[RUSTYME]

I have been thinking for some time now about the situation with vegetables.

 Many of the varieties that used to be kept are unobtainable now , or at best very hard to get. There are a few good seed collecting co-ops around already but I am thinking of starting my own up .
 What I am intending to do, is to save as many seeds as possible  , from as many different veg as I can , all named and all old varieties that have been grown in the UK for many years.
 
These seeds I would then sort into collections of as near equal amounts as possible and then send to anybody that wanted them for the cost of P+P, no extra for this or that just P+P.
 
It will take me a couple of years to set up , but once going it would help to save at least some of the old types of veg .

 The seeds would be available to anyone each year on a first come first served basis , ie the first ones to send the P+P money  .

Hopefully at least some would save  seed from their veg , even if it is only one type !! and send or give to someone else. But even if they just keep saving their own seed each year, for their own plot then, gradually we could get control of our food again. No GM , no F1 hybrids , just good honest pure food !!

 As I say it will take a year or two to set up , as I have to clear a much larger area to grow on . Reminds me of when I started growing veg on my allotments when I was 11 . All the 'old' boys would come over and give me seed they had saved from their veg . All in little envelopes , with the name of the veg and variety scribbled on it.  Why did that ever change ? 
 
Anyway ....I think it will be of interest to some , very cheap seeds at least ...


cheers

Russ

[doganjo]

Do you have now or will you be able to obtain these old varieties?

[JD]

I think thats a great idea Russ. I for one would support you. You could send people just the number of seeds they require as discussed on another thread. I have limited space so buying a packet of seeds containing a thousand seeds is no good to me. Good luck.
JD

[HappyHippy]

I agree - it's a fab idea 
Count me in !

[RUSTYME]

Hello Annie,
       I do already have some , and over the last year I have been looking around for as many suppliers as I can.
 I had a bad year this year , so things went on hold a bit , but the wagon is on the roll again now so I hope to get things up and away this coming season . Although quantity won't be much at first , as I say I have to increase the plot size a lot . At present it is only about 90' x 22' , but I will get  a much larger area ploughed to get things going .
 I hope to be able to include things such as Wheat , Barley , Rye , Oats , Linseed ,  and a selection of wild flower seed too . It will be an opt in or out collection ie ;
 1) veg seed (enough to supply a family of 4 , but excluding potatoes , just seed)
 2) grain seed ( enough to sow a square yard or so each )
 3) wild flower seed (whatever I can collect )
 
That is sort of the basics of what I was thinking of anyway .

cheers

Russ

[RUSTYME]

yes JD,
 a mini collection could be sorted on request, so as to save any waste. The main collection would be for a family of 4 though . Easy to work out . I would have to work out how many seeds of each veg variety to save, to cover enough for say 100 collections . A lot of seed . I then have to grow enough veg of each type and variety to supply that seed, and still supply me with food !!
 I already have a few people that want them , about 20 or so . I told one bloke and he phoned me up asking if his mates at his allotments could have some too ?  I did think why don't they already do it anyway ? But whatever... I think a lot of it was to do with cost. Virtually free seeds for a years supply of veg got them very interested...

cheers

Russ

[egglady]

i think this is a great idea and one i was thinking of starting myself somewhere along the way!!! Great to hear someone is more organised than i am!

[doganjo]

Russ, I don't think you should set this up and run it for nothing.  It is an excellent idea.  Your time is valuable.  You may have a lot of paperwork to do to keep track of the old varieties - i don't even know what the old varieties of apple are let alone anything else.  You should make a small charge.  Even if you decide to give it to a charity.  I know it's probably the accountant in me talking but i always feel people appreciate things more if they have to pay for them.

[JD]

I agree with Annie I would rather pay you for your time and labour than the big boys who can only sell me a packet of seeds in numbers I can't use.

[RUSTYME]

lol...I know what you mean Annie , but I really just want to do my little bit to save our old vegetables. Hopefully it will help people save money as well , and if even only a few save seed from what they grow from my seed , then it will be worth doing .
 I will be happy to grow a bit extra for the seed and just cover costs . It would all get to involved and rat racy for me any other way . I would lose interest very VERY fast. As long as I have the seed I don't mind giving it away, plus it is my little two fingered gesture to Monsanto ....all be it a bit futile.  


cheers

Russ

[doganjo]

It may not be so futile, Russ - after all there is a move afoot to encourage people to grow their own veg already, and this could grow like the proverbial beanstalk!  or even a mushroom

[RUSTYME]

yes thats right Annie, and if everyone saved at least some seed and gave it to others and swapped some for seed they haven't got , then we wouldn't need seed suppliers to sell us the GM/F1 seed that doesn't grow true , so you have to continually buy more seed from them every year. And if we all gave our seed for free , then in next to no time seed companies would almost disappear .
 I doubt that will happen though .... but it could make a very big hole in their pockets  .

cheers

Russ

[doganjo]

I have absolutely loads of orange and red wild poppy seeds.  These flowers suddenly appeared in my garden this year - I certainly didn't plant them.  So when they finished I gathered all the seeds I could.

[marigold]

I am up for helping.
I have bought quite a few old varieties for this coming year's veg garden and intend to save seeds thereafter.
My only concern would be the cross pollination thing. If I am growing 4 types of squash, I couldn't guaruntee that the next generation of seeds were pure.
The other option for the cash exchange thing is to work out some kind of exchange in kind.
I agree with Annie that it would be good to have another motivation as well as altruism.
 

[RUSTYME]

the cross pollination thing is where you have to be a stickler.  It is no good growing different varieties of the same plant and hoping that they breed true. You have to just stick to keeping seed from stock you know to be safe to keep seed from , otherwise there is absolutely no point in doing it . Some varieties can be kept along with different ones within the same plant species , and still breed true , others will cross very easily .
The easy crossers you can only grow just the one sort of, in a year you intend to keep seed. Other years you can grow as many varieties as you want , as long as you aren't keeping the seed. It is much simpler ,than my garbled explanation in reality .
 As for motivation , I thought of doing it to first save my own seed , as I used to , and then to give any surplus to anybody that wants it . Their motivation  is for them to work out not me  , I have no intention or desire to become a mini Monsanto ... .


cheers

Russ