Where do our seeds come from?
A few weeks ago we put in a Big Dig bulk order of seeds from a well-established British seed company. They run a very generous discount system for allotments and community gardens – 50% off the retail price on orders over £175. As a group, we saved over £100 on our order.
One of our Big Dig gardeners asked if we could look into buying from a more local company next time, one which supplies seeds bred specifically for conditions in the North-west. Several companies were suggested, and I went off to look into them.
Last year I met a South African farmer in Brazil, who had spent his younger years in Tanzania growing dwarf French beans for a Dutch seed supplier. He described the rigorous hygiene controls these crops were grown under, to prevent cross-pollination and at least 97% germination as demanded by the seed company. As I remembered this, I wondered how many of our seeds are produced on other continents, under very different growing conditions.
I rang round, and it turns out the vast majority of seeds sold in the UK for allotment growing are produced outside the UK, mainly in countries where the climate is more stable, so that the seeds can be harvested dry to avoid fungal problems.
There is one company I know which does grow their own: The Real Seeds Catalogue is based in Wales, and must be one of the smallest independent seed companies in the UK. They source interesting seeds from all over the world, then trial them at their farm. Those that do well or they like a lot make it into their catalogue. They often sell out of their seeds, and supply is obviously limited to what was grown by them the previous year.
Tozer Seeds, on the other hand, claim to be the county’s largest independent seed breeding and wholesale/retailer. But does that necessarily mean the seeds are grown in the UK? Could they be developed here, then sent to far off lands to be multiplied? And if so, does it matter?!
www.growveg.com has an interesting article about the various stages in the process of getting seeds into packets and sold in our garden centres and through mail order catalogues. Like everything else, it seems there are a number of factors to take into account when you choose your seed supplier. And as with everything else, there’s no simple hard and fast rule for what’s best.
What is interesting is that, according to www.countrysidemag.com, ‘Six companies Du Pont, Mitsui, Monsanto, Syngent, Aventis and Dow control 98 percent of the world's seeds.’ If this is true, what alternatives are available?
If we do want seeds produced in the north-west, perhaps the only way is to set up a seed exchange scheme for those varieties we know do well around these parts, or get involved with Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library project, helping to bring some old vegetable varieties, like the Turnip ‘Manchester Market or the ‘Manchester Table’ carrot back from the brink of extinction.
Look out for our Big Dig Seed Swap in February – a chance for all Big Dig gardens to come together and swap their extras with others, as well as growing advice and stories – www.kindling.org.uk/bigdig