Intermediate Vegetable Seed Training Programme 2022
Our year long course in Intermediate Vegetable Seed Production is designed to take you through the politics and practicalities of producing seed on your farm. We will look at how to cultivate, select and harvest seed, including how to grow seed to a commercial standard for sale. We will look at the ethics of seed production and the history of seed growing in the UK.
This course is run as a partnership between the Seed Sovereignty Programme and Tyfu Cymru. Made up of webinars, online study groups and independent growing, the course is designed to run across the year. Participants should attend all ten sessions, as well as growing their own seed crop on their farm.
All sessions will be facilitated by the Gaia Foundation Seed Sovereignty Coordinator for Wales: katie@gaianet.org
If you have any questions about the programme please contact us at tyfucymru@lantra.co.uk or katie@gaianet.org
Session 1 - Seed Sovereignty
Thursday 5th May 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvdOCpqzstEtXLpHH_Fmi6irUJ7t6FT5fh
This first session will look at the background of the Seed Sovereignty Programme and the partnership with Tyfu Cymru. It will look at opportunities such as on farm adaptation, seed swapping, seed selling, participatory plant breeding and genetic diversity.
Overview:
- History of Seed
- Political Seed Landscape
- Agroecological growing practices
Accompanying Webinars /Resources:
Seed Politics Talk from Helene Schulze (Seed Sovereignty Programme)
Watch a 3 minute summary of Seed Sovereignty and 3 minute summary of crop diversity loss:
Session 2 - Plant Reproduction and Planning
Thursday 12th May 4pm - 5pm
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkceGrqDMpEtPLbM4N_aOHViOD7oRRqQvl
Overview
- Basic plant botany
- Pollination: insect, wind, self
- Basic isolation strategies
- Population sizes: inbreeders and outbreeders
- Annuals: overview of considerations
- Biennials: overview of considerations
- Rotation
- Space requirements
- Support structures
Accompanying Webinars /Resources:
Session 3 – Cultivation
Thursday 26th May 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvcO-trjooHtTA5TXjzSq5sujK2lSLQGM_
Overview
- Healthy seed crops
- Quality
- Seed pests and diseases
- Seed testing
- Record keeping
- Storage
Accompanying Webinars /Resources:
Watch the ‘DIY Seeds’ film for the crop you are growing: https://www.diyseeds.org/en/films/
https://www.tyfucymru.co.uk/home/knowledge-hub/toolkits/toolkit-seed-cultivation-seed-quality/
Session 4 - Selection
Thursday 9th June 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqdeGpqT8vGtPr5jPfZhVZ-Cd4LtS8u8JE
Overview
Basic genetics
- Selecting inbreeders
- Selecting outbreeders
- What to select for
Accompanying Webinars /Resources
Session 5 - Study visit to Real Seeds
July Date TBC
Over view
Hear from a small seed business and their practices
- Look at an example of crop selection
- Real life examples of seed crops
Session 6 – Harvesting
Thursday 11th August 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvf-2opj0rH9FfSx3dK1p00ym8EKz7IUoN
Overview
- Harvest timing for different seed crops: biennials and annuals
- Post-harvest drying
- Processing wet seeded crops
- Processing dry seeded crops
Accompanying Webinars /Resources
Session 7 – Processing
Thursday 8th Sept 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcod-ugqTIvHNabyKefF82x8XfAr44gW47I
Overview
- Cleaning: low tech to high tech
- Packing
- Records
- Testing
- Treatments
Accompanying Webinars /Resources
https://www.tyfucymru.co.uk/home/knowledge-hub/toolkits/toolkit-seed-cleaning-and-storage/
Session 8 – Routes to market
Thursday 13th Oct 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuc-ivqD0uH9A8QgDpcKWaY2ueECuiHjzv
Overview
- Contracting
- Direct selling
- Legislation
- Gaps in the market
- Developing market interest in OP seed
- Hear from a seed company contracting and a direct seller
Accompanying Webinars /Resources
Session 9 – Seed Justice
Thursday 10th Nov 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElcOygrzgqGtWjzI-Ts8ZPpTp7UoblhKIB
Overview
- Seed ownership: plant breeders rights, indigenous seed, seed as commons
- Seed stories: we will hear from local seed keepers about specific crop stories
- Honouring seed origins: sourcing seeds ethically
- Seed rematriation and reconciliation
Session 10 - Seed Futures
Thursday 8th Dec 4pm - 5pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMod-ihqTIjEtDI8KlsF-Bx04rkJFeDGS9D
This session will be run live and we will have the opportunity to book some speakers depending on the specific interests of the group.
Overview
- Seed to table: looking to the entire supply chain
- Culinary and participatory plant breeding
- Community seed systems
- Commercial possibilities
- Recap on entire programme
