"The day when plant breeding will be a sustainable interaction between humans and the green world, that day we can celebrate!" Richard Bernard, Research Director from "Farm Report: April 2008," in eNewsletter #67

Dear Organic Gardeners,

These are surely exciting times! Spring is upon us. Melting snow reveals perennials poking through the soil and garden beds rich with promise for another season. Communities everywhere are uniting behind their local market growers, planning more farmers markets and community supported agriculture than ever before. On the global front, the world is waking up to the environmental and climate change crises, as countless organizations rally to the cause. And, as you can see from this edition of The Cutting Edge, Seeds of Change is in the thick of it all with new outreach programs, more organic varieties of seeds and plants, and new staff and interns infusing us with fresh ideas and energy. Exciting times indeed.

In this edition we are pleased to welcome Richard Bernard and Joel Reiten to the Seeds of Change team. They bring decades of experience in plant breeding and seed production respectively. I asked each a few questions to help introduce them to our readers. Additionally, both have jumped right in as contributors. Richard weighs in with a report from the farm and shares his vision for the future. To help organic gardeners, have better success this year, Joel shares some of his experience with soil testing. Also in the vein of helping gardeners have the best possible experience, Seeds of Change veteran Steve Peters illuminates some of the mysteries of the asparagus patch, an essential component of any kitchen garden and the latest perennial food crop in our offerings.

	Carbon Neutral An exciting new initiative to neutralize our carbon footprint... Read More >
	Asparagus The finer points of growing this healthy and delicious perennial.. Read More >
	New Team Members Meet Richard and Joel, our two newest team members... Read More >

In the face of environmental challenges and food shortages around the world, the global permaculture movement has never been more motivated, engaged, and essential. To help train more permaculture designers, Seeds of Change will host three permaculture workshops this year in New Mexico, and plans are in the works for a late summer workshop in Maine. Kelle Carter, our Farm Field Manager and driving force behind hosting these classes, shares the details. The environment, specifically climate change, is high on the agenda of returning farm intern Lindsay Doloretz. Lindsay has been working hard to help Seeds of Change become “carbon neutral” in our operation. In her first article for The Cutting Edge she shares her experience with the complexities of the issue, as well as tips on reducing our individual carbon footprint.

2008 has seen a resurgence in organic gardening as more people are waking up to the flavor, beauty and nutrition of organic food, as well as the important environmental benefits of growing close to home in a sustainable way. I hope you are as excited as we are to be at the forefront of this burgeoning movement.

Scott Vlaun
Editor

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eNewsletter #67
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