Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Organic farmer Adam Schick holds a single Rembrandt pea aloft in the light of his drying shed to contemplate the magic and generosity of nature.
“There we go. From that we’ll get 50 peas next year. Just from one little tiny seed,” Schick said. “There’s no reason why there should be any insecurity when it comes to food.”
Simply put, access to seeds means access to food, says the market gardener for Linnaea Farm — a 314-acre organic co-operative land trust dedicated to sustainable agriculture, the environment and education on Cortes Island, B.C.
But the privatization and consolidation of seed production over time has driven down seed diversity — which in turn threatens food sovereignty and resilience to climate change, Schick said.
So, Linnaea Farm is setting up a seed library to keep more seeds in the public domain and to ensure they change along with the local climate.
Continue reading Seed Banks Are Rewriting the book on food security