Meet Our Newest Team Members
by Scott Vlaun

Seeds of Change is pleased to announce the recent addition of Richard Bernard, Research Manager, and Joel Reiten, Seed Production Manager, to our staff. Each brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the team. I recently asked both of them a few questions to introduce them to our readers.

Interview with Richard Bernard

Scott Vlaun: When did you start with Seeds of Change?

Richard Bernard: I started in the beginning of March 2008.

SV: Can you talk a little bit about your background and what you were doing before you joined the Seeds of Change team?

RB: I have my roots in the South of France in an area of rugged mountains facing west towards the fertile and lush valleys that lead to the Atlantic ocean and facing southeast towards the vineyards and olive groves of the Mediterranean. We have a reputation of being a rebellious people, a mindset that can be explained by a tormented history, but we are also well known for our sheep herding and our leather industry. My Grandmother's garden, my little piece of paradise for the variety of colors, of scents and of flavors, left an indelible imprint on me.

After graduating in ethnobotany, I went for my first mission abroad as a civil servant (similar to Peace Corps) in Senegal, an experience that brought me closer to the growers' and farmers' needs. Back to France—I worked for the Extension Service while pursuing studies in agronomy. Then I went to Thailand as a field coordinator in charge of producing and buying strawberries. After that, I pursued a career in plant breeding in France within the Syngenta group. My projects were on virus resistance for zucchinis and Middle-Eastern kusa (coosa) types, on gathering and developing eggplant germplasm for India, and on initiating a parthenocarpic Beit Alpha cucumber breeding program. After 12 years, I joined Harris-Moran, first for 6 years roaming the Mediterranean Basin to make trials with growers and develop new products, and then for another 6 years to put in place and manage a product development team in the USA, Mexico and Central America.
   
SV: Why did you want to become part of an organic seed company?

RB: It has been a gradual progression, motivated by several factors, until the right time came to make a decision. During my travels, I have seen small and local growers losing their strength and having to compete with global agri-business. Their condition is getting worse and worse and as a plant breeder, I felt that, more and more, I was serving the needs of large growers, produce shippers, and food processors.

Another key factor in my decision has been the frustration of seeing large biotech companies implementing a successful strategy of patenting and monopolizing the green world. This is a real threat, not only for biodiversity on Earth, but also for the agriculture and food culture that we want to hand over to the future generations.

To change this trend requires high level political decisions, but working for an organic seed company, with a strong and dedicated mission of preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, places me at the forefront of this fight. It might sound a bit romantic, but it is about real things such as soils, plants and foods. Of course, nothing would have happened without the sometimes challenging, but always constructive support of my family, my friends and my new colleagues at Seeds of Change.

SV: Being from France, do you see distinct differences in the organic movements in Europe versus the US, especially regarding organic seed and plant breeding?

RB: The organic movement in France and in Europe is more oriented towards regaining some kind of lost paradise of diversity and flavors, whereas the US movement seems to be more obsessed by nutrition. It took time for the US movement to get more organized and set up a certification system at the federal level. Some Dutch and Israeli seed breeders have made the decision to go organic, at least partly, and Seeds of Change made the decision to be fully organic. We are not now a seed breeder per se, and we have the exciting challenge to build partnerships with breeders willing to select traits that will serve organic growers and consumers.

SV: Now that you've had a chance to settle in, are there specific initiatives that you are planning for the Seeds of Change Farm and Research Program in the near future?

RB: First, to develop long term partnerships with plant breeders to put in place a real organic breeding network. Then, to support our effort to produce organic seeds by helping develop sustainable techniques and selecting cultivars that can produce good quality seeds under an organic environment.

This will be done with the support of a product development team in contact with growers and with the involvement of our Research Farm in New Mexico as a model and educational tool to spread the good word. We will support and be part of local initiatives. The day when plant breeding will be a sustainable interaction between humans and the green world, that day we can celebrate!

SV: Organic agriculture is rapidly expanding. What is your vision for the future of organic seed within the organic gardening and farming industry?

Interview with Joel Reiten

Scott Vlaun: When did you start with Seeds of Change and what is your position?

Joel Reiten: I started a little over three months ago as the Seed Production Manager.

SV: I know you have a long history with the seed industry. Can you talk a little about your previous work?

JR: I grew up on a large farm and ranching operation in North Dakota. My earliest interest was in livestock and I was active in 4-H and FFA. Our farm also did a lot of seed production, first malting barley and later some of the very first hybrid sunflowers.

I was fascinated by practical genetics and went back to school at NDSU (North Dakota State University) to study plant and animal genetics. Fast forward to 1996—I wanted to get actively involved in seed production and Territorial Seed was looking for a farm manager with duties in seed production. During the next six years I developed the seed production arm of Territorial Seed. We introduced a number of open-pollinated tomato and squash varieties that were developed at NDSU, as well as cucumber varieties from Cornell University. At that point, a desire to do large-scale production of other species was urging me to expand.

In 2001 I was hired by Bejo Seeds to be seed production manager and got involved with conventional and organic seed production of carrots, brassica and allium crops. This was in the US as well as with seed production personel in Bejo's facilities in France, Italy and the Netherlands. During that time I was very fortunate to work with breeders and seed production people from around the world. After six years of large-scale seed production I began to wonder how to bring organic seed production back to a place where it could be a benefit to smaller growers. Bringing great genetics and high quality seed to the organic grower—this led me to Seeds of Change.

SV: As someone who is intimately involved with seed production, do you see specific challenges related to producing seeds organically?

JR: The secret to any successful organic production, either produce or seed, is understanding and realizing the relationship between healthy soils and plant performance. Fertility, disease and pest suppression all work hand in hand in organic situations. Successful organic growers have learned to let go of the idea of substitution farming (replacing chemical inputs with organic substitutes, ed.) in their transition from conventional to organic production and have learned to work with nature.

SV: Given all that you've seen in the field over the years, do you think that organic agriculture can be as productive as "conventional" chemical-based agriculture?

JR: There is no question that organic production can be as productive as conventional production. The fertility needs of crops can easily be met through organic methods. The overriding factors in organic production are disease and insect control and how they can be managed from an organic perspective. Balancing the soil macro- and microbiology to compete with pathogens and creating an environment to balance the relationship between the good guys and the bad guys that cause plant damage is the holy grail of organic production. Producers that learned to work with and balance nature have shown that organic production can be equal to conventional crop production.

SV: Do you see organic plant breeding and seed production as critical to developing a truly sustainable, low-input, organic agriculture? 

JR: They are both integral parts of organic agriculture. The seed is the beginning; it's the foundation for plant production. The selection, development and eventual production of a variety under organic culture all have a level of interconnectedness, one step leading to the next. We need to develop and produce seed under organic conditions. We need to allow the varieties to express their inherent genetic capability to thrive under organic conditions. 

SV: What you would you recommend for someone wishing to become an organic seed grower? 

JR: Start small. Get acquainted with seed production. It's very different than vegetable production. It takes a lot of careful attention and extra work, but it’s also very satisfying!

Scott Vlaun
Editor