The Seed Farmer Podcast

Dan Brisebois
  • 5.0 (19)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Seed Farmer Podcast with Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm. Every episode I'm going to bring you a conversation with a grower who has integrated Saving Seeds into their own farm systems. Some grow seed crops to sell commercially and some do it just for their own farm use. I'm hoping their stories will make you want to save seed on your own farm... and if you already save seed on your farm, I hope it makes you want to save more!

  1. 4D AGO

    Ep. 65 The Lazy Guide to Seed Farming: Josh Volk, Slow Hand Farm

    Josh Volk runs Cully Neighborhood Farm on a one-acre lot in Portland, Oregon, where he grows vegetables for a CSA. Josh also operates Slow Hand Farm, where he helps grow market gardens and community through his writing and technical support. He is the author of Compact Farms and Build Your Own Farm Tools. Across all his work, Josh brings an engineering mindset to farming. In this episode, Josh explains how he integrates seed production into a busy market garden and grows seed mainly for his own use. Josh tells us how he determines what crops to keep for seed. We discuss Josh's "lazy" approach to growing seed which includes natural selection rather than intentional roguing, getting seed clean enough but not perfect, and embracing genetic diversity instead of trying to avoid all cross pollination.  In the deep dive, Josh and I talk about growing fava beans for seed. We get into fall-sown versus spring-sown crops, selecting for cold hardiness, and  threshing using a vintage roller thresher.  We also talk a lot about bean weevils. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   Episode links Slow Hand Farm website https://slowhandfarm.com/ Slow Hand Farm on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/slowhandfarm/ Cully Neighborhood Farm website https://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com/ News links May 21 Open House quarterly seed call https://seedalliance.org/events/virtual-open-house-quarterly-call-2/   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/ Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    1h 5m

  2. APR 29

    Ep. 64 Cheating isolation Distances

    Have you been feeling scared to keep the seeds from your crops? Have those seed books with their 1 to 2 mile isolation distances gotten you down? This minisode is all about how to cheat those formal isolation distances and still harvest seed that works for your farm.   In this episode we get into    •  The four main isolation crop groups and what distances you can get away with •  How to create physical barriers are your farm to grow things even closer •  What crops you can grow in easy to make isolation cages   Of course, it wouldn't be a Seed Farmer episode if we didn't get into how a little bit of crossing is a good thing.   Enjoy the minisode! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links   June 18 webinar: Breeding to Purple: Crossing & Selecting Brassicas  https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/event/breeding-to-purple-crossing-selecting-brassicas/   Watch the Seed Farmer book promo video https://youtu.be/liHQmUz227E   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    20 min

  3. APR 22

    Ep. 63 Rewilding One Backyard at a Time – Mélanie Ouellette, Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library

    Mélanie Ouellette runs the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library from her home in Orleans, Ontario. This all began when she asked "What's preventing people from growing native plants in our region?" In this episode, Mélanie shares the logistics of how the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library works. How hundreds of volunteers harvest the seeds, pack seed packs, fulfill orders, and attend events to distribute the seeds to gardeners. We talk about the importance of genetic diversity, the difference between straight species and cultivars, and the importance of reciprocity in community stewardship. In the deep dive, Mélanie and I focus on growing swamp milkweed for seed. We explore how it is a host plant for monarch butterflies, the technical nuances of harvesting and cleaning milkweed's fluffy seeds, and the importance of cold-moist stratification to ensure successful germination. Enjoy the conversation!   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Episode links Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca/ Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Instangram https://www.instagram.com/ottawawildflower/   Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CV6G1cvGY/   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links May 16: Seed Library Conference: Sustaining a Seed Library https://givebutter.com/sustaining-a-seed-library?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email   Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    43 min

  4. APR 15

    Ep. 62 Planning Your Photo Harvest

    Today's minisode is all about getting ready for the season- farm photo season, that is!    Whether you want good visuals for the crops on your online store, or you want to document your breeding selections, or you're writing up standard operating procedures for your crew; having the right images makes all the difference.   Those pictures don't happen by themselves, you need a Farm Picture Plan!   In this episode, we'll get into…   • How to use your photo archives to understand your farm • Figuring out what pictures you'll wish you had this fall • Setting up your Picture Plan spreadsheet • Tips for making sure you actually take the shots you need   Enjoy the minisode! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   News links   Tourne-Sol's  new sweet corn variety https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlyiE4jlvm/?img_index=1   Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/ Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    19 min

  5. APR 8

    Ep. 61 A Suitcase Full of Seeds - Charlie Watt, Homecoming Seeds

    Charlie Watt runs Homecoming Seeds in Northfield, Vermont. His seed journey began in Montana under the mentorship of John Austin, a connection that eventually led Charlie back to his roots in the Northeast with a suitcase packed with high-altitude adapted seeds. In this episode, Charlie shares the logistical challenges of scaling a seed business from a home garden to a production farm. We discuss the steep learning curve of his first year, including winning a venture capital pitch competition and the logistical hurdles of seed contracting. Charlie also reflects on the meaning of his seed company's name, and how seed work is a homecoming for anyone looking to deepen their relationship with the land. In the deep dive, Charlie and I get into growing eggplant seed,  a crop that has frustrated both of us. We cover when to harvest, how to speed up eggplant seed extraction and the mysteries of eggplant germination rates. Enjoy the conversation!   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast       Episode links Homecoming Seeds Website https://homecomingseeds.com Homecoming Seeds on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/homecomingseeds/ Charlie's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@charliewatt22   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/ Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    1 hr

  6. APR 1

    Ep. 60 ASMR for Seed Fermers

    Today's minisode is an audio immersive tour of our seed warehouse. We'll start in the cleaning room to hear the distinct seed rain of different types of seeds. We'll then put the fleet of seed cleaning machines to work and listen to their different rhythms, from the cascading acceleration of the spiral separator to the roar of the Winnow Wizard. From there we'll step into the chilled hums of the seed cold room to hear the sounds of storage. Finally, we head to the pull room to follow the tactile journey of fulfilling a seed order, wrapping up with the unique sounds of our different fulfillment options. Enjoy the minisode! And Happy April 1st. Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/ Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    17 min

  7. MAR 25

    Ep. 59 Climate Resilience and Seed Stewardship - Sarah Kleeger, Adaptive Seeds

    Sarah Kleeger runs Adaptive Seeds alongside Andrew Still in Sweet Home, Oregon. Their journey began twenty years ago with the Seed Ambassadors Project, a massive seed-finding expedition through Europe that saw them return to the U.S. with over a thousand rare varieties that had almost no commercial presence in North America.   In this episode, Sarah shares what it's like growing over 380 crops in a year while balancing trials, stewardship  and producing seeds for the catalog. We discuss OSSI (the Open Source Seed Initiative) as a way to keep seeds in the public domain. And we get into contract seed growing and how Adaptive Seeds tries to incentivize quality and share the risk with their grower network. We also touch on the impacts of wildfires and smoke seasons on both farmers and the seeds themselves.   In the deep dive, Sarah and I get into her favorite crop: Amaranth. We cover why amaranth is such a climate-adaptable grain, how to determine the perfect moment to harvest the seed, and Sarah's threshing machine of choice.   And of course we talk about the cats of Adaptive Seeds.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Episode links Adaptive Seeds Website Adaptive Seeds on Instagram OSSI - Open Source Seed Initiative News Links   Fundraiser to support Saved by Seeds: Embracing Diversity, Adaptation, and Diversity. Chris Smith's upcoming book.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    1h 13m

  8. MAR 18

    Ep. 58 My favorite seed books

    Let's head over to my library and take a look at the books that have most influenced my journey as a seed grower. Whether you are just starting out or looking to develop your own farm-original variety, these are the titles I return to time and time again.   🌱Basic Seed Books • How to Save Your Own Seeds by Seeds of Diversity Canada • Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth • The Seed Garden by Micaela Colley and Jared Zystro (Editors: Lee Buttala and Shanyn Siegel)   🥕Advanced Seed Books • The Organic Seed Grower by John Navazio   🌸Plant Breeding Books • Breeding Organic Vegetables by Rowan White and Brian Connolly • Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe   ✍️One more seed book … The Seed Farmer by Dan Brisebois (I might be a bit biased on this one, but this is the book I wrote to fill the gaps I found in the others!)   So, those are my 6 favorite seed books (plus one of my own). I hope these resources inspire you to harvest some seed this year.   Enjoy the minisode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

    18 min
See All (68)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

The Seed Farmer Podcast with Dan Brisebois of Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm. Every episode I'm going to bring you a conversation with a grower who has integrated Saving Seeds into their own farm systems. Some grow seed crops to sell commercially and some do it just for their own farm use. I'm hoping their stories will make you want to save seed on your own farm... and if you already save seed on your farm, I hope it makes you want to save more!

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Brisebois
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Seed Farmer Podcast

You Might Also Like