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Freedom Seed Winners

February 17th, 2009

After checking the seedling tray every couple hours for the past few days I’m happy to announce the winners of my Freedom Seeds Contest. Oddly enough cell numbers 1 and 2 won, Lee was right. He guessed that #1 would germinate first due to being watered first.
lettuce-seedlings
The winners are: Redclay and Bridgett. Thanks to our very generous reader I was able to pick 2 winners instead of just one. I hope both of you enjoy sowing the seeds of Freedom in your gardens!

fg-logo-shield-300x299-web8Remember, if you want to order seeds from Freedom Seeds to specify on your order form that you heard about it on my blog they’ll give you a 5% discount. Here’s the PDF Freedom Seed List if you would like to order.

Why should you order open pollinated seeds? Here’s a great quote from the book Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age

In the late 1500’s explorers of the New World brought back two types of potatoes to Ireland, and left the plants natural enemies behind. For three centuries, potato growing in the country flourished, even given relatively little genetic variation. But this eventually left them easy prey for various New World molds, viruses, and bacteria that found it’s way across the ocean. Between 1825 and 1849, two-thirds of the nation’s potato crops went bad. Famines during eight of those years took the lives of a million people, and convinced another million to pack their bags for more fertile fields.

Agriculture around the world today is set on the identical course toward disaster. Eager to find a superspecies that can resist pests and microbial enemies, growers around the world are relying on dwindling numbers of carefully designed seed species. These monocultures are genetically “stable,” which means that each seed grows into fruits and vegetables similar in size, color, and taste. Like their predecessors in Ireland, today’s farmers are being blinded by short-term success. Yes, monoculture crops enable them to achieve ever-larger yields of marketable produce or grains at lower costs. But while these crops remain the same, year after year, their enemies are mutating, evolving, catching up, and spreading. Sooner or later, every superspecies meets its superpredator.

Are you concerned about monoculture farming and the dwindling of species variety?

5 Comments to “Freedom Seed Winners”
  1. lee on February 17, 2009 at 11:34 am

    I can’t believe I guessed it correctly. That’s so funny. Congratulations to Redclay and Bridgett.

    Reply to lee's comment

  2. Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife on February 17, 2009 at 3:46 pm

    Nice way to pick the winners, even if I didn’t win. Very generous of you.

    Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife’s last blog post.. Free Gardening Supplies + Beer

    Reply to Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife's comment

  3. Dan on February 17, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    I am particular concerned with monoculture farming, it was this practice that caused the potato famine and wheat failures. It has also been said that monoculture crops is a possible cause of the honey bee colony collapses. The thing I am not sure of is if modern farming practices are necessary now a days to be able to feed the masses.

    Dan’s last blog post.. The Seed Starting Arsenal

    Reply to Dan's comment

  4. Mangochild on February 18, 2009 at 4:19 am

    I didn’t know the official name for it before, but yes, I am concerned for monoculture farming. It just seems so crazy, as if the land is being drained dry when it has the potential to provide so much if it is treated well. When my parents learned of the single-crop planting that is so prevalent, they were really surprised, as the crop rotation, seed variety, etc. were just the norm when they were growing up – particularly for my mother. I do wonder, as Dan mentioned, that it would be hard to break away from the vicious cycle with the mass feeding industry. It can be done, and if it had never been “lost” there mightn’t be a problem continuing, but making shift back seems a challenge. Especially because many people are used to having X type of food year round in as much quantity as they want, and the growers are often subsidized for it, so there is little incentive to change in the current system. Sigh.

    Mangochild’s last blog post.. Dark Days Challenge – post to come soon…

    Reply to Mangochild's comment

  5. […] yet, except for a few mache plants that overwintered. These are the lettuce seeds that I started to choose the winner of the Freedom Seed contest. I also started beet seeds in the cold frame. This past Friday and I started spinach in the cold […]

    Reply to Time Machine: What I was Doing 1 Year Ago | Chiot’s Run's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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