Seed Saving

Why save the seed when I already have that kind of plant and no room for more? There is an outlet for me. The Flower and Herb Exchange. It is a child of the Seeds Saver's Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, that wonderful group of guardians of the diversity in our vegetables and fruits. In the catalog that the Flower and Herb Exchange publishes you can find someone offering seeds (sometimes cuttings or bulbs) of most of those wonderful plants that grandma used to grow that are not listed in commercial seed catalogs.

You can become a member of the Exchange for $10 US, $12 Canadian or $15 foreign. There are two levels of membership, listed and unlisted members. Listed members have offered seeds in the catalog. Unlisted members have not. The 1998 catalog had 2,904 listings by 338 members. It includes members from the United States, 3 Canadian provinces and 6 foreign countries. The costs are $2 for seed sample, $4 for plant material (bulbs or cuttings) for non-listed members and $1 and $3 respectively for listed members. It is higher for foreign orders and there is the disclaimer that only seeds can be sent internationally.

It is still not too late this year to join and become a listed member for next spring. Their catalog is usually mailed in late January and there is a cutoff date of June 1 for ordering seeds. Unfortunately, the non-profit Seed Saver's Exchange has not yet developed a web page, so to join either them or the Flower and Herb Exchange you have to write to them at: 3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101. You can also phone them at 319-382-5990, or FAX 319-382-5872.

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