Earlier this month, OSA’s John Navazio and Laurie McKenzie gathered at Greenbank Farm with a group of enthusiastic farmers, students, interns, and instructors to teach a course on breeding self-pollinated crops. Greenbank Farm is a community-founded nonprofit that manages 151 acres of publicly-owned space and a historic farm located on Whidbey Island in Washington. OSA and Greenbank Farm have worked on a number of collaborative projects over the years.
Participants learned basic biological requirements for plant breeding and seed production, and specifically how to work with self-pollinating crops. In this course, like other courses we offer, participants learned through both classroom lecture and time in the field. We offer these specialized courses throughout the country as part of our work to strengthen regional seed systems.
This course was made possible through a Washington State Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Block Grant that is also funding an onion and endive trial collaboratively hosted by OSA and our partners at Greenbank Farm.
