Seed Keepers

[tonitime@juno.com]

Hi Listmates,

    We have the beginnings of a wonderful list here - and a great bunch of folk!  I wrote our List Pa, and asked a few questions of him.  Did you know that we have had 117 people join in just the two months since Lawrence started it?  THAT is good.  What is not so good, is that 20 people chose to unsbub with the name change and dischord since then.

In thinking about why i chose to spend some of my valuable time here, i'd hoped that it would be another great resource for all of us to save and share seed, and steward such. As we all agree that is what the world, our customers, and our  families  need - let's add a little more structure to the proceedings of the list - and make it a good place for seedkeeping.  If folk want to talk topics related to seedsaving, politics, and any such things wrong in a very imperfect world - we all have a delete button if we do not care for the posts.  Maybe it's best we not judge, attack, or exhibit too much righteousness that may harm the list or hurt anyone's  path.  We are not here for that, and many of us find the farms and gardens as places of peace in a world always changing. Please do not leave the list or spew at one another if you do not like the topics..just use the power of DELETE!  Let's keep a good thing going here.  Also, there is no reason why people cannot keep conversations going between themselves off the list that all read.  Feel free to talk privately with each other, if you think it contrary to individuals wanting to stay on  the list for the purpose of keeping seed.  Let us grow some good will here.  I may not be as articulate as some, so sorry if i offend with this email..... i just want to steward seed and land !

    I propose  an agenda of weekly offerings for members here.  HAVES and WANTS within a certain seed family of the week on a predetermined and posted schedule.  Maybe some will participate, maybe not!  We shall see.

example:

WEEK 1 - PEPPERS & TOMATOES-  send your list of things you have to offer others here.  espress whether you want people to send a  SASE (self-addressed, stamped, envelope) or if you are prospersous, you can just gift these and say so!

 

During this week, you can also post your wants, in this way:

WANTS  (for SASE):

 

please also let people know if your seed for donation is getting a bit old, so they can choose to gamble on it's viability.  I will include a viability chart just as a general reference.

If you have an arrangement with a listmate for a trade, and you do not receive your end of the bargain, please send the individual a note once or twice before reporting to the group that you were not treated well.  We all do have times where life throws us a curveball, but gardeners are generally good folk who mean well. If anyone seems to be ripping off members regularly, i imagine we will hear of it.

 

I will send a guide for weekly seed offered, so we can all plan ahead and look to list our varieties as that week comes up.

In my years of exchanging seed with individuals, our lives have been very enriched getting to know other growers all over the world.  Our diets are great and diverse, and many a longtime friendship has been made thru places such as this list.  I hope others agree that we can all help each other alot here with fellowship and our common goals - regardless of what the greater world or corporate ethics fling at us.  Some of us are planning for an uncertain future, and this list can really help all - regardless of your level of involvement.  Gardens are places of Peace  for alot of us.  People unsubbing at the rate they have the last 2 weeks shows that  it's important to  think twice before hitting that SEND button.

 Also, Round Robins are great ways to share seed, if any individual feels like setting up and administrating such thruout the year.  Some of us on this list just finished another fantastic one from another place we go, and each of us received between 12 ansd 24 packets of OP or Heirloom varieties of mostly vegies - all for the postage and package!  Too cool - like Christmas time at our mailboxes.  We also develop great caring for each other, thru our sharing.... a different sort of  "sowing" in life, tho we may never "fleshmeet"! 

 

Please let us all know what you think of getting on with it........and give your opinion(s).

It could be SO good.

Toni - working on a weekly schedule for all seedkeepers herein.