Seed Saving
How: The process is fairly simple. Allow the crop (or part of it at least) to grow long enough to produce mature seeds. Gather the seed heads and spread them out on a sheet where they are protected from wind and can dry properly. Once dry, the seed is separated from the stems by different means, depending on the plant. Most times you can rub the material between your hands or rub it through a metal screen like a hardware cloth which allows the seed to fall away from the stem. Once the bulk of the stem is removed, the seed is separated further with other screens of various sizes, allowing separation by size.
If necessary to clean further, the sifted seed can be winnowed. Winnowing occurs as the seed and chaff are dropped slowly through a stream of air (we use a box fan). The air carries the lighter material further than the heavy material. Seed will usually be the heaviest part of that, and will drop closest to the fan, with the light material blowing further away. This allows you to select the good seed from the rest. Then the seed is placed in bags or pouches, labeled, and stored out of the light and heat. This is how we sort the best, strongest seed from the previous year to be used for the next growing season.
Why: Seeds are a precious resource.
Our unique and arid high-desert climate can make it difficult to thrive. With long, cold winters and lingering frost, we need to make the most of every warming day. As organic farmers we rely on seed adapted to our specific conditions and climate because we don’t use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Seed saving helps us collect the strongest and most capable seeds from our farm for next year’s harvest instead of purchasing seed from a farm with dissimilar growing conditions.
Seed saving also gives us security in knowing we can rely on the fertility of the farm to support itself in a sustainable, cyclical manner. We believe that harvesting seeds is a simple and beautiful way to pay it forward. For us, today’s seeds are the source of future medicinal plants.
