Seed Security and

Growing Seed
Seeds are the primary basis for human sustenance.
Rachelle Ternier of Prairie Garden Seeds, Chris Wooding of Ironwood Organics,
Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatchewan Eastern Ontario

Focus on small scale (human scale)

Goals are to inspire, educate and provide some method and resources
 The Big Picture:
seed security and public access
Think about this for a minute...
Seeds represent 10,000 yrs of agricultural
history/breeding/selecting
Seed diversity means food diversity
Seeds rely on environment, soil, pollinators
Some plants rely on clonal propagation

Seeds must be kept alive by growing

them regularly, a living collection!
No seeds - no food
Control of seed, is control of food
If your current source disappeared,
where would you find new seed?
 Why think about seeds and public access?
No one should be able to restrict access
to the most essential elements for our
survival that no person invented
biodiversity is fun, good for resiliency, is
beautiful, needed for changing climate
regionally adapted seeds
liberated seeds, free from constraints,
open source seeds, seeds as a part of
the commons for all
Community food, and seed, sovereignty
seeds tell stories!
Something tangible and inspiring for
people to engage with
Resilience in diversity
Individual farm resilience from diversifying Collective resilience when we all grow seed
 What kind of a system do we want?
We cannot allow consolidation of power and control in our food system to continue like this...

Utrecht Blue Wheat

We must work hard to reverse this trend in order to achieve the

people centred system that is best for all of us. Currently, corporate
profit first is controlling our seed supplies, but we must change that!
Howard, Philip H. Concentration and Power in the Food System: Who Controls What We Eat? London: Bloomsbury Academic (February 25, 2016).
Open Source Seed Initiative
Semillas libres!
The OSSI Pledge: You have
the freedom to use these OSSI-
Pledged seeds in any way you
choose. In return, you pledge not
to restrict others use of these seeds
or their derivatives by patents or
other means, and to include this
Pledge with any transfer of these
seeds or their derivatives.
Seed Policy and the Law
International & Federal Acts and Regulations
Overarching legislation for field crops is Canada Seed Act/Regulations
Public germplasm is a human right - UN
Agricultural Growth Act and Plant Breeders Right Act
UPOV 91 (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants)
PLUTO: Plant Variety Database
Legal Seed
Field crop seed in Canada must be on Variety Registration List to be sold
Grassess
Grains ( Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye, Rice)
Canola
Soy, Peas, Lentils
Corn, Sunflower
Potatoes
Tobacco
Managed by CFIA
Varieties are regularly de-registered

Heritage seed is in the Public Domain

CFIA Variety Registration Example
Hard Red Spring Wheat
Currently 313 on the list
69 have been deregistered (most date from 1926 -1979)
1979 and before - 6
1980-1989 = 10
1990 - 1999 = 52
2000- 2004 = 37
2005 - 2009 = 38
2010 - 2014 = 61
2015 -present = 39
In the USDA Classification of Wheat Varieties from 1923 there were 606
total varieties listed
Government Seed Germplasm
Seeds can be obtained in North America from
PGRC (Plant Gene Resources of Canada)
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network)

Seeds coming into the country require permits

an Import Permit - issued by CFIA
a phytosanitary permit - issued by sender
The permit restricts where seed in to be grown

Why? - primarily for disease

Consider implementing a biosecurity protocol on your farm.
Paper Work: Import Permit, MTA, Phyto Sanitary
Seed Diversity:
Heritage
Open Pollinated
Landrace
Some Definitions
Heritage/Heirloom
public domain and open pollinated
generally been grown for at least 1 generation,
though many have been around for much longer (50
years is often the guideline for many people)
Landrace
regionally adapted variations
farmer variety
Open Pollinated & F1 Hybrid
Hybridization vs open pollination and clonal propagation
 Conformity/
uniformity is a
double edged
sword!
Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as
genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance of
conformity on all its many fronts. - Michael Pollan
Grain Definitions
Ancient
Emmer, Einkorn, Spelt ( Collectively Farro)
descendant of ancestral grasses
Heritage
Pre green revolution ( 1940)
Open pollinated
Public Domain
Landrace
Has the ability to regionally adapt to a local
environment
Possible a sub-variety
Esp. when seeds saved year over year
 Seed Diversity
Seed diversity includes:
Different Crops
Varieties
Genetics
Disease profile
History / culture
Temporal diversity

Spatial diversity is also important

The more growers the better
Greater distance between growers implies security
Mitigates disease pressure
 Seed Growing, Saving,
and Renewing
All seeds have limited life spans, (depending on the crop and storage conditions), therefore you must interact with collections of seeds regularly!
Growing Seed
Scale matters - completely manual, small automation, big!
Human labour and technology/equipment
Before seeding, consider planning
Time from seed to seed, space required, pollination/isolation...
During growth, consider conscious roguing/selecting
Desired characteristics, uniformity or diversity...
During growth, consider when seed is mature
End of season, consider how to finish maturing
Final stages, consider processing methods
Dormant stage, consider storage conditions
They continue to metabolise (in storage you mean?)
Genetic preservation / conservation
Grow out frequently enough to prevent seed death!
Even self pollinated plants drift (or spontaneously mutate!)
Maintain isolation distances/plant a few weeks apart to avoid
simultaneous flowering/create physical barriers between varieties
When in doubt - discard it / eat it - or just label accordingly!
Various levels of preservation
Bringing in the seeds
Harvest at appropriate times, push maturity
Dry thoroughly before storage
Final threshing and cleaning can be done in winter
Label plants/bags/bundles (inside and out)
Documentation
Planting Growing & Harvest
Seed Source
Soil prep Observations / DSP
Variety Name
Soil type Weather
Variety History
Seed rate Weed pressure
Growing periods
Row spacing Height
Seed weight Disease
Planting depth Lodging
Planting date Weight / area
Planting locationing Seed weight
Activities Harvest date
 Cleaning and Storage
Wet processing vs Dry processing
Separate seed from hull/pod (Threshing)
Remove chaff (Winnowing)
Remove other seed (scalp / sieve)
Series of screen sizes/shapes/material
Dehulling for eating (not needed for seed)

Seeds are living and breathing!

Store cool, dry, dark and insect/rodent free!
Seed moisture should be @10% - 14%
Resources
 Organizations & Resources
Navdanya Native Seeds/SEARCH
Seeds of Diversity Canada Hudson Valley Seed Library
National Farmers Union Fedco Seeds
USC Canada Salt Spring Seeds
Seed Savers Exchange La Via Campesina
Open Source Seed Initiative SCICs Ethical Eats
The Cornucopia Institute Food Secure Canada
Wild Garden Seed Organic Seed Alliance
Sierra Seeds Gaia Foundation
JL Hudson Seedsman GRAIN
And many more!

Return to Resistance; In the tradition of Silent Spring, Raoul Robinson's Return to Resistance calls for a
revolution. Traditional plant breeding techniques have led us to depend more and more on chemical
pesticides to protect our crops
Originally published: January 1996
Author: Raoul A Robinson
 Other resources USDA Digital library, seed sources
National Plant Germplasm System
http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/
Plant Gene Resources of Canada
http://pgrc3.agr.gc.ca/index_e.h
tml
Germplasm Resources Unit
https://www.jic.ac.uk/germplasm/
Canadian Regulators
Canadian Food Inspection Regulators
Phytosanitary Certificates
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/pla
nts/exports/phytosanitary-certifi
cates/eng/1299872808479/1299
872974262
Import Procedures and Permits
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/pla
nts/plant-pests-invasive-species/
imports/eng/1324569244509/13
24569331710
Variety Registration List
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/acti
ve/netapp/regvar/regvar_lookup
e.aspx
Canadian Seed Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng
/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._1400/Ful
lText.html
Canadian Seed Regulations
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng
/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._1400/Ful
lText.html
Agricultural Growth Act
http://inspection.gc.ca/about-th
e-cfia/acts-and-regulations/regul
atory-initiatives/bill-c-18/eng/14
24996545350/1424996811411
Plant Breeders Rights Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng
/acts/P-14.6/index.html
UPOV 91
http://www.upov.int/upovlex/en
/conventions/1991/content.html
Canadian Seed Trade Association
http://cdnseed.org/plant-breeders-righ
ts/
UN - Food and Agriculture Organization
http://www.fao.org/seeds/en/