Some of our group joined up with one of the Climate Torches journeying around Australia on their way to Canberra.
As local seed savers we are trying to make sure that our varieties are adapted to the local environment. We continuously select seed from the best performing plants in our gardens and this helps to create strains that excel in our soils and climate.
We pay a lot of attention to the weather as it effects much of what we do. So we are very concerned about the long term changes that are forecast for our climate. We are each taking steps to reduce our impact on the environment and want the Government and businesses to do their part too.
 - Some of the Bega Valley Seed Savers with Climate Torch and seed packets
Bega Valley Seed Savers is a volunteer group dedicated to growing and saving the seeds of non-hybrid and heirloom varieties of mostly edible plants. We are part of the national Seed savers network, that promotes and supports local networks to save, sort, dry, share, store, and distribute seeds. It is a living bank of plant varieties, as seeds only keep fresh if we keep growing them and eating them!
Some good reasons for us having a Local Seed Network (LSN):
- Saved seeds are suited to local conditions as they are sourced and swapped locally, this also means the seed is often fresher.
- By continuously selecting the best plants to save seed from we promote strains suitable to our region, and possibly even create some local varieties.
- LSNs stop the erosion of our food crop diversity and actually increase the genetic base.
Varieties of food crops are shrinking. In the last century 75% of garden varieties disappeared as fewer and fewer people grow and collect their own food and seed. Five multinational companies control 40% of the global vegetable seed market, breeding chemically dependent hybrids and recently some are genetically modified as well. - Seed corporations produce ‘one size fits all’ seeds often grown in countries where the labour is cheap rather than in environments similar to our own.
- Another threat to biodiversity is the patenting of plants by the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act (PBRs). Here plants are bred and the result patented and grown on a massive scale. The resilience automatically available in a more diverse system of food production becomes at risk as food biodiversity is reduced. The Irish Potato Famine is an example of the kinds of disaster that kind strike when all our 'eggs' are in one basket.
- Farmers used to collect their own seed with many locally adapted varieties all over the world, now because of many pressures they have become dependent on seed companies.
- And it's fun!
Exchanging knowledge, swapping seed and feeling more self-reliant as a community is enriching and eating fresh locally grown food is a delicious and healthy pleasure.
We’d love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved. You don’t have to be an expert.
The Bega Valley Seed Savers network is striving to increase the number of varieties that we offer, and we're really interested in tasty varieties that have performed well in the local region.
We are really keen to meet people who are prepared to grow varieties through to seed and are willing to share the seed with the local community. In return we offer free access to any other seed in our collection. We also have links to other seed savers networks around the country and can track down specific seed for committed growers.
If you can't help with seed growing but are prepared to help sort, clean and package you are most welcome to join in!
We meet on the first Friday of the month, from 9am to noon, at the Bega Farmers Market. Find us near the SCPA stall.
But please ring to check, especially in the colder months, as the meetings are sometimes cancelled or moved.
Ring Anneke on 6492 0992 or Tjenka on 6494 7384 or Liz on 6492 0923 for more information.
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