As the seed sovereignty movement grows, more and more of our regional groups are seeking to source varieties that have resonance with their local areas. Not only do these have slight adaptations that will respond to climatic differences, but the stories they tell are rooted in places, cultures and people that are familiar and endearing.
Current seed production trainee Gisela has recently been appointed to the Heritage Seed Library to facilitate their ‘Sowing your Seeds: Heritage Crops for a resilient Future’ project. This two-year, National Lottery Heritage Fund-funded initiative aims to identify, locate and protect varieties that resonate with the growers of central England. They might have an historic provenance, or they might reflect the new communities of the region – seeds that have travelled with those who have settled in England either long time ago or more recently, and that remind of home, family and friends left behind. If you know of any special varieties that have adapted well in the Midlands, Gisela would love to hear from you!
As a Programme, we can be the first point of contact for similar requests. We’re currently dealing with enquiries from Liverpool, Scarborough, and Teesside in the north of England; north east Somerset in the south; Denbighshire in Wales.
More info on the project: https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/news/have-you-got-a-special-heritage-seed-youd-like-to-share-with-us
If you have seeds you’d like to share with the project, please fill this form: https://bit.ly/HSLseedsearch
