78 percent of the world鈥檚 seeds are now owned by three companies, and it鈥檚 those companies who decide which ones to make available to the public.
That鈥檚 quite a turnaround from America鈥檚 early years, when . But it鈥檚 not just the variety of seeds being lost, it鈥檚 also the history that those seeds represent.
Beth Bridgeman is a faculty member at Antioch College who teaches a series of reskilling and resilience courses like sewing, fermentation, shoe repair, and hide tanning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the skills we used to have that we are sort of a generation away from still having,鈥� Bridgeman says sitting in her office overlooking the campus. 鈥� So, it鈥檚 things that students are fascinated with and just haven鈥檛 had access to anymore, at home, and so one of these courses was seed saving course that I taught this fall.鈥�
Along with learning how to collect and save seeds, part of Bridgman鈥檚 class included collecting the oral history of seeds.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to save the story of the seeds as well. The history of culture is in every single seed. Even at , it鈥檚 the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States, it鈥檚 people like us sending the seeds that they grew to Seed Savers, and exchanging with other people. Seed Savers Exchange started because Diane Wheatly , she saved Grandpa Ott鈥檚 Morning Glory, and that鈥檚 how it started. You know, there鈥檚 a story behind that Morning Glory - it was her grandfather's, he brought it over from wherever, and so our students were really interested in different things.鈥�
And so, Bridgeman set her students loose to interview people all around the country to find their seed stories.
Amanda Seigel spoke to , writer, seed saver, and the driving force behind Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
"It鈥檚 a long story. I did not foreshadow that it would become such a big thing in my life," said Wallace when Siegel asked her how she began saving seeds.
Seigel says she's invested in maintaining both the legacies of African seeds and also the stories of those that have been affected by the diaspora. She asked Wallace about the importance of seeds in retaining Black cultural legacies and memories.
"Well, I think that a lot of the history of African people in the United States has not been maintained as a written legacy," said Wallace. "Our stories are hidden in the foods. These recipes, these flavors that we have, are sometimes all that connects us to the ancestors. And so I think they鈥檙e quite important in that way."
Another Antioch student, Noah Evans spoke to his experiences with seed saving.
"Let me tell you a story. It鈥檚 really one of the more profound stories of things that have happened to me," McDorman begins. He goes on to talk about a visit to , on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona and how he was stunned that they could grow corn in conditions where corn shouldn鈥檛 thrive. McDorman had asked a tribal elder about the word Hopi.
"He said Hopi is a philosophy. It鈥檚 a way of living. It鈥檚 a way of being in the world. But, it had to do with humility, and listening, and service. And then he said something that would change my life - that really put me on the path I鈥檓 on. He said, we learn how to be Hopi by growing the corn. That is our spiritual path. And so that鈥檚 it. I鈥檇 never equated gardening with identity- let alone deep identity - let alone with spiritual growth that way. I mean, that鈥檚 pretty amazing for me. So, that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing. I went home after that and said I鈥檓 going to grow corn, and try to be Hopi. [laughs]."
Bridgeman says it鈥檚 not too late to save our seed diversity and the cultural history it represents.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a ton of genetic material still out there. So maybe it鈥檚 you, going to visit your great aunt that you haven鈥檛 seen in Louisiana since you were three years old, and she takes you into her backyard, and you say 鈥榳hat鈥檚 that鈥�, and she says鈥�.and all of a sudden we have a new variety that we thought was lost and that鈥檚 been in her backyard the whole time. So people are all the time. It鈥檚 in peoples backyards. It鈥檚 on roadsides. It鈥檚 in the fields. So, we still have time to turn it around. It鈥檚 important that we do it, and we can do it with joy, and with can do it in community. 鈥�
The interviews from Bridgman鈥檚 class are part of the Great Lakes College Association鈥檚 , which funds oral history-powered field work.
is WYSO's series on rural life, made possible by a grant from Ohio Humanities. This story was created at the at WYSO.
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