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Between 1903 and 1983, 97 percent of the vegetable varieties available in 1903 were lost (became extinct). Between 1984 and 1998, 88 percent of the vegetable varieties available in 1984 were lost. The combination of the last two statements says that in 1998 only 0.36 percent or 36 varieties would have remained out of 10,000! |
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The Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) is a grass roots group saving seed still available to gardeners. There are about 1000 gardeners, back yard, truck, and farmers who are all concerned with the quality of vegetables they grow. There are many more varieties available as seed than as seedlings. SSE has a seed bank facility at Heritage Farms at: Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Wynn Road, Decorah, IA 60413. Come Join Us! |
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Seed which your Grandmother or neighbor grew for decades needs to be preserved. I was given seed by a neighbor I never knew. He died before I could meet him. A neighbor lady brought me seed from him which his mother brought to Texas in 1904 at 4 years of age from the Midwest. Then he brought the seed to New Mexico some time later. I now have been entrusted with the seed. |
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Large seed companies that are working on hybrid seed are causing much heirloom, or open pollinated seed, to go extinct. There are a couple of ways this works. Some of the Larger seed companies like Monsanto and Shell buy up smaller companies and use what seed they feel will assist in their research efforts. Much of the seed they abandon. |
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Ask your neighbors, friends, grandparents, or others if they have seed that their family has been growing for generations. Gardeners often will be happy to share seed with you since their special varieties often have at least one trait they can not find in the market varieties. If no one is growing their special seed, and the person passes on, the seed will die with the gardener. |
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If there is seed that is in danger of being lost when the older generation passes away, see if you can get a sample to grow for yourself, multiply the seed, and finally to enable Seed Savers Exchange to preserve the seed in its seed banks for ever. SSE's Heritage Farms has an extensive seed bank of not only early American varieties but also European (including Eastern Europe) and are collecting from various parts of the world regularly. |
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If you can obtain such seed please e-mail me about this. I am an active grower for the SSE and will assist the seed to be preserved by the SSE's seed banks. They will be happy to receive the new seed sample. Seed in the seed banks are available to anyone who requests it for a modest fee. It is made available as it is multiplied to enable anyone to grow it, not just the registered members. |
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