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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Seed saving (was Hydroponics)
  • Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 09:27:37 -0700


Don't people wonder why we keep seeing "new" seed varieties pushed by
agribusiness? There are some places around the world where people have grown
the same variety of crops from its own seed saved each season for centuries,
without loss of viability. The term "running out" is used to describe a loss
of seed viability in our commercial agriculture over several generations of
cropping and seed saving. To renew seed viability for commercial growers,
agribusiness commonly develops newer varieties by hybridizing with older or
wilder landraces, As far back as 70 years ago, Albert Howard noted that crops
that kept up their seed viability over centuries were grown in soil kept rich
in organic matter and minerals. But of course our "educational" institutions
aren't going to do studies to show all the effects of soil depleted by the
agribusiness hand that feeds them. After all, if they can save their own seed
each year you can't keep selling them the new seed. They know what they're
doing.

paul, tradingpost AT riseup.net
---------------
The outstanding scientific discovery of the twentieth century is not
television, or radio, but rather the complexity of the land organism. Only
those who know the most about it can appreciate how little we know about it.
- Aldo Leopold in Round River, 1933

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 12/15/2005 at 9:10 AM David Inglis wrote:

>>
>> Lucy - I think that David was asking about the long term viability of
>> seed from a hydroponic source. Either that, or I've been sleeping too
>> close to my Pottenger's Cats book. -Allan
>
>Yes I was.
>David
>
>






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