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Seed Saving
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About Seeds of Trust
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Frequently Asked Questions About
Seed Saving
and Seeds of Trust
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What is Seeds of Trust all about?
Seeds of Trust is a program I designed - a one man operation that
hopes to list, catalog, locate sources and provide information on
heirloom seeds and propagation methods of plantings with a focus on
edible plants. It is a personal quest in many ways to help people
help themselves.
There is no huge society, or group of people
funding this project. It is being fueled at this point, by one person with a sincere desire to help those that desire to
help themselves and the communities around them.
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What does Seeds of Trust hope to
accomplish?
It is my hopes to setup a network of affordable heirloom seed
suppliers for the individual. A 'hometown" type of atmosphere
online where
small gardeners can share their seeds, trade for others, and perhaps
market anything extra they have.
I hope to encourage small gardeners to help others, the less
fortunate of us, to eat better by the sharing of extra produce, and
to find ways to grow more in spaces we previously wouldn't have
considered.
And to boycott the use of commercial chemicals, weed
killers and pesticides and fertilizers, or to at least LIMIT what
chemicals are used in the garden.
I would like to see to it that people who desire better alternatives
have the option to feed
themselves better quality, safer and more affordable foods
I also see Seeds of Trust as a way of leaving a legacy of hope to
the next generation and thru Seeds of Trust many of us can pass
along the knowledge and wisdom we've acquired and to
provide alternatives to communities in need of food, hope and self
sufficiency. Missionaries and Organizations world wide have been
doing this for years with limited success, I've yet to see anyone
doing this on a large scale inside the United States.
It would not hurt to teach families prone to obesity and unhealthy
lifestyles to take control of their diets and to help themselves
into a healthier and more holistic lifestyle. Gardening not only
provides quality food, but burns calories and empowers an individual
to make better choices. When one is confident, one is powerful.
I personally would like to see more small farmers assist low income
families by teaching
them how to feed themselves.
There are many communities where
poverty is the norm. Where most people work for minimum wage or have
several family members contributing to the income of the household
in order to make the minimum bills each month that could benefit
from the Seeds of Trust Project.
There are millions of children who could benefit from the hands on
instruction and guidance both spiritually and emotionally.
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and
he will eat for a lifetime...
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Can anyone seed save?
Yes. Anyone can seed save. Most seeds you obtain commercially will
not breed true. You will need to start with an heirloom plant or
seed to begin to seed save though. Some store bought things can be
'set to seed' like garlic, but it is best to obtain seed from a
friend or commercial supplier or through a network of seed savers in
your local area or by mail.
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Why is seed saving important?
Let me get my soap box out... This is the part where I go
to preaching the virtues of good and healthy living. If you're not
interested in a speech, skip this question and go to the next in
line.
Seed saving is important for many many reasons. Valuable reasons
such as your health and the health and welfare of your children and
their children to come.
With much of our food sources being adulterated with chemicals
through out it's production, processing and shipment, how can you
expect to eat and eat healthy out of a box or can?
What is your body based upon? The quality, safety and nutritional
value of the food you
eat and the water you drink.
Children today are subject to obesity, and all of us are prone to
diabetes and high blood pressure.
Much of this is derived from the way we live and the way we don't
live anymore. We live sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles that are
influenced by the electronic generation, computers, satellite television, video
games, fast food and laziness. We allow our bodies to go into an
unhealthy state that focuses on processing the chemicals and sugars
in fast foods, and rarely does anything truly pure cross our lips on
it's way to the stomach.
Fast foods, grocery store items are not PURE. The seeds come from
mass producers of commercial seed that has been genetically altered
for rapid growth, disease resistance, rot resistance and production
of the largest and sweetest fruits and veggies available. (They also
have seed bred to create uniform sizes and weights for shipping and
that will ripen all at the same time.)
Once that seed is in the ground, the spraying begins, chemicals to
prevent weed growth, fertilizer to encourage production, and
periodically though out the growing season selective weed killers
and chemicals are applied to insure rapid and uninhibited growth,
prevent diseases and fungus and bug infestations.
Once that seed has grown into a commercially viable product and is
harvested it is cleansed and sprayed with preservatives in most
cases prior to shipping. Those preservatives are used to inhibit
spoilage, retard mold and to slow the natural breakdown of food
after it leaves the vine or mother plant.
Do you really want to know what happens after it arrives at the
processors' if it is to be canned or used in by another company in
the production of a commercial product?
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What are the nutritional values
of plants grown from heirloom seeds versus the commercial varieties?
The nutritional value is determined by soil composition in any
plant, the quality of the water, the way it is processed in your
home and the plant variety itself.
If the truth be told the nutritional value of what you read on the
cans and labels in your grocery store is just an average from many
cans, many batches, many varieties and is often inaccurate.
Nutritional information is nothing more than a fairy tale in many
cases, masquerading as an exact science. All values are approximate.
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So how do I get started seed
saving?
Buy and grow heirloom seeds in your garden today. Start NOW. You can
grow plants in the house, in the garden, in your yard, in a box, in
a garage, in an attic and even in the closet.
If you already seed save, register yourself as a seed saver in our
database and tell us what you save, the varieties, and any growth,
habits, and planting information about the seeds you save. If you
have seed you can afford to share, let us know. We'll put you in
touch with someone who has something you don't.
Technical knowledge doesn't matter. Pictures would be nice of both
the seed and the plant in production as well as potential yields and
why you choose to grow it. Does it produce well in good old sunny
Carolina ? How will it do in Tennessee? In Maine? If you don't know,
say so...... Lets find someone who will try to grow your seed in
those states and see how they do.
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Does this cost any money?
NO. Currently I pay for the webspace and I
have placed ads upon the site to help me do that. I
know, no one clicks ads, but the little extra income helps pay the
internet bill and occasionally allows me to buy my kids something
nice. Once in a while I can even pay a bill or two from those ads.
If you propagate plants - even ornamentals, please feel free to
share any information you have. You will be given promotional credit
for your work and will be contributing to a worthy cause.
I know
that none of us has the power to change the world but if we leave
one person better off than before we touched their lives then we
have fulfilled our purpose.
In your community, reaching out and touching others doesn't have to
cost you a dime. Volunteer yourself. Volunteer to share your
knowledge, your time, and teach a man to fish. No time? No money? No
space in your life for volunteer time, then volunteer here. Online.
There are no requirements, no time schedule to keep and no demands.
You give what you can back to a community that will be full of
questions and need knowledge and encouragement.
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Does Seeds of Trust sell
anything? Seeds?
No. We do not sell anything. Seeds of Trust is not about money. Ok,
money is nice and if you have some extra lying about that you're not
using you are welcome to share it ☺
Seeds of Trust is about power. Empowering each other. Its about
growing confidence, growing knowledge and giving back the right to a
healthier lifestyle to those who want and need it.
It is also about keeping kids off the streets and providing them
something USEFUL to do rather than just hanging out playing video
games and killing one another. It's about providing alternatives to
our youth, and educating the next generation about the virtues of
making wise choices for both the body and mind.
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Can I contribute to Seeds of
Trust.
YES, definitely. We can always use extra information, contributions
of seed ourselves. Reports of seeds that we miss in our quest to
catalog what's available, and corrections to the
information provided here. Much our research is being done online,
We started this project in North Carolina, and we can only be
certain of our information when it is derived from experience.
Please share your experiences. Participation on the forums - answering
questions from new seed savers etc... Tell us about your seed saving
how you do it. How you propagate plants etc. Tell us what works for
you. Where you're located and don't be just another lurker.
Contribute produce from your garden to someone less fortunate than
you. Share your extra produce and seed with a family or individual
in need.
Gardening heals souls. So help me heal the world - I can't do it by
myself.
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