Photo by Moose Pond Arts+Ecology

Of the countless seedy occasions throughout the 6th Organic Seed Growers Conference earlier this month, the Seed Swap was a crowd favorite. Hear what some of the seed swappers themselves had to say about why they loved the event in this video created by Adam Butler of The Bulter Bros and Matthew Dillon of Seed Matters.

We’re excited to share a recent announcement from the initiative: Seed Matters has awarded the first fellowships in organic plant breeding ever granted in the United States. That’s right, the foundation issued $375,000 in grants to fund three Ph.D. fellowship students for five years in organic plant breeding at two public land grant universities.

Seed Matters’ investment in the next generation of organic plant breeders could not be timelier.

Historically, land grant universities provided well for the diverse needs of farmers. But as concentration and intellectual property controls expand, innovation stagnates, and minor markets such as organic do not receive needed investments in seed system development. Only a small number of private companies and public universities are actively breeding organic crops. As a result, organic farmers are underserved in seed adapted to their cropping systems and regions, and experience a basic lack of availability of organic seed.

The benefits of improving the quantity and quality of organic seed goes beyond farmer choice. “Organic seed systems are the underlying foundation for healthy resilient farming and food systems,” said Matthew Dillon, cultivator of Seed Matters (and OSA’s founder). “Seed is a farmer’s first line of defense against pests and global climate disruption, and has a huge impact on the nutrition and overall quality of the food we eat.”

Seed Matters also announced that several companies have joined the initiative as financial collaborators to help increase awareness about organic seed and fund future fellowships and research, including: Earthbound Farm Organic, Organically Grown Company, Organic Valley, Vitalis Seed and Whole Foods Market.

Read the full press release here

Here are 10 things to remember as you pack your bags for Port Townsend, WA:

1. Make sure you have a room and meals at Fort Worden. Please make sure you are registered with Fort Worden for all of the days you will be in Port Townsend attending the conference. You should have received a confirmation email from Fort Worden. Please look it over, and if you did not receive this confirmation email, or if you are not confirmed for all the dates that you intend to be at Fort Worden, please contact Fort Worden at 360-344-4439. There may be a delay in their response, so please be patient.

2. Remember to pack your seed! What would our Organic Seed Growers Conference be without a community seed swap? Everyone is invited to bring seed to share at our Saturday night swap!

3. Need a ride? Fort Worden is a bit off the beaten path, but we’re excited for you to join us in our backyard to enjoy the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. We’ve established a ride share forum to assist participants in finding carpooling opportunities. Please visit it here.

4. Check-in at the conference. Conference check-in begins at The Commons (follow signs on property at Fort Worden) on Thursday (1/19) evening from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm and re-opens on Friday (1/20) morning at 7:00 am. See you then!

5. Pack a raincoat. It’s winter in the Pacific Northwest, which means silver and green landscapes are often accented by light rain. The conference grounds are spread out and folks will be walking outdoors to get from building to building for working sessions, meals, entertainment, and lodging areas (not to mention many lovely hiking trails if you’re interested). Please pack appropriate outer gear for the weekend.

6. Pre-conference tour. If you registered for the pre-conference tour of the Skagit Valley, you should have received an email on Jan. 10, 2012, with confirmation and instructions. If you registered for the tour but did not receive an email, please contact Cathleen McCluskey at Cathleen@seedalliance.org.

7. Bring your instruments. We’ll be having a welcome bonfire at Fort Worden Thursday night. Please bring your instruments to jam with your fellow conference goers!

8. No pets. There are no pets allowed at Fort Worden without special permission from the park. Please contact them with any concerns at 360-344-4439.

9. Tweet away! For all you Twitterers joining us for the conference, please include #osgc2012 as the official conference tag on Twitter.

10. Event contact sheet. As is common at conferences, we’ll be sharing an event contact sheet with all registrants. This list serves as a wonderful networking tool for conference participants. All conference registrants will be included on this contact sheet unless we hear otherwise from you. If you would like to opt out of having your contact information shared for networking purposes, please email Cathleen McCluskey at Cathleen@seedalliance.org no later than Monday, January 16, 2012.

January 20 – 21, 2012

A special live broadcast from the 6^th Organic Seed Growers Conference

Organic Seed Alliance and eOrganic bring you selected live broadcasts from the 6th Organic Seed Growers Conference in Port Townsend, WA. This conference brings together hundreds of farmers, seed production and distribution companies, researchers, plant breeders, pathologists, and university extension in two days of informative presentations, panel discussions, and networking events.

The webinar broadcasts are free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.

Learn more and register here. A full description of the webinars are after the jump.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Introduction to On-Farm Plant Breeding Workshop | 9:00 am – 10:30 am PT

Presenter: John Navazio, Organic Seed Alliance and Washington State University

An increasing number of farmers are starting to breed new varieties and reselect older varieties for their farms. This presentation will introduce you to the steps needed to create new crop varieties on your farm with little or no hand-pollination or specialized tools.

Organic Wheat Breeding Workshop | 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm PT

Presenters: Stephen Jones, Washington State University; Richard Little, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Dean Spaner, University of Alberta

With the explosion of local organic grains, mills and bakeries, organic farmers are looking for wheat varieties that thrive in their systems. This workshop will take you through the process of creating your own wheat variety and describe some of the current organic what breeding projects.

NOVIC Workshop | 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm PT

Presenters: Jim Myers, Oregon State University; Michael Mazourek, Cornell University; William Tracy, University of Wisconsin-Madison; John Navazio, Organic Seed Alliance and Washington State University

The Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC) is a national project to breed new vegetable varieties for organic agriculture. You will learn from the panelists about the techniques they are using to breed new organically adapted varieties of peas, sweet corn, broccoli, squash, and carrots.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Organic Corn Breeding Workshop | 9:00 am – 10:30 am PT

Presenters: Frank Kutka, NPSAS Farm Breeding Club; William Tracy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

King corn is grown on more acres than any other crop. What is being done to breed corn for organic systems, and how can you take part? This workshop will describe the process of breeding corn for organic agriculture and some of the current organic corn breeding projects.

Breeding for Nutrition | 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm PT

Presenters: Phil Simon, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jim Myers, Oregon State University; Walter Goldstein, Mandaamin Institute

Organic eaters want nutritious food, but some modern breeding programs may be increasing yields at the cost of nutrition. Learn about breeding programs working with classical breeding methods (non-gmo) to breed nutritionally superior crops.

Breeding for Microbial Interaction | 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm PT

Presenters: Lori Hoagland, Purdue University; Phil Simon, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jude Maul, USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD

We know that many beneficial soil microorganisms provide plants with access to nutrients, improve water uptake and even have the potential to suppress certain soil borne diseases. The ability to breed plants to optimize their interaction with the soil microbiology holds great potential to enhance organic farming systems. Hear about the latest studies in this important and expanding field of science.

Register for the webinars here.

Register to attend the conference in-person here.

Read the full agenda (opens PDF).

UPDATE: the tour is SOLD OUT as of Jan. 9, 2012.

The Skagit Valley of NW Washington has long been a major vegetable seed production region of international importance. In an all-day field tour co-sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, we’ll drive through major cabbage, beet and spinach growing regions, visit organic variety trials at Osborne Seed Company, view seed handling operations, and learn about organic seed research projects at the Washington State University NW Research Center. Tour price is $100 per person, which includes bus ride and lunch. Click here to register online for this event — there are only a few spots left!

For Immediate Release: January 4, 2012

Contact: Kristina Hubbard, Director of Advocacy & Communications

kristina@seedalliance.org, (406) 493-6965

Nation’s Largest Organic Seed Conference to Take Place in Port Townsend, WA

Events on January 19 – 21, 2012, Draw Experts from across the U.S.

PORT TOWNSEND, WA – Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) will host its Sixth Organic Seed Growers Conference in Port Townsend, WA, on January 19 – 21, 2012. The conference begins with a one-day tour showcasing the burgeoning organic seed industry in Washington’s Skagit Valley. The conference features presentations, panel discussions, networking events, and entertainment around the theme: Strengthening Community Seed Systems.

The event is the largest in North America to focus solely on organic seed systems. Session topics range from organic plant breeding, seed production, and distribution, to enhancing policies that support the growth and integrity of the organic seed sector.

The conference offers more than two-dozen sessions ranging from agronomic issues on the farm (seed production and disease management); breeding topics (public university projects and participatory models); economic matters (organic seed markets and marketing); and policy discussions (strategies for building the organic seed sector). Presenters are leaders in their field and represent diverse regions, crop types, and farming scales. More than 300 farmers, researchers, distribution companies, plant breeders, pathologists, university extension agents, food industry representatives, and others are expected to attend.

Prior to the conference, a full day tour of the Skagit Valley offers participants an extraordinary opportunity to learn about organic seed research projects in a major vegetable seed production region of international importance. The all-day field tour, co-sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, will include major cabbage, beet and spinach growing regions; organic variety trials at Osborne Seed Company; and the Washington State University Northwest Research Center.

Two nationally recognized authorities provide this year’s keynote talks. William F. Tracy is the interim dean and director of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He leads one of the few remaining public sector sweet corn breeding programs in the U.S., and is active in other organic plant breeding projects. Eric Holt-Giménez is the executive director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, an organization working to end the injustices that cause hunger, poverty and environmental degradation throughout the world. His research and writing concentrates on the global food crisis, the Farm Bill, fair trade, and food justice issues.

More than 50 additional experts will present at the conference (view a full list at the link below).

Fort Worden State Park and Conference Center is a wonderful gathering place that offers historic buildings on the water with stunning views. The facility offers reasonable rates for participant lodging and delicious organic food featuring the Northwest’s best. Local musicians will provide entertainment.

Register and find more information at www.seedalliance.org.

Organic Seed Alliance advances the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed.

January 19 – 21, 2012

Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA

How we steward our seed determines the quality and integrity of our food. Developing organic seed systems is therefore paramount to the ongoing growth and success of organic agriculture. Gather with others in the organic community for the nation’s largest conference focused solely on organic seed to learn from 50 experts in the fields of organic plant breeding, organic seed production, marketing, distribution, policy, and more. With more than two dozen working sessions, the conference suits a range of experience levels and interests. Find more information and register here.

Working Sessions: Our impressive line-up of speakers will present on a range of topics, including participatory plant breeding projects on the farm and in the university sector; organic seed production, marketing, and economics; policy and strategy regarding timely organic seed issues; among a host of other topics. Download the full agenda (opens PDF).

Entertainment, Food and Networking: The conference features delicious organic food featuring the Northwest’s best, entertainment from local musicians, a community seed swap, trade show, and other networking events you won’t want to miss!

Keynote Speakers: Two nationally recognized authorities provide this year’s keynote talks. Dr. William F. Tracy is the interim dean and director of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, leads one of the few remaining public sector sweet corn breeding programs in the U.S., and is active in organic plant breeding projects. Dr. Eric Holt-Gimenez is the executive director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, an organization working to end the injustices that cause hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation. His research and writing concentrates on the global food crisis, the Farm Bill, fair trade and food justice.

Pre-conference Tour: Washington has long been a major vegetable seed production region of international importance. In an all-day field tour co-sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, we’ll drive through major cabbage, beet, and spinach growing areas, visit organic variety trials at Osborne Seed Company, view seed handling operations, and learn about organic seed research projects at the Washington State University Northwest Research Center. Find more information and register here.

Trade Show: This is your business and organization’s best opportunity to showcase your products and work, while networking with conference participants throughout the weekend. Find more information here.

- Julie Puhich of Common Ground Farm

OSA’s work responds to the needs of organic farmers. We lead the nation in training farmers and other seed professionals in skills necessary to safeguard biological diversity, expand choice in the organic seed marketplace, and protect seed integrity and the rights of farmers. Our work is especially critical in the face of troubling trends in the seed industry, including concentrated market power and limited choice for organic farmers.

Ensuring an organic food future begins with protecting and expanding the fundamental resource of seed. We cannot accomplish this important work without the support of community members like you. Please contribute with a tax-deductible donation today. Or consider giving on behalf of someone you care for this holiday season. Visit www.seedalliance.org to learn more. And be sure to check out our new T-shirts and hats when you give $50 or more!

The new NOVIC website is your one-stop shop to learn more about the project and upcoming events, access variety trial data, and more. Bookmark: http://eorganic.info/novic/

Misinformation and polarized views on seed seem to flood the media these days, as evidenced by Andrew Revkin’s blog post. I think we all agree, however, that seed is essential to life, now and in the future.

There are a few topics highlighted in this blog post that demand a deeper examination. First, what are the relative benefits of hybrid seed versus open-pollinated (OP) seed? Second, what are the reasons the Nepalese government would encourage or discourage hybrid seed instead of OP seed in Nepal?

Pamela Ronald states, “Hybrid seed yield more and require less pesticides (because they carry robust traits for resistance to pests and disease) as compared to open-pollinated seed.” This is a strong statement, but as a generalization, we would agree that in many cross-pollinated crops like corn, a comparison of currently available hybrid and OP varieties would show hybrids more often than not superior. However, this is not a fair contest when hybrid breeding is being compared to “no breeding at all,” as Richard Lewontin, Harvard geneticist, puts it, referring to the fact that there has been little or no active breeding of OP varieties in many commercially valuable crops in a half century. Most good plant geneticists realize that it is possible to put these “robust traits for resistance to pests and disease” into non-hybrid crop varieties.

Production of hybrid varieties became the preeminent breeding methodology for a number of commercial seed crops during the second half of the 20th century for essentially two reasons: 1) from the breeder’s perspective it was a faster way of both isolating and combining important traits into a single variety, and 2) from the seed company’s perspective it is a biological method that ensures intellectual property protection (through control of the parental inbred lines). Since it was developed, the lion’s share of breeding has been done using the inbred-hybrid breeding technique. But does that mean it’s better? North Dakota State University corn breeder Frank Kutka recently examined that question in his peer reviewed paper, “Open-Pollinated vs. Hybrid Maize Cultivars,” and found that, if equivalent breeding resources had been provided, it’s likely that OP cultivars would yield just as much as hybrids (see: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/9/1531/).

Raoul Adamchak contends there are no OP sweet corn varieties that even remotely compare to the hybrid variety he routinely purchases. “I think of OP varieties as ‘cow corn,’” he says, “tough, chewy, lots of corn flavor, and little sweetness. No, I can’t save seed from ‘Vision,’ but I wouldn’t want to save seed from the OP variety.”

Contrary to this, a team consisting of Bill Tracy, sweet corn geneticist at the University of Wisconsin, long-time Minnesota organic sweet corn grower Martin Diffley, and Organic Seed Alliance, are developing an OP sweet corn variety that is already getting high marks for sweetness and tenderness in trials. Once released (most likely in three years), this variety bred through a participatory model, will be as good, if not better, than any hybrid sweet corn on the market. It is also being bred to retain a reasonable amount of genetic variation for many of the most important traits while being uniform enough for the marketplace. This built in genetic resiliency will allow any farmer to further select and adapt it to their local conditions.

The beauty of an OP variety like this new sweet corn is that farmers will be able to save the seed and adapt this variety to their own farm and climate. (Mr. Adamchak may even want to adapt it to his organic farm’s unique conditions in California.) In other words, farmers maintain control over their seed. In doing so, they have the ability to build genetic variability that allows adaptability to our changing climate and other environmental and agronomic conditions. These farmers also help protect biologically diverse seed for future generations simply by managing this living resource.

Mr. Adamchak makes the statement that “farmers should be at the table.” We couldn’t agree more. That’s why Organic Seed Alliance engages in participatory plant breeding projects that honor the roles of both farmers and plant breeders. We emphasize keeping genetic variability and resilience in the varieties we work on. Together, farmers and breeders across the globe are developing regionally adapted seed appropriate for organic and low-input farming systems through participatory breeding.

For all these reasons, it’s critical to encourage the use and improvement of non-hybrid seed, especially in communities that rely on subsistence agriculture. Our position is inconsistent with Mr. Adamchak’s, who asserts, “To insist that growers in Nepal only grow OP corn is to insist that they remain poor, subsistence farmers.” This is a frivolous statement given the genuine opportunity that OP seed development provides farmers and the communities they feed. It’s quite simple: OP varieties can provide comparable yields and other beneficial traits when given enough attention and investments, and allow for greater genetic variability that is necessary for meeting food security now and into the future.

John Navazio, Jared Zystro, and Kristina Hubbard