The Seed Farmer Podcast

Dan Brisebois

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. Aug 26

    Ep. 81 Breeding Adaptive Crops - Brett Grohsgal, Even'Star Organic Farm

    Brett Grohsgal runs Even'Star Organic Farm in Lexington, Maryland alongside his wife Dr. Christine Bergmark. They grow vegetables for CSA and farmers markets but they also keep a number of their own seed lines that are a large part of the success of their farm. In this episode, Brett and I talk about how to breed adaptive crops for a region and for extreme weather resilience. Brett has also eliminated most overhead irrigation and significantly reduced the amount of fertilizer that he applies on his fields, which adds even more selection pressure to his crops. We get into his work with brassicas, especially his Icebred and Coyote Arugula. We also talk about when you should keep your own seeds and when you might rely on purchased seeds. In the deep dive, Brett and I discuss cherry tomatoes for seed: how he dehybridized two hybrids by crossing them with op varieties, how he's been selecting them for years for exceptional flavor and disease resistance, and what seed harvest looks like, Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Episode links Even'Star website https://evenstarfarm.bigcartel.com Even'Star on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/evenstarfarm.org/ You can find some Even'Star brassicas at Fedco https://fedcoseeds.com/search?search=Brett+Grohsgal You can read Brett's seed articles in the Growing For Market Archives https://growingformarket.com/?s=Brett+Grohsgal     🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 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!

  2. Aug 12

    Ep. 79 Evolutionary Breeding in Australia – Gregg Muller, Useful Seeds

    Gregg Muller operates Useful Seeds out of Bendigo, Australia. His seed journey began when Carol Deppe's writing inspired him to start breeding colorful snowpeas right in his own yard. This home-scale plant breeding effort quickly expanded into many different breeding projects and running a small seed company. In this episode, Gregg shares how his breeding work has shifted from selecting for specific traits to developing resilient landraces tuned for local adaptation. We discuss the logistics, challenges, and opportunities behind grassroots seed distribution and community-based breeding. Gregg also highlights some of his breeding projects, including red-podded peas and compact, drought-tolerant butternut pumpkins. In the deep dive, Gregg and I explore growing fava beans (broadbeans) for seed. Gregg tackles the challenge of selecting for culinary traits within a diverse genetic mix sourced from global gene banks. He explains his practical approach to breeding for multi-use value from tender green shoots and edible baby pods to rehydratable dry beans, not to mention beautiful flowers. And we get into threshing and winnowing favas too. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Episode links Useful Seeds website https://www.usefulseeds.com/ Useful Seeds on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/useful_seeds/   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links Thursday Aug 20 at 7pm Eastern Seed Growers Open House Call https://seedalliance.org/osa-quarterly-calls/   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 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!

5
out of 5
35 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!

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