saving the seeds
Groundbreaking (more like rock breaking) at Global Seed Diversity Trust vault being dug into a mountainside near the village of Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The vault will hold seed samples of nearly every food crop in the world to protect the agricultural heritage of humankind.
Longyearbyen is in the Svalbard islands which lie a thousand kilometres north of mainland Norway. The airport there is the northernmost point in the world with scheduled flights and it is totally dark four months a year.
Permafrost and the thick rock of the mountainside will keep the seeds safely frozen even without electricity. The vault’s construction will be funded and managed by the Norwegian government as a service to the world community.
In this country Seeds of Change has been cultivating and disseminating open-pollinated, organically grown, heirloom and traditional vegetable, flower and herb seeds on their farm near Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1989.
From their website: “Even though we are a company that grows and sells seeds as our business, we encourage everyone to learn the art of seed saving. Of the many facets involved with growing, nurturing and gathering plants, the raising and collecting of seeds for future generations is a reverent act.” And they walk their talk by devoting this section of their website to showing you how to do it.
I would also like to add that today I had my faith in the future reinvigorated by looking at the Pachamama Alliance website. Take a few minutes to watch this video if you haven’t seen it yet. You won’t be sorry you did.