The Urban Farmer’s Almanac

Green pepper seeds drying

One thing I really don’t know much about that seems essential in moving towards our ideal of greater self-sufficiency is propagating plants (i.e. saving seeds or dividing and multiplying).  This summer we met a man who has taken up farming in his retirement and is becoming well versed in drying and saving seeds.  He talked about how over time a plant will become perfectly suited for the soil and climate conditions it is planted in, if it is repeatedly propagated.  Recently I read in one of Michael Pollen’s books (which everyone should read by the way) that a shockingly low number of plant species (like 10, sorry I checked the book out from the library so I can’t confirm that) make up 90% of the plants Americans eat.  The specialized, local plants are disappearing and now a Southern California tomato tastes the same as a Vermont tomato.  I have grand dreams of developing unique ‘Shafer Homestead’ plants that only we have. In the meantime I am hoping that our many dried seeds will lead to a few seedlings this spring.  We started with pepper and bean seeds since those are the easiest to save.  The are in the process of drying and hopefully something will pop up once we get them in soil.