June Newsletter - Julia tries to do nothing

As we navigate through the intense summer heat, I hope both you and your plants are weathering it well. Are some plants thriving while others are wilting?  As hard as it may be to remember, consider the scorching heat one of the teachers that help your plants to be strong. I wrote a blog post to remind you. 

Seed Share Program Update

We’ve distributed over 4100 seed packets this season, and in hopes of increasing that next year, we’re simplifying things for seed contributors. You can now send in your home-grown seeds any time, to a single location, with a pre-paid shipping label. Find more information here. Remember that contributors get first access to the new mixes when they are available. We’ve got some good stuff in the works, including a new generation of promiscuous tomatoes, and some rare melons from the USDA seedbank. In the meantime, there are still a few crops available from our 2024 catalog, including corn, squash, quinoa, and tomato.

 

Past Events 

We had two community events last month to share with you. YouTube videos are available: 

• Joseph Lofthouse told the origin story for Landrace Gardening: Gardening with More Joy and Less Work.
• A Going to Seed community meeting.See what we’ve been up to, plans and projects for 2024, and ways to plug in.  Thank you to those of you who are contributing regularly, and we always welcome more!  

Upcoming Events

• The Potato Lovers Zoom! Did you grow potatoes from true seed this year? Join us on Wednesday, June 26, at 5 pm Pacific Time. Bring questions, photos, and updates on how your potato plants are doing!  Zoom Link Here. Special guest Curzio Caravati from the Kenosha Potato Project will share his expertise
• Seed Savers Exchange Virtual Conference on July 12th. Julia Dakin will be speaking about nutrient density at 11:30 Central Time. At 2:30 CT, Ken Asmus will be presenting on perennial beans. 

Latest Podcast

Check out the recent Going to Seed podcasts on Apple Podcasts or on Youtube. In the most recent episode, Shane interviews Richard Paul Watson about the challenges and successes of growing and breeding a variety of vegetable crops in windy New Zealand, the creation of a network of seed growers, and the establishment of a collective seed sales organization.

Community Discussions

The online community discussions have been active. Some discussions you may have missed: 

• Increasing Community Seed Returns:  What would motivate you to contribute seeds to Going to Seed or any local seed project?  
• 2024 Grow Reports: How are the seeds doing that you ordered from Going to Seed? We all love photos. Join the discussion. Share heat-related plant woes here. 
• Is there value in bindweed?  Great question.

Thank you for being a part of Going to Seed.  We look forward to growing and adapting with all of you. 

Warm regards,

Julia and the Going to Seed Team