WHOLLY ROOTED
  • Blog
    • Latest Blog Posts
  • Who We Are
    • About Wholly Rooted Farm >
      • WR Environmental Commitment
      • Wholly Rooted 2023 Plans
      • Wholly Rooted Farm Photos
    • About Our Family
    • About Denise Cusack
    • Where We Are Located
    • Our Values
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Permaculture
    • Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
    • Plant Conservation/Botanical Sanctuary
    • Health Justice + Restorative Relationships + Mutual Aid >
      • Grow a Row for HWB
  • Work With Denise
    • Permaculture Design >
      • Foodscaping
    • Have Denise Speak at Your Event/School >
      • Upcoming Presentations
      • Past Webinars, Podcasts & Classes
    • Media
    • Denise Writing >
      • Writing @Medium
    • Denise Art + Design >
      • Artwork
      • Photography
      • Denise Cusack Design
    • Herbal & Aromatherapy Consultations
  • Courses
    • Upcoming Courses
    • What is Sustainable, Regenerative, Permaculture?
  • Resources
    • Free Downloads
    • What I'm Reading
    • Unschooling
  • Contact+

2020 Seed Saving Progress.

4/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
One of the things I like to do every year is to review what worked, what didn't work, what went well, what could be improved. One big goal in 2020 was to save more seeds to share out with people to grow their own gardens. So, while I harvested a lot of herbs that were shared out and saved, I also let a lot of plants go to seed and gathered plant heads in the autumn to save. From there, I processed all seeds through a little japanese screen system. 
Picture
The small screen system worked well, although I was out winnowing seeds in below freezing temperatures a few times when the wind was just right. From there, the labeling and bagging went well, and I saved thousands of seeds and stored them in the cold storage for the winter in bulk paper envelopes that were stored in larger airtight containers buckets and bins.  
Picture
As we hit the new year, I started bagging seeds down and labeling them all to share in seed grants. I divided saved seeds Into hundreds and hundreds of envelopes that I shared  throughout the US. I kept some of each plant seed type in the seed bank I maintain so that there is a backstore of seeds in case something happens. 
Picture
I saved easier seeds this first year I tried in bulk, and plan  to expand to include more plants I grow, and I hope to reach over 100 seed varieties saved next year. The key is to being mindful of the plants and where they grow, using permaculture and organic methods to maintain disease free healthy plants, to wait to harvest the heads until the right time, to fully dry all seed heads first, and to carefully thresh and winnow so that clean, dry, seeds are remaining, and then of course, store them properly. 

I love a challenge. I like learning new things, expanding and making systems that create sustainable sharable mutual aid systems and processes that shares the bounty with many, without overworking the few. While I would like a bigger seed cleaning system, my little screen set worked well, and I think is fine for a few thousand of each type of seed each year. 
Picture
Part of our plan is ongoing social permaculture, and the giving back and supporting community in all that we do. Seeds are a part of that system, and an important part of our master plan every year. 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    whollyrooted.com

    denise cusack

    I am a certified aromatherapist, clinical herbalist, certified permaculture designer (PDC), organic gardener, plant conservationist, photographer, writer, designer, artist, nature lover,  health justice activist, whole foods maker, and mother of two young adults  in south central Wisconsin. 

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    ​Categories

    All
    BAKED GOODS
    BEES
    BEVERAGE
    BODY
    BREAKFAST
    CHICKENS
    COMMUNITY GARDEN
    CONDIMENT
    CRAFT
    CSA SHARE
    DAIRY FREE
    DESKTOP CALENDAR
    DESSERT
    DIY
    EBooks
    FAMILY
    FARMETTE
    FRUIT
    GARDEN
    GLUTEN FREE
    HERBAL
    Home
    HYDROPONICS
    KITCHEN DIY
    Life Is Good
    MAIN COURSE
    PANTRY
    PICKLES
    PRESERVE
    RECIPE
    SALAD
    SIDE DISH
    SNACK
    SPICES
    TEND
    This Week In My Kitchen
    VEGAN
    VEGETABLE
    VEGETARIAN


    My recipes at 
    Yummly

    Cook Eat Share

    ©2007-23 Denise Cusack, all photos and text. Feel free to share my posts on FB or Twitter or online media or pin on Pinterest (thank you!), but please keep the links back to my website intact (meaning please do not take or copy my images off of this website and share them unattributed or without linking back here or use them otherwise without permission). Thank you! :)

BLOG/Journal

Work With Denise

​​Permaculture Consultations
​
Have Denise Speak at Your Event
What I Speak About
Webinars, Podcasts, Classes
Denise Writing
Denise Art 
Photography

Who We Are

About Our Family
About Wholly Rooted Farm
About Denise
WR Environmental Review

Resources

Free Downloads
Unschooling
What I am Reading

What We Do

Education
Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
Permaculture
​
Plant Conservation
Mutual Aid/Restorative Practices

Media

Media, Bio, Info
© COPYRIGHT 2014 - 2023
​Wholly Rooted LLC,
​Denise Cusack & Family
Deerfield, Wisconsin


​Contact

All material provided on this website is provided for informational or educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your healthcare professional or physician. 
  • Blog
    • Latest Blog Posts
  • Who We Are
    • About Wholly Rooted Farm >
      • WR Environmental Commitment
      • Wholly Rooted 2023 Plans
      • Wholly Rooted Farm Photos
    • About Our Family
    • About Denise Cusack
    • Where We Are Located
    • Our Values
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Permaculture
    • Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
    • Plant Conservation/Botanical Sanctuary
    • Health Justice + Restorative Relationships + Mutual Aid >
      • Grow a Row for HWB
  • Work With Denise
    • Permaculture Design >
      • Foodscaping
    • Have Denise Speak at Your Event/School >
      • Upcoming Presentations
      • Past Webinars, Podcasts & Classes
    • Media
    • Denise Writing >
      • Writing @Medium
    • Denise Art + Design >
      • Artwork
      • Photography
      • Denise Cusack Design
    • Herbal & Aromatherapy Consultations
  • Courses
    • Upcoming Courses
    • What is Sustainable, Regenerative, Permaculture?
  • Resources
    • Free Downloads
    • What I'm Reading
    • Unschooling
  • Contact+