SAVE IT, SAVOR IT

By Meredith Hardwicke

Do you ever wonder where that tomato you’re eating really came from? Sure, someone grew it in a garden and now you’re enjoying it. But it’s possible that the tomato seed was in the pocket of a Native American as they crossed the Trail of Tears. That’s the beauty of seed saving.

Seed saving has become important for not only the promotion and growth of healthy, untainted food, but also a way for families to preserve heritage. “Seeds tell fabulous stories, like your favorite aunt.

They are living history,” says Julie Thompson-Adolf, home gardener, seed saver and owner of Garden Delights, a business that offers organic heirloom vegetable and ornamental plants that are raised from seed.

Adolf recalls a time that a friend gave her the seeds of her German father’s favorite variety of tomato.

“America is such a melting pot, and for centuries immigrants have saved and shared seeds from their native lands,” she says. To ensure successful seed saving, it is important to start with heirloom fruits or vegetables. “With heirlooms, you get that beautiful, thick-skinned glow that makes the product more desirable,” Adolf says. “In searching for heirloom varieties, you find that they are not only delicious and interesting, but also in need of saving. Polar bears aren’t the only species on the endangered list...plants are bred into extinction, too.”

When the fruit or vegetable reaches its full ripeness, Adolf removes the seeds and places them on a waxed cookie sheet to dry. She stores the dried seeds in paper envelopes, filed away in categories, and saved for years or until ready to plant. It’s so easy, Adolf says, that even a kid can do it.

Thanks to the efforts of global, grassroots movements like Slow Food and their support of the Ark of Taste, foods that are threatened by industrial standardization, the regulations of largescale distribution and environmental damage are put on a “watch list” for saving.

A former marketing and PR guru, Adolf always had a casual interest in gardening. Her father grew up on a farm, so throughout her childhood there was a family emphasis on fresh home-and locally-grown vegetables and fruits. Several years ago, Adolf’s husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and she too began to stress the importance of healthy eating to her family.

Seed saving has, consequently, become a family affair. “I took my oldest son and his friend to a local farm to pick apples,” she says. “My son’s friend was appalled that we were picking apples directly from the tree, wiping them on our shirts and eating them. He couldn’t believe we were consuming something that hadn’t come from the grocery store.” It was an “aha!” moment for her, and she wanted to teach her children that it is important to know where your food comes from.

They choose seasonal favorites (mostly peppers, tomatoes and beans), grow them and save the seeds for the following year. “Magic beans” are popular with kids because they begin as purple and change to green as they grow. “Kids love saving seeds and growing them,” Adolf says, “It’s getting them to eat what they grow that’s the tricky part.” She makes a point to stress that wasting food is not an option. “I tell them they have to eat what they grow.

It’s made our family much healthier—but we aren’t perfect, we still eat junk food!” Saving the seeds encourages sustainable living and can support and feed a family at a very minimal cost.

“There has been an exciting resurgence of the ‘farm-to-table’ movement,” Adolf says, “and so many resources are used to prepare amazing, fresh meals. People think it’s a new concept, but it has been going on for generations.”

Adolf’s parents were post-depression babies and used seed saving regularly. “It wasn’t trendy—it was out of necessity.”

Adolf took her love and interest in seed saving to a new level when she started Garden Delights two years ago. The concept began one day when her daughter was home sick from school and had become restless from staying inside. Adolf found the seeds of a Roma tomato that she had saved and her daughter helped her plant them along with basil. Soon, they had over 150 Roma tomatoes and 100 basil plants. The plants would no longer fit in the yard, and began to line the hallways of her home. “I think we had over 5,000 plants on our property at one point,” Adolf says. “I knew it was time to share the love.”

She began to give seeds to friends, gardeners and non-gardeners alike. “They tell others and soon there is a community of people who are growing gorgeous, organic produce,” she says. “It’s very therapeutic to watch your ‘little babies’ grow.”