The Seed Process – Following the Journey from Harvest to Packet – Webinar
Date Published: 30th September 2021
As market gardeners are busy bringing in their crops this time of year, so too are seed producers hard at work harvesting their seed. These seeds are destined to become next year’s crops, but what happens to them between harvest and being deposited in packets to be shipped to growers throughout the UK?
We will be joined by Hans Steenbergen of the Seed Cooperative and Fred Groom of Vital Seeds as they take us through the journey their seeds take from plant to packet, using a variety of techniques and equipment. They’ll discuss things to consider like seed quality, disease control, and collective models of equipment.
This webinar will be of interest to any growers interested in learning more about the rigour, work and care that goes into the seeds on which our whole food system depends. It will be of particular interest to those considering producing seed themselves in the future and keen to learn more about the crucial role processing has to play and familiarise themselves with processing equipment, techniques, and opportunities for future collaboration.
Hans Steenbergen is a biodynamic farmer with over 20 years of seed production experience with Stormy Hall seeds. He was producing seed and active in biodynamic networks across the North of England and is a co-founder and adviser to the Seed Cooperative.
Fred Groom co-founded Vital Seeds with Ronja Shlumberger in 2018 in response to the lack of availability of UK-grown, organic and open pollinated seeds. They are based at Westford farm, on the north edge of Dartmoor. Part of Vital Seed’s mission is to re-skill gardeners and growers in how to save their own seed, and to revive this ancient and fascinating craft!
ABOUT THE WEBINAR PROGRAMME
This webinar is a partnership between the CSA Network UK, the Seed Sovereignty Programme run by the Gaia Foundation, the Landworkers’ Alliance, and the Organic Growers Alliance and forms part of a webinar series funded by Farming the Future.
The webinar programme focuses on practical teaching and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchanges from farmers and growers from around the UK. The series is designed to increase knowledge exchange and learning on both the politics and practice of agroecology, seed sovereignty and food sovereignty.
If you would like to be involved in running a webinar, a theme or practice you would would like to know more about, or have a specific topic you would like to present on please get in touch with us at sinead@gaianet.org.
