Grain School Online from Rocky Mt. Seed Alliance

 

GRAIN SCHOOL IS GOING VIRTUAL NEXT MONTH

rockymountainseeds.org/about-grain-school

RMSA's Grain School Online explores the world of heritage grains. Students will learn techniques for growing, breeding, and harvesting grains. In between, we'll also learn the history and culture of grain cultivation then enjoy tasty modules on the culinary uses of grains and how to prepare them. 

Register here and if you need financial assistance, please fill out the Scholarship Form.

The class is weekly Thursdays from Sept. 30-Nov. 25

The cost is $229 or apply for a scholarship.

Rocky Mt. Seed Alliance

 

Seedy News Rooted in the Rocky Mountains

eNewsletter for July 8, 2021

Inspiring Farmers and Gardeners to Become Seed Savers Cover art from The White/Wiphala Paper on Indigenous Peoples' food systems;  access the full Paper in the article below

Seed Library Summit

 

10TH ANNUAL SEED LIBRARY SUMMIT

SeedLibraries.Weebly.com - Read  and register!

Come and join the 10th Annual Seed Library Summit! Our very own Bill McDorman and Jackee Alston will be teaching along with a wonderful and wide range of presenters and panelists. Topics include:

• Seed Swaps in a Time of Pandemic
• Starting a Seed Library in a School
• Seed Patents & Seed Libraries
• Seed Stories
• Seed Saving Basics
• And more!

A Note from Belle Star From the Rocky Mt. Seed Alliance

 

The Walking Wall

  The Walking Wall is a dry-stacked rock wall conceived by British artist, Andy Goldsworthy, and the Kansas City community in which it was created. The wall was originally 1500 feet, traversing various Kansas City sites, including a road where authorities blocked off traffic, and ending at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art where part of it would eventually reside. New sections of the wall were constructed from rocks pulled from the end of the installation as that section was dismantled. One local paper reported that what made the project exciting was the process "...on the way to experiencing, if not always understanding, what Goldsworthy was up to.”

   We have experienced some of our own surprise and curiosity watching the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance (RMSA) evolve from its strong foundations, and redefining the ways it serves its mission. It has been a sobering process at times transforming past experiences into the building blocks of the future. 

   What an honor to be part of RMSA’s group of deep thinkers, spiritual seekers, and committed seed lovers. RMSA is an amazing expression of community, hard work, and dedication in the same
way as the Walking Wall. We didn’t always know how we would overcome our challenges, but we had faith in our organization and its supporters. And look where we are now! I am so proud and thankful to you all.

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance Newsletter

 

eNewsletter for August 31, 2020

Get Involved with RMSA   Seed School Seed Stewards Heritage Grain Trials Grown with Local Seeds Million Seed Savers

THE TRISKELION HEART OF ANCIENT GRAINS Youtube.com - Share Sin et pheel • Sonoran white • Khorasan • Iraqi durham • Marqui • EBT emmer From Heritage Grain Trialist and Seed School For Farmers facilitator, Evan Sofro: "The triple spiral that we created this year was a way to bring more depth and beauty to the RMSA foundation seed increases at The River Farm. As a work of Regenerative Earth Art, this garden promotes soil fertility and tilth, increases on site diversity, generates abundant nectar for pollinators, generates abundant flower seeds, and produces healthy foundation seed lots of six grains in the RMSA Heritage seed program. Five wheats and an emmer were seeded with love in the 12 beds surrounding the spiraling triangle. The Triskelion itself is planted to Amaranths, Zinnias, Celosias, Marigold, Strawflowers, Phacelia, Poppies, Tithonias, and Asters, although most have not bloomed at the time the video was taken." Read more about the Triskelion here. Seeded by: Evan Sofro and Saralila Kalafat Music by Olivia Blu, "Moons in Aquarius"

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

 

Seed Chat Q&A

Bill McDorman & Greg Peterson – FREE

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 @ 5:00 p.m. Pacific

Click here to sign up and participate

A Menu Unlike Any We Have Seen

Never before has it been easier to access whatever education or information you want or need to become a great seed steward. Classes are plentiful through any number of platforms including Zoom. No longer is it necessary to travel thousands of miles to be in the presence of your favorite teacher or leader in the movement. 

This Tuesday night at 5pm PST Bill McDorman, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance and Greg Peterson from Urban Farm U will illustrate how you can navigate through the diverse array of resources available to get to any answers, instructions or strategies you seek for seed saving. They will also help with framing the right questions to guide the process. Speaking of...come with your questions and get ready for an exciting and fascinating foray into the modern world of seeds in this newly realized paradigm. 

Send in your questions, share your challenges and successes, and find gems of wisdom from two people who have been working on these ideas for decades. Between them, you'll benefit from 70 years of practical experience and lessons learned.

Next up for RMSA: Seed Saving For Farmers (and Gardeners too!), starting September 16, 2020. Look here for more details on the 10-week program. 

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

From Bill McDorman
Like so many, we at Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance are deeply devastated by the current and historical treatment of our sisters and brothers in humanity. While we are in the midst of our spring campaign, we would like to take a pause and acknowledge the deep-seeded impacts of racism. Together, we must stand and combat the racial inequalities pervading this country for far too long.
Compounded by the pandemic, the “struggle to breathe” is hitting black communities and all communities of color the hardest. In lieu of an appeal for donations to our work at this time, we ask that you consider giving to the efforts of others to assist people impacted by racism, racial trauma, and/or those being gravely affected by COVID-19.
Please take part in this critical moment in history by becoming more informed and involved. Join your voices with those who are long overdue to be heard and supported. Here are some websites where you can donate or learn more:

• Black Lives Matter
• American Civil Liberties Union
• National Black Food and Justice Alliance
• Soul Fire Farm
• John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health  
• Diné Bikéyah Seeds and Sheep, and COVID Relief Fund
• Indigenous Seed Keepers Network 

Jackee Alston at the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

2020: Jackee is the New Belle

2020 signifies a sad semi-departure for our co-founder, Belle Starr. After almost six years of her steadfast work keeping RMSA afloat, Belle is taking a much-needed step back and gifting herself with semi-retirement. She will continue supporting RMSA on Thursdays. Contact her at belle@rockymountainseeds.org.
We are so grateful for the endless heart and soul she has offered the organization, guiding us into unchartered territory since the beginning.
Thank you, Belle, for being a fearless leader and our bright Starr!
With Belle’s departure, we are pleased to announce Jackee Alston has joined the RMSA team. We fortunately met her and husband, Steve Alston, at the first Great American Seed Up in 2015. Steve and Jackee volunteered at both Seed Summits and their contribution to Grain School - Cottonwood was memorable (and delicious!). They both will be joining us at the Seed & Grain Experience in Buhl, Idaho.
Jackee brings to the table a background in range ecology and wildlife conservation, is a Master Gardener and botany instructor, is the co-editor of the Gardening, Etc. column in her local paper, and the founder of the Grow Flagstaff! Seed Library in Northern Arizona. Jackee will be stepping in to cover many of the tasks Belle handled. Her email is: jackee@rockymountainseeds.org.
Welcome, Jackee!