seed Exchange

The signature Seed Savers building is the Amish constructed red barn, and they still maintain their traditions of dress

in 1981 SSe was granted federal tax-exempt status meaning it could finally accept grants and donations and at least begin to pay wages. Kent then applied to the Soil and health Society (later the Rodale institute) for a grant and received $5000, so he gave up his job to work full time on the SSe. The Whealys had three children by 1981 so Kent applied for a further grant of $8000 when he found that scientists wanted a seed inventory for non-hybrids to help preserve the base of genetic diversity on which our food system rests. he received the money and a computer system, but it took him three years to complete. it covered information for over 6000 non-hybrid varieties and 230 companies who sold them. Kent was awarded a Mcarthur Fellowship of $275,000 in 1990 and visited the USSR and other countries in eastern europe to collect traditional food crop seeds that were fast disappearing. These included the Black Russian tomato. Seed Savers international was founded at this time. By mid-June 1981 Kent and diane decided to hold yearly campouts so that their members could meet each other to swap seeds and stories. in 1982 the Whealys decided they had outgrown their site in Missouri so they moved to the small town of decorah in north-east iowa. Clive and i have just attended the 2011 campout with over 300 other members and ten speakers plus workshops and guided tours of the farm. Other people who brought their collections to the 1984 campout were John Swenson with his great allium (garlic and onion) collection, david Cavagnaro (former farm manager and now director) brought his wonderful photograph collection and dan Bussey with his apple (and cider) collection. Sadly, Kent and diane divorced in 2004. Consequently tension rose within management for three years so that when Kent finally fell out with the Board he was dismissed in 2007. Kent and dianes son aaron became interim executive director until he decided with his wife Becky, to run his own seed farm in Wisconsin where they have their own herd of White Park cattle and he keeps close ties with the SSe.

SSE becomes a not-for-profit charity

The Campouts

diane is now Vice President and amy Goldman, who visited australia two years ago with her tomato book, is now President and Chair of the Board of directors. So the SSe has grown and stabilised under their leadership and that of the new executive director John Torgrimson as well as many former staff. The SSe collection now has over 25,000 varieties Diggers ties with Seed Savers are closer than ever with Clive being one of the Board of Advisers and our trials manager Lou Larrieu doing exchanges with Seed Saver staff. Diggers buys seeds from Seed Savers and has financially supported SSE for nearly 20 years. David Cavagnaro who helped establish heirloom trials for Diggers nearly twenty years ago has made five lecture tours and provided us with many of his outstanding photographs. The history of Seed Savers, called Gathering, has just been written by Diane Whealy and is available online. Passionate seed savers can join and access the international seed swaps totalling over 10,000 heirlooms.

In August 2011 President Obama addressed Seed Savers who helped Michelle Obama establish a garden at the White House.

Footnote:

www.seedsavers.org

Far left: Isolation cages to prevent cross-pollination and keep varietal purity Left: Rare endangered White Park cattle at SSE Below: The magnificent Amish barn with hollyhocks