"The Populuxe Seed Bank"

KathyDC · January 10, 2013

Hi everyone,

I just happened upon this website (www.theseedbank.net), called the Populuxe Seed Bank, and wondered if anyone had experience with it?

The basic idea seems to be a modified sort of seed bank, run by a private individual. The idea being to "crowdsource" growing out and and keeping in production open pollenated and heirloom varieties, and less to store seeds for all time. It seems like a wonderful idea and I just wondered if anybody had tried it or was aware of it.

Tania · January 10, 2013

I think I came across their page last year.

We also own a private seed bank. It operates on a similar idea of maintaining fresh seed stock. There are over 3000 varieties of OP vegetables (2900+ tomatoes) in our seed bank. Only 700+ are offered to public.

Actually, there are dozens of private seeds banks in Canada. Some of them are very small, and have only 30+ vatieties. They are all struggling to get support and growers to help them out to maintain the seeds. The main issue is funding - how to fund the preservation efforts. This is why some offer seeds for sale.

There is also a concept of a 'Seed Library' that is getting popular in Canada. The Seed Library gives out seeds to people (for free) and expect them to return back fresh seeds the next year. This is a great concept, but there are lots of issues around it, both with seeds not getting returned, or returned crossed or mixed. I will not go into this here, as this is a large topic. But basically both the Seed Libraries and Seed Banks exist (I think there are about 10+ in BC, if not more), and the primary difference between them is that the Seed Bank is taking responsibility for maintaining the correct seeds, and Libraries do not.

The problem that I personally have with many seed banks is that they focus on maintaining seeds, but very often neglect to maintain proper information about variety and its history. History of each variety is as important to keep and share around, as the seeds. It is part of our heritage, or will be very soon!

Tatiana

KathyDC · January 10, 2013

Thanks for the explanation - I didn't realize such a thing existed at all much less was so widespread. As a history lover myself, I completely agree about the history of these varieties. I think it also helps consumers avoid dishonest practices (or even honest mistakes) where things get labeled as things that they aren't really.

Tania · January 10, 2013

Kathy,

I think many folks do not realize how widespread the small private seed banks are because these organizations have limited means to advertise and market themselves. Many do not even have a website.

At the Seeds Gathering conference in BC (2012) I met with many owners of both the seed banks and seed libraries, and we had a very interesting discussion about the challenges everyone is facing. Most of these organizations are built around volunteers work.

Redbaron · January 10, 2013

I believe that was the idea Chance had with his Anatolian Heirloom Seeds Recovery (ANATOHUM) Project on another thread here at Tomatoville.

Tania · January 10, 2013

Correction: Actually I think recognize the owner of the seed bank

zeroma · January 12, 2013

I'd be willing to bet there will be more and more small scale seed savers as Television shows like doomsday preppers etc come along. Self preservation movements etc. Not exactly same thing as seed banks.

Personally I am interested in the history of tomato seeds too.

January 13, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by KathyDC

Thanks for the explanation - I didn't realize such a thing existed at all much less was so widespread. As a history lover myself, I completely agree about the history of these varieties. I think it also helps consumers avoid dishonest practices (or even honest mistakes) where things get labeled as things that they aren't really.

Kathy,

I find the history of different tomatoes almost as interesting as the tomatoes. It provides a glimpse into the lives of the people who created or preserved the seed. I'm also a history nut. My favorite author is David McCullough. I shop used book stores a lot for out of print books. It's hard to find good historical authors because most younger authors write with a political axe to grind. Do you have a favorite author?

Ted

KathyDC · January 13, 2013

Hi Ted,

I really enjoy books by Barbara Tuchman but if you are a history buff you're probably already aware of her. A more recent author I enjoy is Erik Larson, who wrote Devil in the White City and others. I also love Sharon Kay Penman, who writes historical fiction that's known to be exhaustively researched. She has a trilogy about the last real princes of Wales (when it was its own country still) and their inter-family warring (Here be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning). She also wrote a series on the Plantagenet family focused on Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (When Christ and his Saints Slept is the first in the series). And, she has a one-off book, The Sunne in Splendor, about the War of the Roses and Richard III.

Apologies for the off-topic veer, but they're all worthy of your attention!

January 10, 2013	#1
KathyDC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Suburban Washington, DC (Zone 7A) Posts: 347	"The Populuxe Seed Bank" Hi everyone, I just happened upon this website (www.theseedbank.net), called the Populuxe Seed Bank, and wondered if anyone had experience with it? The basic idea seems to be a modified sort of seed bank, run by a private individual. The idea being to "crowdsource" growing out and and keeping in production open pollenated and heirloom varieties, and less to store seeds for all time. It seems like a wonderful idea and I just wondered if anybody had tried it or was aware of it.

January 10, 2013	#2
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	I think I came across their page last year. We also own a private seed bank. It operates on a similar idea of maintaining fresh seed stock. There are over 3000 varieties of OP vegetables (2900+ tomatoes) in our seed bank. Only 700+ are offered to public. Actually, there are dozens of private seeds banks in Canada. Some of them are very small, and have only 30+ vatieties. They are all struggling to get support and growers to help them out to maintain the seeds. The main issue is funding - how to fund the preservation efforts. This is why some offer seeds for sale. There is also a concept of a 'Seed Library' that is getting popular in Canada. The Seed Library gives out seeds to people (for free) and expect them to return back fresh seeds the next year. This is a great concept, but there are lots of issues around it, both with seeds not getting returned, or returned crossed or mixed. I will not go into this here, as this is a large topic. But basically both the Seed Libraries and Seed Banks exist (I think there are about 10+ in BC, if not more), and the primary difference between them is that the Seed Bank is taking responsibility for maintaining the correct seeds, and Libraries do not. The problem that I personally have with many seed banks is that they focus on maintaining seeds, but very often neglect to maintain proper information about variety and its history. History of each variety is as important to keep and share around, as the seeds. It is part of our heritage, or will be very soon! Tatiana __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase Last edited by Tania; January 10, 2013 at 07:54 PM.

January 10, 2013	#3
KathyDC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Suburban Washington, DC (Zone 7A) Posts: 347	Thanks for the explanation - I didn't realize such a thing existed at all much less was so widespread. As a history lover myself, I completely agree about the history of these varieties. I think it also helps consumers avoid dishonest practices (or even honest mistakes) where things get labeled as things that they aren't really. Last edited by KathyDC; January 10, 2013 at 06:23 PM.

January 10, 2013	#4
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Kathy, I think many folks do not realize how widespread the small private seed banks are because these organizations have limited means to advertise and market themselves. Many do not even have a website. At the Seeds Gathering conference in BC (2012) I met with many owners of both the seed banks and seed libraries, and we had a very interesting discussion about the challenges everyone is facing. Most of these organizations are built around volunteers work. __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase Last edited by Tania; January 10, 2013 at 06:09 PM.

January 10, 2013	#5
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I believe that was the idea Chance had with his Anatolian Heirloom Seeds Recovery (ANATOHUM) Project on another thread here at Tomatoville. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture Last edited by Redbaron; January 11, 2013 at 03:02 AM.

January 12, 2013	#7
zeroma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 637	I'd be willing to bet there will be more and more small scale seed savers as Television shows like doomsday preppers etc come along. Self preservation movements etc. Not exactly same thing as seed banks. Personally I am interested in the history of tomato seeds too.

January 13, 2013	#9
KathyDC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Suburban Washington, DC (Zone 7A) Posts: 347	Hi Ted, I really enjoy books by Barbara Tuchman but if you are a history buff you're probably already aware of her. A more recent author I enjoy is Erik Larson, who wrote Devil in the White City and others. I also love Sharon Kay Penman, who writes historical fiction that's known to be exhaustively researched. She has a trilogy about the last real princes of Wales (when it was its own country still) and their inter-family warring (Here be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning). She also wrote a series on the Plantagenet family focused on Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (When Christ and his Saints Slept is the first in the series). And, she has a one-off book, The Sunne in Splendor, about the War of the Roses and Richard III. Apologies for the off-topic veer, but they're all worthy of your attention!