Creative Farming

Sativa Rheinau was founded in 1999 to guarantee a supply of organic seed. Sativa’s main vegetable seed customers are home gardeners, and they work closely with Pro Specie Rara (PSR) to distribute heirloom Swiss varieties. Sativa works with more then 70 seeds enterprises in Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy. Sativa is proud to be one of the seven collaborating companies within the Fintan project.

The Arche Noah Seed Bank is one of Europe’s biggest private collections of cultivated plants, maintaining over 6,000 varieties of rare vegetables and grains – many of them are not found anywhere else. Hundreds of members of Arche Noah act as private “seed savers” by cultivating endangered varieties in their home gardens and taking permanent care of them. They provide …

Kokopelli is a non-profit association founded in 1999 by Dominique and Sofy Guillet. The association’s activists work for the liberation of seeds and humus, and the protection of food biodiversity. They bring together all those who wish to preserve the right to freely sow vegetable and cereal seeds. Kokopelli is represented in Belgium, Switzerland, Costa Rica, and Brazil.

Gardening editor Jane Perrone picks the gardening books that should be on your Christmas list. A good book is a vital part of the gardener’s winter survival kit: when you can’t get outside, you can dream big about next year, lose yourself in someone else’s plot or discover new plants from the comfort of your reading chair. Here’s a selection …

Navdanya has a network of seed keepers and organic producers and promotes agriculture sustainable, biodiversity, healthy food systems and food sovereignty along with the defending the rights of small farmers.

Tips for collecting seed Pick a healthy and vigorous plant to collect from. Don’t collect too soon – immature seeds will not germinate. Collect on a dry day. Look for seedpods which have changed colour from green to brown. Cut or pick the seedheads and lay them out to dry somewhere warm. If the pods aren’t fully open, then wait …

The Dreschflegel community consists of 14 organic farms in different parts of Germany with joint marketing by the Dreschflegel — Versand. Political work is also an important area for them. Dreschflegel is politically informed and intervenes in politics when necessary in addition to their supporting of breeding activities.

One-Pot Gourmet Gardener: Delicious container recipes to grow together and cook together Hardcover – May 15, 2015 How clever would it be to grow all the ingredients for an entire tasty dish in one garden pot? Well now you can, with The One-Pot Gourmet Gardener, which takes 25 contemporary and classic recipes and shows how to grow their ingredients in one …

Isabella Dalla Ragione. Archeologia Arborea Foundation (Non-Profit Organization of Social Utility) President SAN LORENZO DI LERCHI, Italy — There are probably few places as tranquil as the languorous hills that surround Umbria’s Città di Castello. But on her farm, Isabella Dalla Ragione pursues a personal mission — saving ancient fruit trees from extinction — with a strong sense of urgency. …