Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) will host a two-day Fundamentals of On-Farm Plant Breeding Course on June 4-5, 2012, in Port Townsend, Washington.
Participants can expect to learn fundamental skills to develop and adapt seed varieties for their organic farm conditions. OSA and Washington State University Senior Scientist Dr. John Navazio will discuss:
* the biology of seed production,
* seed harvesting and cleaning,
* choosing appropriate seed crops for your system and climate,
* maintaining the genetic integrity of varieties with appropriate population sizes and isolation distances,
* conducting variety trials, and
* basic on-farm breeding techniques, such as mass selection and progeny testing.
Prior experience in basic seed growing is recommended.
This class is being offered at a discounted rate thanks to support from Seed Matters, an initiative of Clif Bar Family Foundation. Cost includes two days of instruction, field visits, a reading packet, and lunch both days. Course hours are Monday, June 4, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday June 5, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Classroom sessions will take place at the Pope Marine Building in downtown Port Townsend and field sessions will be taught at Midori Farm in Port Townsend.
Pre-registration is required and class space is limited. Learn more and register online today at http://www.seedalliance.org/Events/.
Be sure to follow updates on other upcoming events by visiting OSA’s website, Seed Broadcast blog, Facebook page, and Twitter.
