Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy?

[happydog]

Has anyone heard of this or have any information about it? I can find references to it online but can't seem to find a website. I did find an email address which I tried but haven't gotten a response back so I don't know if it's even valid.

Thanks for any information.

happydog

[carolyn137]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...Search&aq=f&oq=

Happy, while I'm not too sure this post belongs in the Forum on legacy tomatoes, the above Google link will give you some references to them.

It was started a number of years ago by Brooke Elliot of KY and it's a seed saving group, they don't sell seed, whose primary interst is all kinds of crops from the Appalachiuan MTs region.

I don't know how active they are now, but I think had at least a getogether at Bill Best's place last summer.

Are you perhaps looking for Appalachian Seed Company which is not connected with the Conservancy at all and the link to that Seed Co http://www.appalachianseeds.com/toma...-plant-catalog

I've heard both good and bad about the seed company.

And I don't think the conservancy one has their own website so do look at the Google link I posted above if you're thinking of becoming a member of the seed saving group.

[happydog]

Oops, I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong place. Can you move it or delete it?

I did a google search, but the references are all old. I couldn't find anything recent. Maybe they just fizzled out. Too bad, it looked like a really worthwhile idea.

Thank you for looking for me.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by happydog

Oops, I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong place. Can you move it or delete it?

I did a google search, but the references are all old. I couldn't find anything recent. Maybe they just fizzled out. Too bad, it looked like a really worthwhile idea.

Thank you for looking for me.

Not a problem and I'm not going to move it.

I do think they have fizzeld out b'c I asked Gary Millwood what Brooke was doing and he said he and his wife moved and he didn't know much more.

But there are scads of varieties known to be from your area, and the ones that the so called Conservancy were sharing with each other were really no different than the ones that we already know and have access to via various seed sites, in terms of tomatoes as well as several other types they were sharing.

And more than all perhaps if heirlooms that come from your area are of interest to you, in addition to how you answer my question above about what you're really looking for, a membership with SSE might be considered so that you have access to the Yearbook.



What specifically are you looking for and perhaps I or others can help.

[happydog]

Thanks Carolyn. I'm not really looking for anything specifically. It occurred to me that if I'm going to plant only heirlooms it makes sense to find out all I can about locally grown heirlooms.

I can see why it would be difficult to maintain that type of organization here. Seed saving is no big deal, EVERYTHING is passed down and taken for granted. They save the seed because it's what their Daddy and Granddaddy always did and they can't imagine why it would be a big deal to any body else. I mean, doesn't EVERYBODY do that? Who would possibly be interested in seeds from somebody else's family? Might as well trade youngins!

I've learned a lot just from visiting the farmers market every week, but I've got years of research ahead of me. Good thing I'm only 50, lol. And have really friendly neighbors.

My neighbor makes sorghum syrup (molasses) every year with an old steam engine. That he got from his Daddy. Who got it from HIS daddy...

[happydog]

I will look into SSE. It just seems a bit out of my league yet.

I've got a book coming this week too, 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden I hear it's supposed to be good. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be a lot smarter. Well, at least about tomatoes anyway (smile)

[Wind Dancer]

Originally Posted by happydog

Has anyone heard of this or have any information about it? I can find references to it online but can't seem to find a website. I did find an email address which I tried but haven't gotten a response back so I don't know if it's even valid.

Thanks for any information.

Hi Happydog

The AHSC is indeed no longer a viable organization. As a gardener transplanted from the west to NC, I was very interested in the Conservancy as a way to learn about varieties that were adapted to our area. Sadly, it was not
a long lived endeavor, but I did learn to look at online forums and lists as a valuable source of information as a result of my short term of membership there. Made some good on-line friends along the way too.

[VGary]

Originally Posted by Wind Dancer

Hi Happydog

The AHSC is indeed no longer a viable organization. As a gardener transplanted from the west to NC, I was very interested in the Conservancy as a way to learn about varieties that were adapted to our area. Sadly, it was not
a long lived endeavor, but I did learn to look at online forums and lists as a valuable source of information as a result of my short term of membership there. Made some good on-line friends along the way too.

Happy Dog, Wind Dancer is correct. I was a member of this group from the beginning; I knew most of the core group from gardening sites such as Dave's Garden and Garden Web. We would meet on a weekend in October; folks who farmed or worked the Farmer's Markets usually had completed most of their fall activities by that time.There was usually a group of 30+ folks coming from as far away as OK, TN, KY, IL, S.C. OH, VA. and perhaps others I can't remember. The 2007 October meeting was canceled due to poor pre-registration.
Carolyn mentioned that Dr. Bill Best had a gathering at the Sustainable Agriculture Center, near Berea, KY where we usually met for our meetings. This was a one day Saturday gathering for seed exchange a time for sharing and fellowship. I was unable to attend the 2008 due to my hospitalization. I do have a listing of the folks who made it and can share it with you in PM if you are interested.
Don't let the lack of this organization prevent you from your search of other sources. I have suggestions I will send to you.

Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center
Be sure to read the two very good articles on Heirloom Beans and Heirloom Tomatoes.
http://www.heirlooms.org/