The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Fleecewife on September 14, 2012, 09:40:23 am

Title: Scottish crop landraces
Post by: Fleecewife on September 14, 2012, 09:40:23 am
 
Before we had seed merchants, or at least seed merchants who source their seed in Europe, each area had its local varieties of garden and farm crops, selected by annual use for that particular valley or island.   Some of these have been 'saved' by the Heritage Seed Library, but others have not.    Scottish Landraces preserves seed of some wonderful old varieties such as Shetland cabbage and bere barley.  I'm not sure how one gets hold of the seed, but I am hoping for some of Shetland cabbage.  Scots Timothy is available through some agricultural seed merchants in Scotland so we are hoping to get some of that to spice up our flagging pastures.
 
The website is a bit out of date and simple, but it explains more:
http://www.scottishlandraces.org.uk/ (http://www.scottishlandraces.org.uk/)
Title: Re: Scottish crop landraces
Post by: robert waddell on September 14, 2012, 11:37:57 am
magill and smith used to this  as you describe          this has changed to Sinclair magill based at ayr  or they used to     they did all the varieties of grass seeds and were the best for results in the field  just googled them they are in linconshire  also forfar      Watson seed is another
if you remember at the show i will tell you more :farmer: