Words by Smiley Team
A community seed bank project is working to establish a local network of ‘seed guardians’.
Farmers and gardeners have saved and shared their own seeds for thousands of years, but with the rise of global agribusiness, many delicious heirloom and locally adapted varieties are being lost – and genetic diversity is being eroded.
The Stroud community seed bank is helping to turn the tide, by growing their own seed and making their communities more resilient. The local network of ‘seed guardians’ is committed to growing one or two vegetable varieties each year for the bank.
The saved seed is then pooled and packaged in the autumn, ready for distribution over the winter months, and is available on a donation or membership basis, protecting vegetable heritage and building local resilience.
(Read more about how to help these farmers grow local organic food)
Each year, the demand for saved seed increases. In 2020, Stroud community seed bank supplied more than 1,000 packets of seed to the public of Stroud at markets, events and in collaboration with local community shops.
A lot of the seed in British seed catalogues has been bred for industrial scale production and distribution, favouring qualities such as uniform ripening, superficial appearance and an ability to withstand mechanical harvesting.
Most of the seed in these catalogues is grown overseas, and more than 60% of the global seed market is controlled by just a few agrochemical giants such as Bayer and Monsanto.
The community seed bank is helping to foster resilient communities, who will be able to adapt to the consequences of climate change, and adopt the principles of sharing. The group of voluntary local gardeners helps maintain and develop the quality of seeds and provide education on seed saving techniques.
(Learn more about this project tackling food shortages)
Specifically, they focus on Cherokee Trail of Tears seeds, and Gardeners Delight tomato seeds, which are most adaptable to the local soil.
Throughout the year, the Stroud seed bank runs occasional workshops and film screenings on seed growing, and releases its annual seed catalogue in late winter.
Their well-established annual sale of Seed Potatoes heralds the start of the home food producing season, and is currently scheduled for 5 February 2022.
If you’d like to donate towards a packet of seed, you can do so on the Down to Earth Stroud website. Or, get involved.
