"... local food systems build ties within the community.... It's the way that farm, home, and restaurant can unite behind the need for sustainable agriculture." —Erica Renaud, eNews #58 from, Farmer Chef Field Days

Dear Organic Gardeners,

As I write this, dozens of organic farmers across the country are busy harvesting, threshing, winnowing, and otherwise cleaning seed. I've had the good fortune to visit with many of those seed growers this year and am continuously amazed by their skill, both as farmers and seedspeople, and by their dedication to producing the highest-quality seed possible. I'm also impressed by the reverence that they show for the seed and for the generations of farmers that have preceded them in developing and caring for those varieties. Along the way, I've made some pictures and done some short interviews, which we will share with our readers over the course of the 2007 season.

2006 has been another busy year for the folks at Seeds of Change as well. Generous rains at our New Mexico Research Farm (and a lot of hard work in the field) have led to an abundant harvest and a great deal of data collection. Hundreds of tried-and-true varieties have shared space with many new ones, the best of which will be New Introductions in our 2007 catalogs. Not only have those varieties been tested at our own farm, but many have also been trialed at the farms of professional growers and tasted by culinary experts in this year's Chef Farmer Field Days. To share some of the excitement surrounding these events, our Research Farm Manager, Erica Renaud, has teamed up with friend and photographer Jerry Dewitt to present a photo essay that captures some of the synergy that takes place when farmers and chefs meet in the field and kitchen to ponder the merits of various seed varieties.

	Fall Gardening Will Emmett offers tips on protecting crops from frost and preparing beds for winter... Read More >
	Hangin' Out with Gourds Kelle Carter shows us the Farm's gourd trellis and shares info on growing and drying gourds... Read More >
	Farmer Chef Field Days An inspiring photo essay that describes the journey from field to table... Read More >

In terms of excitement, nothing rivaled the gourd trellis in this year's Research Farm trials. Field Manager Kelle Carter was inspired to share some of what she learned about these ancient, fascinating, and sometimes useful crops in this edition. We've also got some tips on easing your garden into winter by Will Emmett. As always, we've got a report from the Farm, this month by Kelle Carter, and some news from the organic agriculture world.

As we work on creating next year's seed catalogs, we sincerely hope that you are all reaping the benefits of a rich and rewarding harvest season and of a vibrant fall garden.

Enjoy!
Scott Vlaun, Editor


Photo caption: Fall broccoli trials and marigolds at the Seeds of Change Research Farm

Printable PDF Version:
eNewsletter #58
Text only, 120.8 kb, 9 pages.

Unable to open it?
You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.