FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2015
CONTACTS
Laura Fuller, Seed Savers Exchange, (563) 382 5990 x 190, lfuller@seedsavers.org
The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving
A new seed saving book from Seed Savers Exchange
Filled with advice for the home gardener and the seasoned horticulturist alike, The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving provides straightforward instruction on collecting seed that is true-to-type. In this comprehensive book, Seed Savers Exchange, one of the foremost American authorities on the subject, and Organic Seed Alliance bring together decades of knowledge to demystify the time-honored tradition of saving the seed of more than 75 crops –- from heirloom tomatoes and long-favored cultivars of beans, lettuces, and cabbages to century-old varieties of peppers and grains.
With clear instructions, lush photographs, and easy-tocomprehend profiles on individual species, this book teaches readers how to go about preserving these important plants for future generations and for next year’s garden. What’s more, it teaches the reader just why it is important to save seeds from these genetically valuable plant varieties, which have evolved over the centuries through careful selection by farmers and home gardeners.
In simple lessons and master classes on crop selection, pollination, and the processes of harvesting and storing seeds, this book ensures that these time-honored traditions can continue. Many of these vegetable varieties are treasured for traits that are singular to their strain, for example, disease resistance, an ability to grow well in a region for which that crop it not typically well suited, or simply great flavor. In an age of genetically modified crops and hybrid seed that cannot be saved, a growing appreciation for the unique cultivars seed saving preserves has found a new audience in amateur vegetable gardeners and cooks as well as chefs and farmers.
Whether the reader is interested in saving seed for home use or working to improve varieties of beloved squashes and tomatoes, this book provides a deeper understanding of the art, the science, and the joy of saving seed.
For more information or to request an interview with one of the book’s authors or editors, contact Laura Fuller at Seed Savers Exchange. Visit seedsavers.org to order your copy or contact Tom Wahlberg (tom@seedsavers.org) for information about bulk pricing.
Editor Biographies:
Lee Buttala is an Emmy Award-winning television producer of Martha Stewart Living and was the creator, producer, and director of Cultivating Life, a PBS series on outdoor living and gardening. He has written for The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, New York, and Metropolitan Home. He also served as the preservation program manager for the Garden Conservancy and has studied garden design at Kyoto University of Art and Design, the Chelsea Physic Garden, and the New York Botanical Garden.
Shanyn Siegel has worked in sustainable agriculture and horticulture for over 15 years, specializing in organic vegetable gardening and organic seed production. For over four years, Shanyn worked as Collection Curator for Seed Savers Exchange, conserving and promoting America’s culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage for future generations. She is presently working in New York’s Hudson Valley to build local seed-saving networks.
Author Biographies:
Michaela Colley is the Executive Director of Organic Seed Alliance and manages participatory plant breeding, research, and education projects with farmers, university researchers, and other seed professionals. She has authored several educational publications covering topics on organic seed production, on-farm crop improvement, and variety trials. She also teaches workshops on seed related topics.
Jared Zystro is Organic Seed Alliances’s California research and education assistant director. In his work at OSA, he manages OSA’s regional development in California, conducts participatory breeding projects and variety trials, and teaches farmers about seed production and plant breeding at workshops, conferences, and field days.
Publisher: Seed Savers Exchange, Inc.
(John Torgrimson)
3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101
Distributor: Chelsea Green Publishing
Price (USD): $29.95
ISBN: 978-0-9884749-1-8
Trim Size: 8.5 x 11
Page Count: 400
Soft cover
Number of Photos: 300
Color: 4 color
Seed Savers Exchange’s Mission is to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.
