Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook Arrives!
The yearbook is visually plain, looking very much like a phone book with a color cover. But oh, if you are into gardening then the pages hold so much more than simple listings. Many of the listings include notes of how the variety came into existence. Interesting stories of immigrants who brought seeds from their homeland to plant at their new home. Less not forget the international members who have fantastic varieties not available anywhere in the US.
So what is your favorite veggie?
How about tomatoes? The 2010 yearbook lists approximately 4650 different varieties. Want something more obscure? How about the approximately 75 different varieties of Jerusalem Artichokes? Melons, approx 165. Peppers, approx 870. Okra, approx 60. You get the idea.
The yearbook is not just about seeds. You can also find roots, bulbs, tubers and scionwood.
So what do I do, when I get mine? I bookmark the starting page of my favorite varieties. Then I kick back and think about what part of the yard I can dig up this year to turn into new beds.
Am developing a project in growing a varieties of Amaranth for seeds…hope to help my friends and encourage this ancient culture
in my area…looking for support for quality seeds to send in poor areas,as this grain is very nutricious,native people used to eat
it as pop corn or flour…am aware of most research on Amaranthus…but any recent information would help a lot,i actually wish
to specialize in this field…and find wholesale provider….the Thomas Jefferson Institute in Washington gave me an excellent
addresse…..but they refused to work with Canada??the price of their seeds was actually very interesting….i offered to be their representative for Canada……i have done a lot of research and prices are not stable like most grains???looking forward to read
your kind comments,Claire Costom,President Balance Developement
Amaranth! Awesome. I have to admit I can’t help a lot. I have only grown two varieties. I grew Hartman’s Giant and an orange variety. The SSE catalog certainly is a good place to start and there are many members in Canada. I am a bit miffed with a pricing hike this year. They raised all of the prices in the yearbook but didn’t give anyone notice. Last year I had a ton of request for seeds. This year, I have had 2 and both were before the catalog came out.
I would love to help. I imagine that the grain prices are consistent simply due to lack of growers. With smaller groups of growers the price can fluctuate dramatically. I have also tried to grow Quinoa without much luck.