All posts by Jordan Charbonneau

The Importance of Heirloom Seeds

As we begin to plan and gear up for the 2018 season we’re reminded of the importance of keeping heirloom varieties alive. At Southern Exposure we define heirlooms as open pollinated varieties developed prior to 1940. While some believe that hybrids and GMOs are the answer to our current agricultural dilemmas we know that these old varieties hold incredible value and potential.

Diversity

As growers have shifted away from heirlooms we’ve seen drastic decline in crop diversity in the United States. Keeping heirlooms alive means increased diversity which in turn increases resilience. When you only grow one crop variety it only takes one problem to wipe out the entire crop. Planting multiple varieties helps to ensure your crops survival.

A diverse source of food is also better for our health. You may have heard that you should always try to eat a variety of vegetables but that’s also true for specific varieties. The purple, yellow, green, and multi colored heirloom tomatoes all have different nutrients than the couple of red varieties offered at the grocery store. The same is true for other crops as well.

Adaptability

As heirlooms have been handed down from generation to generation they’ve become adapted to specific places and climates. They’ve evolved natural defenses to certain diseases, pests, and weather patterns. These defenses mean organic farmers and gardeners can beat their local problems without resorting to chemicals.

They can also continue to adapt to different localities. If you save seed from your favorite corn variety year after year, always picking the best and most productive plants to save seed from you will adapt that variety more and more to your climate and challenges.

Flavor

Depending on who you talk to this may just be heirlooms best characteristic. Heirlooms are often the tastiest produce because seed varieties that didn’t taste great just weren’t saved. Heirlooms are those lovely varieties that were bred by small farmers around the world before they had to worry about choosing varieties that kept for weeks and weeks or shipped well.

History

Each heirloom variety is a little piece of living history. They tell the story of the people that grew them and the place that they farmed. Keeping these seeds alive maintains a connection to cultural roots, ancestral ways, and the earth.

Having a local food culture not only has an impact on the environment but on people’s health. If people once again had a tradition of growing and eating specific heirlooms they would be less likely to replace important customs with proccessed foods.

Independence

The last great thing about heirlooms is that they allow farmers and gardeners independence. Because heirlooms can be saved from year to year growers don’t have to rely on big companies to supply their gardens each year. They’re financially independent.

At SESE we believe these traits give heirlooms immense value. They’re important for growers that want independent, resilient farms and homesteads. They’re perfect for the chef who wants to create healthy dishes with unique, rich flavors. They’re the seeds that keep us connected.

Hybrids certainly have their charm but when you’re selecting seeds this year consider adding a few heirlooms to your garden. Whether it’s for their flavor, charm, or usefulness we know you’ll fall in love.

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17 Varieties New to SESE in 2018

At Southern Exposure we’re dedicated to preserving and sharing open pollinated and heirloom seed varieties. As part of that mission we’ve added many new varieties that we’d loved to see grown, shared, and enjoyed like SESE’s classic favorites.

These varieties are new varieties selected to help small farmers and gardeners overcome disease and insect pressure using sustainable, organic methods. They’re heirlooms lovingly nutured by generations of gardeners who’d love to see their rich flavors and unique traits enjoyed by others. They’re seeds from aorund the world that can bring a little piece of other flavors, cultures, and traditions into your garden and onto your plate.

Monticello Old Breadseed Poppy

This gorgeous variety was saved by Seed Savers Exchange members Christina Wenger and Patrick Holland! Along with its beauty it also offers a long bloom time.

Silverleaf Sunflower

A rare species added to the SESE ranks, this sprawling sunflower is native to the Gulf Coast and Southern Texas. If planted early the stalks can reach 15 feet tall and are highly attractive to pollinators and birds.

Willowleaf Colored Lima Beans

With a rainbow mix of colors this bean is sure to win your heart. It’s named for its narrow, willow-like leaves which make the plants appear more like willow trees than lima beans.

Hog Brain Southern Peas

Though we don’t know how this Alabama heirloom earned its name we do love this variety for its good flavor and excellent drought resistance. This seed was sent to SESE by Douglas Pitts.

Odell’s Large White (White Stoney Mountain) Watermelon

The rich sweet flavor of these melons is said to rival the legendary “Bradford.” This rare South Carolina variety dates back to 1840 and has been stewarded by Karen Metze’s family since 1880. Her husband Rodger Winn now grows and cares for the seed. It produces very large melons (30-35 lbs) with excellent storage quality.

Zapallo del Tronco Summer Squash

This rare Argentinian variety is a great summer squash to try for a unique, sweet, rich flavor and texture. It’s ready to harvest in just 48 days!

Bettersnap Southern Peas

Unlike many southern peas Bettersnap can be eaten young in the pod like green beans. They’re also an excellent choice for southern gardeners because they’re resistant to root knot nematodes and many other southern afflictions.

Mayan Jaguar Lettuce

Mayan Jaguar was the heaviest yielder in SESE’s 2017 lettuce trials! This variety has a lot going for it with dark green leaves with bold dark red splotches, attractive pink hearts, upright leaves that reduce splashback of soil onto leaves, and it’s slow to bolt.

African Drum Gourd

These huge, thick walled gourds are perfect for making baskets, buckets, or drums! They’re round to slightly teardrop-shaped and hold up well to downy mildew.

Rotten Clarage Dent Corn

Rotten Clarage is a rare Ohio heirloom from the early 1900s that was a cross between Yellow Clarage and another blue corn. This variety grows sturdy 9 foot stalks, 8-9 inch ears, with mostly two ears per stalk. Its seed has been grown and stewarded by the Appalachian Heirloom Plant Farm in Winchester, Ohio.

Early Nozaki Chinese Cabbage

This chinese cabbage variety fairs better than others in warmer areas being slower to bolt than our other varieties. It’s also tender and mild perfect for salads, stir frys, and ferments and is quick to produce.

Aji Chinchi Amarillo Hot Peppers

These peppers pack a lot of flavor into there small size. They’re fruity with medium to high heat and are typically about 3 × 1/2 inches. This variety is a heavy yielder and a key ingredient in Peruvian cuisine.

South Anna Butternut

The South Anna Butternut is a cross between the Seminole Pumpkin and Waltham Butternut develop by Common Wealth’s Edmund Frost. They have good productivity, excellent storage ability, and high levels of downy mildew resistance.

DMR 401 Slicing Cucumber

Another downy mildew resistant variety, these cucumbers can withstand levels that would kill another standard slicing variety. They were grown as part Michael Mazourek’s breeding program at Cornell University and did the best in Cornell’s 2015 trials.

Jasmyn Rissie Hot Peppers

Jasmyn Rissie Hot Peppers offer a lot of sweet peppery flavor along with mild heat. The seed for these little beauties was collected in Hartbeespoort, South Africa.

Prize Choi

This quick growing, cold hardy heirloom grows 2lb heads in just 7 weeks! Prize choi has dark green leaves with crunchy bright white stems and did excellent in our 2017 Asian green trials.

 

We all have our tried and true favorites but we hope you’ll try some of our newly available varieties too! We’re sure there’s a variety here that will win over your heart or tastebuds.

 

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Southern Exposure’s Holiday Gift Guide

Everyone wants to find presents that make their friends and family feel understood, appreciated, and loved. Thankfully for anyone who like gardening or wants to learn there’s plenty of easy, affordable, and sustainable gift ideas to excite any gardener this holiday season.

Many of these ideas are also great whole family gift ideas for those with kids. Gardening focused gifts can help children get excited and involved in the outdoors with their family.

Popcorn Sheller and Popcorn

Check out some of SESE’s awesome popcorn varieties like the rainbow Cherokee Long Ear Small Popcorn (pictured above) or  Pennsylvania Butter-Flavored Popcorn for a truly gardener twist on the classic “movie night” basket. For the ulimate experience check in during harvest time and bring over your favorite gardening documentary.

Mushroom Spawn

Know a gardener or budding permaculturalist looking to branch out? You can order mushroom spawn from Sharondale Farm through SESE. It’s an excellent gift for those looking to add productivity to shady areas of a property.

DIY Insect Hotel, Bird, or Bat House

Handmade gifts can be especially meaningful. Making an insect hotel, bird, or bat house will help you show off your DIY skills, improve your loved one’s garden, and give some deserving species a helping hand.

CobraHead ‘Steel Fingernail’ Weeder and Cultivator

This is one of Southern Exposure’s favorite tools for small gardens. National Garden Club testers were really impressed with it as well. Plus it’s made in the USA.

Educational Materials

SESE is known for selling seeds but we also offer some great DVDs and books for any gardener to expand their knowledge and gather more inspirational project ideas. Some of our favorites include:

Be sure to visit the website for more great options!

Seed Mix

Make up a basket of your favorite varieties to share or select one of SESE’s mixes like the Virginia Heritage Seed Collection, Welcom-to-the-Garden Pollinator Collection, or the Three Sisters Garden Package. This is a great idea for the adventurous gardener who loves to try new things.

Seed Saving Basket

Heirloom loving gardeners will love a seed saving gift basket. Pick out some of your favorite heirloom and open pollinated seed varieties and a few of SESE’s seed saving supplies. Things like self-sealing seed packets or seed vials and seed cleaning screens may not seem exciting to everyone but will make a big difference in the life of your favorite seed saver.

Fertility

It sounds super wierd but anything that will make a garden more productive will make your gardener happier. Gift your friend a homemade compost tea kit, cover crop seeds from SESE, or a garden amendment like work castings or liquid kelp.

Gift Certificates

If you’ve got a particulary picky friend or just can’t decide what to get consider an SESE gift certificate. You can purchase paper gift certificates or digital ones and leave the tough decisions up to them.

Cold Frame

If you’re into handmade gifts, a coldframe is a simple project for those with basic carpentry skills. For the best effect pair it with some cold hardy seeds or a helpful book like Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Harvest.

Your Seed Collections

Part of Southern Exposure’s mission is to keep varieties alive, so we love seeing others share seeds. If you’re a seed saver consider packaging and gifting some of your own seed collections. This is an especially budget friendly gift idea as well, but another gardener will know just how much you care.

Your Time

Not everyone can go on a shopping spree for their favorite gardener. If your budget is tight consider giving a handmade redeemable coupon for your time. Maybe you could offer 1 hour of weeding or help with springtime planting. There isn’t a gardener in the world that’s not going to be excited about getting some free help!

Whatever your budget you can find a great gift for any of the gardeners, seed savers, permaculturalists, or homesteaders in your life.

 

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