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UNITY — Ask a few Maine Organic Farmers & Gardners Assn. staff members about their favorite plant variety to grow from seed, and enthusiasm sprouts. Here’s a brief list:
“Detroit Dark Red beets. They stay particularly tender at all sizes and have good flavor,” said Kaitlynn McGuire, MOFGA’s database manager. She added, “Snow Crown cauliflower is the variety I’ve had the best luck with, even in years when I haven’t been great at maintaining my garden.”
Katy Green, communications and outreach director, said,”Red Ember cayenne peppers. They’re great fresh and dry well, too.”
The list goes on to include Monstrosum Mix strawflowers, Lemon cucumbers,
Bloomsdale spinach, Little Gem lettuce, Empress of India and Jewell Mix nasturtiums, simply beautiful Scarlet Runner beans, Siam Queen Thai basil – and other herbs. The latter, says Heather Spalding, MOFGA’s deputy director, “are so easy – parsley, dill, cilantro. And they fill out the garden when you let them go to seed.”
MOFGA supports the use of organically grown seed when available. According to the MOFGA Certification Services Practice Manual, USDA National Organic Program regulations require that certified organic farms use organic seeds, seedlings and planting stock, unless they are not commercially available in the form, quantity or quality required by the grower.
Chris Grigsby, MCS director, noted that organic seed is increasingly available every year. Such seeds cannot contain genetically engineered traits and must have been grown using only the fertilizers, weed control and pest control strategies allowed in organic agriculture.
Why organic seed? Jim Gerritsen of MOFGA-certified organic Wood Prairie Family Farm noted that quality organic seed is locally adapted to conditions on organic farms. “There’s tremendous potential to breed varieties that are designed to work under organic conditions,” he says. “Contrast that with some of the introductions bred under highly pampered, highly chemical conditions – they need those [synthetic] chemicals to prosper.”
A good supply of locally adapted organic seed also helps counter the oligolopy of the few multinational seed companies, which have drastically limited the germplasm available to farmers and gardeners. “If we’re going to be a viable, sustainable organic community, we’ve got to be independent in our seed resources,” Gerritsen added. (Gerritsen is also president of the board of the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. www.osgata.org/)
The Seed Swap and Scion Exchange, originally scheduled for March 29 at MOFGA,
traditionally has been a great place to share seeds (and scions) that you’ve saved from your own farm or garden and to pick up a few new varieties. Given the situation with COVID-19, that event has been postponed, and MOFGA is working on an alternative format for it. Meanwhile, gardeners can order from seed companies (especially those in Maine), which are doing their best to keep up with orders. For economy, consider making a group order with friends and neighbors and ordering just the amount you need for this year — and then save seed from a few open-pollinated varieties to grow and share in years to come. And if all of your seeds germinate and you have extra seedlings to share, let your community know.
This is a great year to start (or continue) a garden!
PHOTO: Scarlet runner bean flowers. (Submitted photo)
