Visiting Seed Savers Exchange Part Two (and a chance to win heirloom seeds)
While visiting Seed Savers, you will be able to see a lot of the varieties from their catalog in the gardens. There are several trial gardens filled with vegetables and flowers, they’re organized into different families. So there’s an entire garden dedicated to cabbage family plants, onions, members of the nightshade family, etc.
Even though they’re only planting a few plants of each variety and only a few of the varieties available, it really does make you realize the number of options that we have for our home gardens.
How can you not love the classic red barn and buildings? I think they provide the perfect backdrop for heirloom vegetables and poultry.
The plants are labeled well so you can note different varieties, and decide which ones you’d like to grow in your own garden. I especially loved these galvanized seed packet holders, I must find some of these!
You’ll also be able to check see some heirloom poultry and the Ancient White Park Cattle, the rare breed of cows that they keep at Heritage Farm.
After looking through the demonstration gardens and the gift shop, you can head down to the orchard to see the fruiting plants. During our visit some of the apples were ripe. They had a sign asking you not to pick apples from the trees, but to feel free to pick any up off the ground. We picked up a few and took some photos next to their labels since we’re hoping to put in orchard someday.
I’m so glad we hit the gardens when we did, the end of August. Everything was at the height of it’s beauty and production, which made up for the fact that I missed out on this in my own garden since I was gone almost the entire month of August.
Ironically as we left, we passed what you see above – field after field of hybrid and GMO corn test plots. A stark contrast to what we had spent the morning hours enjoying at Heritage Farm.
Of course, I couldn’t leave without purchasing an heirloom seed collection to give away here on the blog. After looking over all the seeds, I finally settled on the Heritage Farm Favorites Collection. It contains: Chioggia beet, A & C Pickling cucumber, Dragon carrot, Dragon’s Tongue bean, German Pink tomato, and Seed Saver’s lettuce mix. All you have to do is comment on this post for your chance to win. Winner Chosen:
If you were in charge of keeping one kind of edible plant from extinction which one would you choose?
See more from my visit:
Visiting Seed Savers Exchange Part One
For more photos of my visit to Seed Savers that didn’t make the blog, head on over to my Flickr photostream.
Cabbage, as it can feed my animals too and I LOVE it.
to Celeste's comment
Oh, that looks like a fantastic place to visit! Too bad it’s a bit too far away from me!
Which plant would I choose? Well, as much as I love a home-grown tomato, everyone (almost) loves tomatoes, so I’ll choose the lowly dry bean. I tried a small trial of both black and kidney beans for the first time this year, and I’m very pleased with the results – I can’t wait ’til next year to plant more!
to K.B.'s comment
I have loved seeing your trip photos. We lived in Montana for a time so seeing your pixs brought back memories. The gardens are beautiful, ver inspiring.
Erika
to Erika's comment
My wife just got me a membership with them for my birthday this year. I’d love the jump start on next year’s garden!
to Mark S's comment
What an incredible place. Those morning glories are gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing these amazing photos. I’d have to save Roma tomatoes, as I like to make my own gravy.
to daisy's comment
It looks beautiful there, French pumpkins! I love the way they look and taste.
to kathi cookk's comment
What a lovely place! Thank you for sharing.
I’m not sure I would want to live in a world without homegrown tomatoes! Cliche perhaps, but too true.
to myriam's comment
Oh gosh the morning glories are fabulous! And I would have to say I would save the tomato. It is so versatile, tastes delicious, and even the plant smells good! As always I enjoyed the pic’s, thanks for sharing.
to Stone Soup's comment
Lettuce. But the only seed I have ever saved is for zinnias and cosmos. That’s a start! I’m inspired to try another kind of seed or two, though.
to KimP's comment
OH THE PRESSURE. I can’t save them all? Well, okay. Then beets. I do love beets, and would be very sad to never get to have beets again. Plus, everyone else is already going to save the tomatoes, so I don’t have to worry about those.
to kristin @ going country's comment
Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!
I love tomatoes! But, since there are so many other people more qualified to keep the tomatoes from extinction, I’ll grow cucumbers and hope to barter ;)
to Andrea's comment
I would love to wander through that orchard!
to Kate's comment
Wish I lived closer to SSE, it looks like a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.
to Kristi's comment
What a beautiful place…I wonder if they could use a farmhand??
I am an apple nut, so that’d be my choice. I cannot drive or ride as a passenger anywhere without scanning the side of the road for wild apple trees. I tromp through the woods to pick a few pies’ worth of rosy little knobs at our cottage. And my dream for next year is a mini-orchard in my backyard. Apples! Love ’em!
to Annette's comment
I would choose to save the onion from extinction! There are so many ways to use this one across the board of cooking cultures; fresh or raw!
I could also trade them to go with those tomato seeds someone else is saving.
to Sonya C's comment
It would be a total toss-up! Would I save the tomato or the apple? I love them both! This place looks fantastic – I only wish that it was closer. I have a bit of thing right now for heirloom apple varieties. I envy you being able to wander through that orchard!
to Deborah's comment
Tomatoes or onions… Probably tomatoes -but you almost can’t have one without the other, green peppers too, and garlic!
Wendy
to Wendy's comment
Ok, now I feel that since I live only one state over from Iowa, I should make a field trip next year. =)
I’m not sure which plant. Maybe carrots or apples, something you could also feed livestock.
to Janet's comment
I think I might save carrots! There’s really nothing better than a sweet winter carrot! I can’t wait until the weather turns cold and my carrots are ready!!!
to Melissa's comment
Hard to believe that those grandpa Ott morning glories growing on the barn were the start of it all!
to canned Quilter's comment
I just became a member of seed savers exchange this summer – I’m so excited to begin garden planning for next year already! My favorite heirloom tomato is the garden peach so I want to be sure it’s saved for generations to come.
to Jennifer's comment
It would be a toss up between a long neck winter squash or a turnip. These vegetables speak to me of winter security.
to JennW in PA's comment
Green and yellow beans. The only vegetable I grow that my family loves!
to Corrie's comment
I would have to choose a tomato…because I’m hopelessly in love with them.
to Daedre Craig's comment
Loved the photos and reminded me that I need to get to our local “Seed Store” up here in Maine. If I could save one it would be the Concord grape, nutritious and a morale booster, plus heart healthy :-)
to Harold's comment
I would pick summer squash (in particular Ronde de Nice) one of my favorite garden vegetables (though pole beans are my favorite to grow diverse varieties of too…)
I am so in love with those morning glories growing up the barn. WOW! I need to borrow that idea for our windowless boring side of our house.
to Jaspenelle's comment
Everyone seems to be going the vegetable/tomato route, so I’ll go with peaches. Summer just isn’t quite summer without peach juice dribbling down your chin :)
to gabe's comment
What a great place to visit! I especially love how the morning glories look like they’re supporting the barn’s roof.
One plant to keep from extinction? Zucchini! I love the stuff and love how versatile it is!
to Kelly's comment
If you were in charge of keeping one kind of edible plant from extinction which one would you choose?
Cucumbers! There is nothing as good as a fresh off the vine cucumber, they are seriously delicious.
I love tomatoes, but I feel like so many people love them, they will never go extinct.
to Sarah S's comment
I would have to say that I would save sweet potatoes. Love them and they are very healthy eating.
to Teresa's comment
I’d say tomatoes or hot peppers, because they allow me to can amazing salsa!
to Joanna's comment
I would say winter squash or tomatoes. Love them both!
to Jennifer's comment
You know that’s an impossible question, RIGHT?
But I do know my answer – the modest green bean [Although it would have to be the Violetta variety, it’s my most prolific and is still tender even when overgrown.]. It seems like such a simple veggie, but in truth it has the most ways to prepare – so no matter what you can always get a different meal from them! It doesn’t help that I pick a pound of green beans a day… Mmm…
I do have to ask, since you are a member of the Seed Savers Exchange – is it worth subscribing? Currently I try to mainly purchase my seeds from Baker Creek/Botanical Interests/Renee’s Garden. Should I expand my horizon even more with the SSE?
to Donna B.'s comment
You save 10% on all orders, so if you’re buying potatoes and seeds from them it might pay off. You can actually order from them without having the membership, but the membership includes a magazine (which I’m currently enjoying my first copy of) and you can swap seeds with other members. You also get their yearbook in which members offer members their seeds, it’s a HUGE book filled with all kinds of interesting things. If you’re looking for really rare varieties or something different it would be the place to look. I finally subscribed mainly because I do appreciate the work they do with preserving seeds and wanted to support that endeavor.
to Susy's comment
Looks amazing! Guess I’ve got more work to do in my gardens!!
to Jay's comment
That’s what I was saying too! It’s always good to have something to aspire to – but then again, I can’t hire a few people to tend my garden for me, I’m stuck doing it when I’m not earning money to buy plants!
to Susy's comment
We just moved to Iowa about a month ago and one of the first things I wanted to do once we got settled was to go visit Seed Savers! We are planning a trip early in the spring and hope to purchase our seeds at that time. But it looks as if we should take a late summer trip – the gardens and orchard looks like so much fun!
I would save Hutterite Soup Beans, Dragon Carrot and Long Island Cheese Squash. These 3 are staples in my garden!
to harper's comment
Beautiful pictures! Even though my favorite may be fresh beets, I’d have to pick beans/legumes to save from extinction. Endless varieties and superb nutrition, and a staple for many cultures.
to Gretchen's comment
I love Seed Saver’s Exchange! We started getting seeds from them last year. Since we are fairly close to them (in suburban Chicago), I am hoping we can visit sometime soon.
I am having a hard time deciding which plant I would want to save! I think maybe potatoes, since I really enjoy growing them and eating and they such a versatile food. Plus there are so many varieties with so much more flavor than what you can get in the grocery store.
to Emily K's comment
The pictures are very inspiring!
I love the idea of being able to pick up the apples that fell. That’s always the way we did growing up. We would always gather the ones that fell to “work up” and let the ones on the tree continue to ripen.
I reminds me of a dream I had last night: I was standing under a pecan tree. My son was in the tree, and I was encouraging him to shake the limbs. The pecans were raining down around me and I was gathering them into my clothespin bag, lol.
In reality the pecan trees I planted did not live, but for sure that’s one plant we can’t let go extinct!
to bonnie's comment
That’s a tough question. My first thought was tomato… But I might have to say garlic! Nothing beats a spicy homegrown garlic clove added to a dish!
to Leanne's comment
Heirloom tomatoes, nothin’ like them on earth. Would love to plant your seeds in my garden. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
to Gayle's comment
My 1st choice is citrus but since you asked for an edible plant rather than fruit I will have to go with onion. I use so many onions (and garlic) that I would be completely lost without them.
Thanks again for sharing your travels.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
Strawberries – a world without strawberries just wouldn’t be right. =D
to MollyMakesDo's comment
I like to think I’d choose something I really love, like sour cherries or currants, but I’m too practical, so I’d probably go with potatoes. xD
to Angela's comment
I’ve never yet grown corn (maybe next year?), but I might have to choose that. After all, with all the mono-cultures, if super bugs end up killing the industrial corn crops at least we could have saved it for the original point of cultivation…human food! Plus, it’s very tasty when fresh. :)
to Katie's comment
I would save old school, ugly tomatoes— so much flavor!
to gabi's comment
Wow, thank you for the giveaway. I am going to have to say the Black Krim tomato would need to be saved…!
to SixBalloons's comment
I would save beans! They pack a caloric/nutritional punch and can be eaten so many different ways :)
to Nicole's comment
I don’t know if I’ll ever get to Seed Saver’s Exchange, but I spent last Saturday at Southern Exposure’s Seed Exchange’s Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello. Boy, that was special! As if touring Thomas Jefferson’s gardens isn’t special enough, I got to learn about solar ovens, rain barrels, vericomposting, homemade laundry soap, alternative energy sources, cheesemaking, and one of my favorites, taste a great many of SESE’s heirloom tomatoes. Sure will make ordering next year’s tomato seed easier! There were a plethera of informative talks to choose from, as well as great lunch food vendors, selling locally raised, grass-fed meats, and other good things. I had a rosemary lemonade that was to die for and some very good strawberry lavendar jam! We also came home with a yummy bottle of handcrafted Merlot red wine vinegar. Thank you for posting! It’s always fun to read your blog!
to Lisa's comment
I would so have loved to go, maybe I’ll schedule it for next fall.
to Susy's comment
Oh, and since it seems that your other commentors have tomatoe seed covered, I will have to go with butternut squash! Or maybe garlic. The two also go good together roasted in the oven! :)
to Lisa's comment
I’m a novice gardener and had my fist success this year with a small patch of sugar snap peas. They were so tasty that none of them actually made it indoors; they were all picked and snacked on while I was out in the yard! So today, I think I’d say that I would save the sugar snap pea.
to Becky's comment