Seeds and people: we have shaped each other.
Throughout most of our history, people have chosen the most resilient, most productive, most nutritious seeds. Those seeds have nourished us for the following year, and the year after that.
Sowing, selecting, saving and sharing seed was an intrinsic part of nurturing plants and people.
Yet, over a short space of time, our long-honed skill with seed began to wither. Society pursued commerce over co-evolution.
A new film from The Gaia Foundation captures the re-emergence of an ancient occupation. It follows the market gardeners in Ireland who are returning to seed production; amongst the chaos of Brexit and climate change, their story offers security and hope for the future.
They are seeding tomorrow.
And the world needs more growers to do the same.
“The idea of seed sovereignty has really come to the fore in recent years because the pandemic and Brexit have exacerbated the need for locally grown seed. Before this, everyone was buying seeds from the UK. That option is no longer available. It has concentrated minds significantly and shown that we need seed that’s suitable to local growing conditions and available amongst ourselves.”
Jason Horner, Seed Sovereignty Coordinator for Ireland
Jason Horner has been farming in County Clare since 1997, growing produce for his market stall in Ennis. He became a Seed Guardian with the Irish Seed Savers Association in 2008 and later joined the Seed Sovereignty Programme as Coordinator for Ireland, sharing his wealth of seed saving knowledge through trainings and farm tours designed to inspire and upskill the next generation of market gardeners.
“My advice to people getting into seed saving and growing is just do it. Do one thing in the first year and then try the next. Seed saving is very satisfying as you end up with a tangible harvest. There’s nothing like running your hands through a box of seeds."
Madeline McKeever, Brown Envelope Seeds
Jason is still himself an active seed grower and has been growing seed for Madeline McKeever from Brown Envelope Seeds since 2020, when demand exploded during the pandemic. From her remote farm on the Turk Head peninsula in west Cork, Madeline has been saving seed for over 30 years. Founded in 1987, through Brown Envelope Seeds Madeline provides the foundation to feed many people across Ireland and beyond.
“It's necessary to become part of the solution. We’re now meeting once a month for knowledge sharing, walking and talking. Seeing how other people grow things is always really valuable as you pick up tips, tricks and new varieties. Nature was doing all this long before us and long after us: working with Nature, we can shape eternity.”
Oisín Kenny, 6th generation farmer
Oisín Kenny is a 6th generation farmer working just outside Galway in the west of Ireland. Growing commercially since 2012, two years ago he joined the Seed Sovereignty training run by Jason.
The Gaia Foundation's Seed Sovereignty Programme has provided training, support, and solidarity to seed producers in the UK & Ireland since 2017. Collaborating with the long-running, much-loved Irish Seed Savers Association and other partners across the country, we have been supporting small-scale seed producers whilst offering trainings to market gardeners looking to diversify their skills and income through returning to seed saving and production.
The future of Ireland's food depends on more people working with Ireland's seed. If you are interested in any aspect of our Seed Sovereignty Programme get in touch with Jason below.
More from Ireland:
The Irish Seed Savers Association is conserving heritage food crops that are suitable to Ireland’s unique growing conditions. They also seek out and research rare varieties of vegetables, soft fruit, flowers, grains, potatoes and apples. Irish Seed Savers are responsible for maintaining Ireland’s public seed bank, with over 600 non-commercially viable varieties of seed.
Madeline produced her first Brown Envelope Seed Catalogue in 2004, containing 25 varieties. Since then, that number has increased every year. All the seeds are grown organically on Madeline's farm on the Turk Head peninsula, with the estuary of the Ilen River on one side and Roaring Water Bay on the other. It's a beautiful part of the world, where winters are mild and summers full of sunshine.
About The Gaia Foundation
We are a small, international organisation with 35 years’ experience accompanying partners to revive and protect bio-cultural diversity. We take a holistic approach to regenerate healthy ecosystems and strengthen community self-governance, in the face of climate chaos, biodiversity collapse and social injustice. From the Atlantic to the Arctic, Africa to the Amazon, we are reweaving the basket of life, revalorising the knowledge systems that enhance it, and restoring a respectful relationship with the Earth.
About the UK & Ireland Seed Sovereignty Programme
The Gaia Foundation's Sovereignty Programme is working to (re)establish a resilient seed system across the UK and Ireland. We support small-scale commercial growers, community groups, home gardeners and allotmenteers with workshops, networks and resources to help restore seed diversity across these isles.
More seed sovereignty stories:
With gratitude to Jason Horner, Madeline McKeever and Oisín Kenny, and to filmmaker and photographer Andy Pilsbury. This film is dedicated to the growers who nourish us, particularly those who have taken the next step to save seed for future generations.
Credits:
Andy Pilsbury for The Gaia Foundation