A Month in the Seed Lab: Experiences of a College Intern

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A Month in the Seed Lab: Experiences of a College Intern

Even though the summer months here at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, seem like they are the busiest and most exciting time of year, with all the gardens being tended to, you may be surprised at how much work there is to be done even in the middle of winter! I know I was surprised to find out all that goes on in the Preservation Department when I started my internship working with the Exchange program this past January. From planning for the next year, to processing and packaging seeds from the previous growing season, there is plenty of work to keep everyone busy.

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‘Green Leaf’ amaranth: abundant and delicious

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‘Green Leaf’ amaranth: abundant and delicious

Did you know that amaranth is primarily harvested for its seeds and leaves? The seeds have a nutty flavor and can be used as “grain” for oatmeal or even as a thickener for soups. The leaves have a similar taste to spinach and are great in salads or stir-fry. Sometimes called “pigweed,” the average amaranth plant grows to be between five and eight feet tall.

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What we are observing this August

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August is when the seeds truly start to give with abundance, when (if Mother Nature has also been generous!) our garden harvests become truly beautiful and bountiful. It is a time when we give thanks to the seeds for all they give us and begin to prepare for the winter ahead. It is a time to plan for our future, and—if we are harvesting seeds as well as produce—a time to begin safeguarding the seeds for the future as well. Whether we are doing this for this first or the 45th time, the challenges we continue to face together make this labor of love seem more vital than ever before.

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Q&A with John Swenson, garlic aficionado

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Q&A with John Swenson, garlic aficionado

John Swenson of Glenview, Illinois, cultivated a love of gardening at an early age while tending a small garden plot of radishes, beans, and carrots (but nary a garlic bulb!) alongside his father, Merwin, in the family’s backyard garden. “What hooked me on gardening?” he muses. “I guess I was intrigued by the idea of growing something I could both eat and share.”

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Heirloom collards shine in variety trials

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Heirloom collards shine in variety trials

The culinary influence of the African diaspora profoundly shaped the foodways of the South, and the deep cultural knowledge of enslaved Africans on Southern plantations led to the growing and cooking of dark leafy greens becoming a regional specialty. These greens have long served an important nutritional role for Southerners, and a patch of collards could provide essential minerals and vitamins over a long harvest season. Over the years, growers also saved seed and developed a wide diversity of locally selected varieties across the South.



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