Happy Winter to You All!

Those of us who are fascinated with the cycles of growth feel a palpable slowing down at this time of year that begins with the yellowing of the leaves in Fall and culminates in the long nights of winter slumbering around the Solstice. So much of nature is dormant and sleeping, nourished by the crystallizing forces of frost and snow, bulbs snug in the earth, garlic cloves rooted and waiting, perennials hardened against the cold.  Waiting...

Amidst the uncertainties of life, it is deeply reassuring that these cycles of nature continue unperturbed by the news and the affairs of humans, just has they have for millions of years.  Here on the farm we take this time to catch up on what has been put off for the proverbial rainy day, repairs, updating the website, writing, sleeping, visioning, gathering with family, and dreaming into the coming of spring. 

We are grateful to play a small part in this dreaming through growing and providing seeds to whet the appetite of our garden fantasies to come. Every year we trial dozens of new varieties here at our home farm to learn how they do for us, how they taste and if we want to produce seed to share more widely (or not).  A variety may look amazing in a picture, however, that tells us very little how it will grow in our bioregion, how it tastes, how it smells, or how it keeps.  Small bioregional seed companies such as Siskiyou Seeds provide an important role in that we have a deep relationship with the seeds that we steward over time, many of which were handed down to us from older seed keepers, some of whom have crossed over to the ancestor realms. Sadly this is not so for most of the large seed companies that are simply buying bulk seed from the global industrial seed companies, much of which was grown in far away lands using chemically intensive methods and glossing over this with slick ad copy.

We are hopeful that continually striving towards Community Seed Hubs as clearly articulated by the visionary Dr. Vandana Shiva.

Open Pollinated / Open Source seeds are a crucial part of a resilient and regenerative food system. Thank you for helping us do this vital work.

We will be adding more growing tips on our Blog and YouTube pages so keep an eye there for new content as we know that great seeds are just part of the recipe for vital food along with living soil, pest management/balance, storage and preservation techniques.

All blessings to you, your family and all that you hold dear.