A practical breeding manual for growers and gardeners was recently published by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY). Breeding Organic Vegetables: A Step by Step Guide for Growers was written by Rowen White, who operates a regional seed company in the Northwest (http://sierraseeds.org/), and Bryan Connolly, a botanist and doctoral student at the University of Connecticut. The manual can be purchased and is also available as a free download (opens PDF).
And be on the lookout this summer for another organic seed resource. OSA’s Dr. John Navazio’s new book, The Organic Seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Production, hits shelves in August 2012, and serves as a comprehensive manual for serious vegetable growers interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. The book is written for both serious home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a commercial seed crop organically. Read more here.
