On a farm, it all begins with a seed.

Well, almost everything. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of seeds, yet so little is known about these fundamental pieces of our farms and gardens. Thankfully, there are several NOFA NJ Members and Community Partners working to grow, harvest, teach, save, breed, and protect seeds, four the benefit of our community, culture, and farm productivity. 

With 65+ registered attendees, NOFA NJ hustled through the hot Summer day to set up a Seed Growers Intensive in partnership with the Ujamaa Mid-Atlantic Seed Hub, The Seed Farm at Princeton, and Chris Smith of The Utopian Seed Project. The event was held at Wildflower Farm in Pennington, NJ, which also serves as Ujamaa’s Mid-Atlantic Seed Hub. 

While the heat scared away half of the registrants, the remaining 30-ish attendees were able to engage in an afternoon of hands-on learning. From presentations and discussions of the basics (Seed Saving 101, seed breeding theory, etc..) to seed cleaning and processing tools, this event was designed to give a robust overview of growing plants for seed. Presenters Chris Smith, Tomia MacQueen, and Tessa Desmond provided demonstrations on seed growing, harvesting and processing, using screens, fan-winnowing, and a freshly-constructed ZigZag Seed Cleaner using plans provided by Real Seeds. 

With the intense sun and heat, attendees kept cool in the shade while making new connections at the end of the day. NOFA NJ provided a late lunch, sourcing local and organic foods from Whole Earth Center in Princeton, Basil Bandwagon in Flemington, and Sourland Bread in Hopewell, NJ. Friends from the Real Organic Project were on hand to connect with attendees as well. As a by-product of the event, NOFA NJ is building a ZigZag seed cleaner to donate to the Ujamaa Mid-Atlantic Seed Hub.

This event was made possible with support from the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) in partnership with Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO). Partnering organizations in six regions connect farmers with local mentors and provide education and technical assistance on agronomy, certification, extension, conservation planning, business development, regulations, and marketing. Interested in becoming a Mentor, Mentee, or a project partner through TOPP? Learn more about how you can participate Here.