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Join the Seed Saving Revolution

Seed Saving Training for Gardeners and Herbalists

Did you know that huge agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies have been taking over the global seed market over the last few decades?

We’re talking about some of the biggest international companies around – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, and Dow.  You might ask yourself, “Why would these big companies be so interested in tiny seeds?”

Good question.

Maintaining the supply of food and medicine products to consumers around the world is huge business. These are some of the biggest industries in the world.

So, as you can imagine, if you controlled the raw materials that supply those big industries, you would be in a position of great power… and even greater profit.

Why Seed Saving Matters

Only a few generations ago, our recent ancestors all kept their own seed supplies.  I’m not talking about ancient history… I’m talking about your great-grandparents.

They traded their favorite seeds with their friends and neighbors, and they passed on the best seeds to their children. In doing so, they bred vegetable varieties that were tailor-made for their local climates.

And they maintained a healthy level of genetic diversity in their food supply.

Unfortunately, most families stopped saving seeds over the last 100 years or so, and most of those old “heirloom” varieties of fruits and vegetables have already been lost.

It’s Not Too Late

Today, gardeners around the world have recognized that this was a huge mistake. Many of us are beginning to save our own seeds in an effort to rescue the remaining heirloom varieties, and even to begin developing new ones.

And the best part is – it couldn’t be any easier to get involved and help!  All you have to do is start saving your own seeds.

With a little knowledge, saving seeds can be an easy way for you to personally take part in the future of our food security.

The Benefits of Saving Seeds

seedsThe benefits of saving your own seeds are amazing.  The most obvious benefit is that you don’t have to pay for seeds – they’re free!

But there are several other reasons why you should be doing this.

When you save seeds from the plants that have performed best in your garden, you are selecting the plants that grow best in your climate and in your soil.  When you do this for several years in a row, you end up with a plant that is specifically adapted to your local conditions.

You can select the plants that have the sweetest flavor, the juiciest flesh, the largest leaves, or even the prettiest flowers.

And the most important benefit is that you can help pass along healthy, natural food to the next generation. Food that has never been genetically modified or treated with chemicals.

So, how can you get started?  How do you get seeds from your plants?  How do you know which seeds to keep?  How do you store them?

Seed Saving Training Expedition

To help you on your way, we recruited an expert seed saver to share his knowledge and experience with you.  Stephen Scott is the co-owner of Terroir Seeds, a small family-owned heirloom seed company that is dedicated to sustainability and self-reliance. Stephen is a master seedsman. He has written for The Small Farm Journal, Acres USA, Mother Earth News, and Organic Gardening. And he teaches college level courses in seed saving at Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ.

Stephen put together an online training expedition to teach you everything you need to know to get started.

When you have completed his expedition, you will have the knowledge and skills to save your your own seeds and to develop your own varieties. This isn’t a full-blown college course – you probably don’t have the time for that! This is a fast “crash course” that covers all the essentials you need to know.

It is a combination of videos, quizzes, and some homework you will need to do. We recommend that you do it over a few weeks, but you can make your own schedule and go as quickly or as slowly as you want.

This is a great course for beginners, or for people who have already started saving seeds and want to take their seed-saving up to the next level.

Here are some of the skills and knowledge you will have after completing Stephen’s online expedition:

• How to properly store seeds, and the pitfalls of freezing seeds
• The lifetimes of different seeds (and how to detect false internet claims)
• Which seeds are the easiest to save, and which are the most challenging
• How to select plants for earlier fruiting, better taste, disease resistance, and more
• How to maintain genetic diversity in your crops
• The best seeds to cache at a bug out location
• How to process your seeds – drying, fermenting, scarification, and more
• Seed pollination tricks to get bigger yields
• And lots of insider knowledge Stephen has gained as a professional seedsman

This expedition has been sold for as much as $97 in the past, but Stephen has agreed to let us run a special deal just for you and the other members of the [Grow] Network.

We understand how important this is, so that future generations will have a resilient and diverse supply of food and medicine. So we are making this available to you for only $27. For this low price you will get access to Stephen’s online expedition, and a complimentary copy of our Basic Seed Saving eBook.

Click Here to Purchase the online expedition “Saving Quality Seeds” for $27

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COMMENTS(12)

  • Michael says:

    I do not have a credit card. May I purchase the Online Expedition “Saving Quality Seeds” course by sending a Money Order to: Backyard Food Production, P.O. Box 415, Red Rock, TX 78662 ?

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Hi Michael – Sure thing. Please include a note with the money order, including your email address and the expedition you want to sign up for – “Saving Quality Seeds.” We’ll set up your access and get in touch with you when it’s ready. Thanks – Michael

  • Marilyn says:

    Just to let you know we’ve tried a lettuce for our CSA that did well through drought and heat – Jericho lettuce (romaine type). Just remember to pick lettuce in the am…

  • Dawn says:

    At no time did the info you sent out about the seed saving course mention a date. Also what is the Canadian cost to register for the course as well as if Stephen is knowledgeable about the plants that grow in Western Canada. I am interested in the course but need more details that pertain to whether it would work for my climate. Sincerely, Dawn

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Hi Dawn – The course is pre-recorded, and available online anytime you want to take it. The course is mostly about methods, so it’s really not region-specific, although Stephen does recommend certain veggies and herbs as being easy to save & store. The cost in CAD will depend on the conversion rate – currently $27 USD is about $35.50 CAD. I hope those answer your questions – let me know if you want more info. Thanks – Michael

  • MS Ringgold says:

    Today’s produce doesn’t have any flavor, you could blindfold someone and give them three items that feel the same and they couldn’t tell you what it was that they had eaten. So, where can I obtain seeds that will produce a crop of food that has flavor?

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Yeah – some of the industrial produce is pretty bland. If flavor is what you’re looking for – you’ll find the best flavors by growing heirloom varieties in your back yard – no doubt. Buy heirloom seeds from any organic seed seller – local is better.

      When you grow open-pollinated varieties (all heirlooms are open-pollinated), you can save the seeds and grow them again year after year.

  • Rainie says:

    DO YOU OFFER THIS CLASS IN A DOWN-LOAD-ABLE FORM?
    THANKS, RAINIEDAY

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Hi Rainie – You have to be online for some of the class features to work – so it’s not really downloadable. But, you can watch the videos and take the quizzes online anytime. Thanks – Michael

  • Sondra Dudley says:

    If you can’t do the program on Tuesday is there another time after Friday to get the course?

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Hi Sondra – When you sign up, you get access to watch the course and take the quizzes anytime you want.

  • Brodo says:

    I can’t wait to start watching these modules. The very thought of losing control of our ability to maintain our own seed supply is quite scary. Especially when you consider just how possible it is. As with many things, we may not have the power to change the system. The only real power we have is to first change our own behaviors and then use our influence to help spread the message. In this way, we make the system irrelevant.

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