Hi! Welcome to the brand new Southern Exposure blog.

It’s an exciting time here at Southern Exposure.  You may already know we’ve been involved in all aspects of the heirloom seed and organic seed movements for years.  (If you didn’t, there will be more on that later.)  But lately, we’ve made the decision that we want to start getting others involved, too.  What better way could there possibly be to preserve our rich and diverse agricultural heritage?  And what better way to do THAT than to communicate it with you here, in a free and open spirit of exchange!

We’ve decided to start this blog so we can share everything we know about seed saving, heirloom and organic seeds, organic gardening, home gardening, and a host of other subjects with those of you out there who – like us – are interested in a sane and sustainable future.

We’ll be posting information about big, upcoming events Southern Exposure is taking part in…”How-to” articles from professional gardeners and dedicated seed saving activists…Information about how you can get involved, no matter where you are…And of course, lots and lots of pictures.

So please, bookmark us and check in frequently.

P.S.  We’d love to hear your feedback!  So always feel free to leave comments.  And if you have any questions, you can always write us at gardens@southernexposure.com.

Happy gardening!

A Little Bit about Southern Exposure

Since we’re just getting the blog started, I thought this would be a good time to tell you a little bit about us and what we’re up to here at Southern Exposure.

So, what are we up to?  We are, as we like to say, “Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: Saving the Past for the Future.” What does that mean? It’s a catchy way of saying that we’re a small company with what we feel is a pretty big mission: to save the world’s seeds from the numerous perils that threaten to wipe out agricultural diversity permanently. (By the way, it’s entirely possible we’ll be writing more about those perils in the future, so stay tuned if you’re interested.)

Why do we care about the world’s agricultural diversity?  Well, there are plenty of good reasons.  But first and foremost, because we’re gardeners, too.

Southern Exposure is a worker owned and managed cooperative company. Each of us here is doing his or her part to fight against threats to our natural, biologically diverse food crops. Each of us stands up for the right to save seed, and for your right to do so, too.

We are very active within the heirloom seed saving movement.  This includes a dedication to outreach programs, like our annual co-hosting of the Heritage Harvest Festival (pics from this year’s HHF coming soon!), our seed donation program, and our many educational talks and workshops.

Plus, we’re dedicated to empowering gardeners in more immediate ways – like by providing access to high-quality seeds you can save yourself.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a small family farm growing for market, or a backyard gardening enthusiast.  Either way, we’re interested in helping you find the right seeds for your garden.

But we’re about more than just activism.  We simply love to garden.  And we love to push boundaries to discover just what works best (and what doesn’t) in our own organic gardens.

Gardening is an art, and trying new things just comes with the territory.  Hang around here, and it seems like there’s always a discussion about what we can try next.  Which tomato seeds are better for early planting…which heirloom flowers attract the most butterflies…and of course, which varieties of all the wonderful things we plant taste the best.

What else?  We’re…
…conducting trials on all our seed varieties to make sure they grow reliably.
…making sure to preserve varieties that have been developed naturally and have demonstrated favorable qualities for both growing condition and flavor here in the Mid-Atlantic region.
…looking out for varieties that grow well with as little impact to the environment as possible.
…doing all of our own germination tests to ensure that our seeds meet our high standards necessary for a bountiful garden.

We figured you’d like to know about all that, too.  So, this is where we’re going to give it to you.  Day by day, week by week.  We look forward to sharing what we know, and hearing what you think.

P.S.  Since our farm is certified organic, we can assure gardeners like you that our seeds absolutely do NOT need petrol chemicals in order to thrive.  It makes a difference to us, and we hope it does to you, too.