Seeding a Community Food System

 

News from the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

 

Donate Seed School Seed Social Seed Steward/Seed Library/Grain Directories Contact           Seedy News Rooted in the Rocky Mountains

eNewsletter for September 1, 2022

Inspiring and Educating Farmers & Gardeners to Become Seed Savers

TRANSITIONING INTO A NEW ORGANIZATION

As seed keepers, we witness the incredible results of cross-pollination often. Sometimes, we intentionally co-create in these processes yielding more biodiverse, climate-adapted, and culturally relevant crops. Sometimes they happen by surprise, sharing endless possibilities we never would have imagined. 

Organizations are no different. 

Over the past several months, we’ve been sharing the story of the changes happening here at RMSA. Since January, we have an almost entirely new board and staff. As we share our wisdom, perspectives, skills, strengths, and struggles with one another, we are intentionally cross-pollinating this organization we have chosen to steward.

While from the outside it may seem quiet, trust that we are very busy on the inside, just as the plants are when they move from flower to fruit to seed. In time with the seasons, we are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor with you! 

In the coming months, you can expect to see big things from us. We will be releasing a new name and mission and vision statements along with refined areas of focus. We believe the results of this cross-pollination will be a stronger and healthier organization that can deeply serve the needs of seed keepers and food growers. 

Seeds remain the heart of what we do! We would love to hear more from YOU to help us sculpt these changes.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information on the challenges and issues that current and aspiring food growers and seed savers face to help inform the direction of our evolving organization.

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance Newsletter

 

Seedy News Rooted in the Rocky Mountains   Seed stories up, down, and around the Rocky Mountains

eNewsletter for February 1, 2020

Inspiring farmers and gardeners to become seed savers

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY!  Learn more about RMSA and seeds by watching some of our videos!    We are incredibly thankful to this community of seed savers who understand the importance and magnitude of saving--and gifting--seeds. We do this work because of your generosity and support. We are connected by our common belief in the power of seeds. We invite you to Subscribe to our Youtube channel and watch the videos about what RMSA does and why. While you're there, you can also view our recordings of past Seed Socials and some of our educational pieces. Below are a few of our videos showing the impact seed saving has on people, the environment, and communities throughout the Western US. Heritage Grains Trials Why save seeds? Seed School Grain School             Seed School Graduates The Story of Glass Gem Corn

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. 

Seed - the film

Flagstaff Community Film Night featuring: Seed

 Monday, April 10, 630pm-930-pm

Orpheum Theater 

 

Don’t miss the award-winning SEED: The Untold Story in
Flagstaff on Monday, April 10th at the Orpheum Theatre!

In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds,
farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these reluctant heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a
culture connected to seeds.

This exciting evening will also include a feature short film produced by STAR School elementary students, tabling by local food organizations and student groups, and an amazing group of panelists. Panelists will discuss how seed saving, biopiracy, and GMOs affect our local community. Doors open at 5:30 with programming beginning at 6:15.

$1 for each ticket will be donated to the local non-profit organization Flagstaff Foodlink:

www.flagstafffoodlink.com

SEED comes from the filmmakers behind Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? and the Real Dirt on Farmer John. The film features Dr. Jane Goodall, Vandana Shiva, Winona LaDuke, and Andrew Kimbrell.

Sponsors of the event include:
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff Foodlink
Grand Canyon Trust
Museum of Northern Arizona