Seeds of Change Action Item: Let’s Save Seeds!
Our class today focused on corn, and how absolutely essential it was in the history and development of the indigenous peoples of North and South America. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz writes, “As a birthplace of agriculture and the towns and cities that followed, America is ancient, not a “new world.” Corn made it all possible. It was first domesticated in what is now Mexico 10,000 years ago, being carefully bred from a wild grass-like plant into the grain we know today. Plentiful grain allows for populations to increase and for civilizations to form and grow. These ancient peoples also developed the process of nixtamalization, which involves simmering dried corn in an alkaline solution of water and wood ash for several hours until the kernels are tender. From there, the kernals are dried and ground and made into a flour that can be used to make tortillas and other foods. Nixtamalization, Sean Sherman writes “increases the bioavailability of corn’s protein and niacin and radically reduces the toxins often found in moldy corn.” So corn, and the right methods of preparing it, allowed for larger populations to be fed, but it also shaped the course of the development of these societies. Corn cannot grow wild and needs regular water to grow. That’s what led indigenous peoples to develop the complex irrigation systems we learned about in previous Seeds of Change classes. Corn was important. It was life. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz again:
“Thanks to the nutritious triad of corn, beans, and squash—which provide a complete protein—the Americas were densely populated.”
By extension, seeds were life. And colonizers knew it. In the 1680s, the Governor of New France reported that he had destroyed forty-two thousand tons of corn belonging to four Iroqouis villages. And this destruction of seeds continued. When the US government forced indigenous people from their homelands and made them walk across the country, seeds were lost. When the US government forced indigenous people to attend boarding schools for re-education, seeds were lost. This loss is still a huge issue today. Many areas of the US, including some reservations, are food deserts. The people living there lack access to grocery stores where they can get fresh, healthy foods. And around the world, seeds from diverse heirloom plants are being lost at an astounding pace- in the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. Plant diversity, food sovereignty, are issues that affect all of us. It is in all of our best interest to save heirloom seeds and to help return them to their original keepers. People are working to do just that, and our action item for this week is to help.
Seed Rematriation is the process of returning native seeds to native communities. Rowen White, a seed keeper from the Mohawk community and the Founder and Director of Sierra Seeds, an organic seed co-op, writes:
“From the vaults of public institutions, seed banks, universities, and seedkeeper collections—and even the dusty pantry shelves of foresighted elders—seeds long sleeping and dreaming are finding loving hands to place them into welcoming soil once more so that they can fulfill their original agreement to help feed the people.”
We want to help by becoming seed savers. Rebecca has compiled the instructions copied below for how we can save seeds from the foods we eat at home. Helen has helped with instructions for making the little paper envelopes that will keep these seeds safe and dry. And together we can form a seed savers exchange, where we save and share seeds with one another. Even if you’re not able to keep a garden, having and caring for a seed library is important work. We hope that you’ll join us!
There are so, so many good resources to learn more about these issues. Huge thanks to Rebecca for sharing them.
You can listen to this podcast (or read the transcript) in which Rowen White speaks about seed rematriation. She’s an incredible speaker- it’s well worth a listen.
You can watch SEED: The Untold Story which follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. Check out the trailer before you decide to watch it with your kids- there’s some mature and heavy content.
If you want to help financially, you can Adopt-a-Crop of native seeds. Your gift will help grow, save, and share these seeds. You can help provide food security for home and community gardeners, small scale farmers, and Native American growers.
You can read more about efforts to rematriate seeds in Minneapolis in the age of Covid.
You can watch and share this beautiful short video by the Indigenous SeedKeepers Network.
You can learn more about native seeds and find lots of gorgeous recipes in Sean Sherman’s The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen cookbook.
And of course, you can save and share your own seeds. Here are the instructions for saving seeds from some of the foods you might have in your kitchen or garden:
Saving seeds from one year to plant the next is an age-old tradition. It may sound like extra work but the results can be extremely rewarding and save you money in the process. Saving seeds involves three steps: selecting seeds from the most suitable plants, harvesting them at the right time and storing them properly until you want to plant them or swap them with friends.
Selecting Which Seeds to Save
It’s easy to save seeds from the following vegetables:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Beans
Peas
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Harvesting Seeds
Tomato seeds: Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place in a jar of water and leave for a few days, swirling them in the water daily. After a few days, the seeds should have come free from the pulp and sunk to the bottom. Pour the liquid away and rinse the seeds. Leave them to dry on a paper towel and, when fully dry, store in an envelope in a cool, dry place.
Pepper seeds: Remove the seeds from the peppers and spread them out on paper towels to dry. When fully dry, store in an envelope in a cool, dry place.
Peas and Beans: Remove the pods from the plant and spread them out on a tray indoors, to dry. Leave them for at least two weeks before shelling the pods or wait until you are ready to sow the seeds the following spring.
Cantaloupe: cut open the fruit lengthwise and scoop out the seed masses into a jar. Add a little warm water and allow the mixture to sit for two to four days, stirring daily. As the melon seeds sit in water, they ferment. During this process, the good seeds sink to the bottom of the jar while the detritus floats to the top. To collect seeds from melons, pour off the water containing the pulp and bad seeds. After the soaking process, put the good seeds in a strainer and wash them clean. Spread the good seeds out on a paper towel or a screen. Allow them to dry for several days. Once the seeds are very dry, place them in a clean, dry glass jar.
Watermelon: Harvest fruits as you would for eating and simply reserve some of the seeds. Rinse seeds well in a strainer or colander and then spread in a thin layer to dry on coffee filters, paper plates, or old window screens.Store watermelon seeds in a cool, dark, and dry place and always put seeds in an airtight container to keep out moisture and humidity.
Storing Seeds
Seeds should be stored in individual envelopes, in an airtight container and in a dry place. This prevents moisture from spoiling the seeds. It is important to label your seeds correctly, including the name, variety, and date you collected them. Not only does this ensure that you know which seeds you are sowing but you can also evaluate how successful each seed-saving project was.
Mint and Bloom Parents- we’ll have contact info in the Facebook group to get in touch with Rebecca if you want to join our seed savers exchange! Thank you!
