Now in Paperback “A fantastic guide for organic seed breeders and producers. [Navazio] has taken organic seed production to a higher level.” —Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a seed crop organically. Detailed profiles for each of the major vegetables provide users with practical, in-depth knowledge about growing, harvesting, and processing seed for a wide range of common and specialty vegetable crops, from Asian greens to zucchini. In addition, readers will find extensive and critical information on topics including: • Seed-borne diseases • The reproductive biology of crop plants • Annual vs. biennial seed crops • Isolation distances needed to ensure varietal purity • Maintaining adequate population size for genetic integrity • Seed crop climates • Seed cleaning basics • Seed storage for farmers • and more . . . This book can serve as a bridge to lead skilled gardeners, who are already saving their own seed, into the idea of growing seed commercially. And for diversified vegetable farmers who are growing a seed crop for sale for the first time, it will provide details on many of the tricks of the trade that are used by professional seed growers. This manual will help the budding seed farmer to become more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in producing a commercially viable seed crop. Written by well-known plant breeder and organic seed expert John Navazio, The Organic Seed Grower is the most useful guide to best practices in this exciting and important field.

Discusses the loss of fruit and vegetable varieties and the genetically modified industrial monocultures being used today, shares the author's personal experiences growing, saving, and swapping seeds, and deconstructs the politics and genetics of seeds.

The comprehensive grower’s guide to seed production The Seed Farmer is required reading for any grower who cares about being part of a truly sustainable local food system. Whether you’re interested in growing your own seeds for on-farm use, or scaling up for retail or commercial sales, this comprehensive manual will help you ensure reliable access to quality seed stock adapted to your own climate and bioregion. Coverage includes: The journey to self-sufficiency—how to extricate yourself from the modern seed distribution industry and develop varieties adapted to your location and climate When to worry about cross-pollination, crop timing, and poor seed genetics and when to ignore these issues on your small farm or market garden Detailed profiles and practical, hands-on growing and harvesting techniques for dozens of vegetable and flower crops The economics of seed production, and the business case for scaling up and selling seeds into local, retail, or wholesale channels Farm planning, sowing schedules, projected crop yields, and other considerations. With everything you need to help integrate seed production into your small-scale farm or market garden simply, profitably, and successfully, this unique and exciting guide proves that going to seed is easier than you think!

This handbook covers a whole range of issues relating to local seed supply systems, including participatory plant breeding, and both technical and practical information on seed production and variety maintenance. It suggests new approaches and methods to support on-farm seed production by small-scale farmers in developing countries. The first part of the book describes the functioning of local seed systems and discusses their strengths, limitations and possibilities for improvement. The authors discuss in detail issues of genetic diversity and in-situ conservation, farmers' rights and legislation. The cases presented here illustrate the functioning of local seed systems and experiences with improving them. The second part contains technical information on seed production, selection, storage and distribution, and varietal maintenance and improvement of different groups of important food crops, which can be applied and implemented at the level of small-scale farming. The third part contains practical guidelines about how on researchers and agriculturalists might carry out surveys to investigate local seed systems and their limitations, and how they can involve interested farmers in practical experimentation to improve their crop seed. This book will be of great value and interest to people who work directly with farmers, including extension agents, national and international NGOs, and farmers' cooperative workers.