Collecting Vegetable Cultivar Seed in the UK Neil

Collecting Vegetable Cultivar Seed in the UK Neil Munro Heritage Seed Library

Who we are Heritage Seed Library Founder: Lawrence Hills 6500 members Formed in a response to National Listing (1973) Promoting seed saving ‘Seed Guardians’ (195)

The Collection Definitions: Heritage Heirloom Ex-commercial Only vegetables held 800+ Varieties

Seed Sources Donations The main source of seed Members ‘Word-of-mouth’ Media

Projects Seed Search (1998– 2000) DETR Funded Proactive search Media Assessed by Co-ordinator & volunteers 200+ varieties 70 accessions after assessment

Projects Worcestershire Allotments (2009) In conjunction with University of Birmingham Survey & Collection across 30 sites 34 ‘landraces’ discovered +3 discontinued +4 fruit landraces

Projects ‘Sowing New Seeds’ (2010 - 2014) ‘Exotic Crops’ Collect, save, share & re-skill ‘Seed Stewards’ 342 crops assessed

Assessment Provenance Trial Characterisation Continuing assessment

The Knowledge (IK) ‘British Home Gardens’ - 2007 -2010 Simon Platten, University of Kent Partners – Eden Project & Kew Funded by Leverhulme Trust One London Allotment site - 29% exchanged or saved seed. Maintenance biological AND cultural.

The Knowledge (IK) Sowing New Seeds Promotion of crops: Knowledge of crops +93% Growing crops +89% Collecting seeds +70% Cooking crops +67%

Questions?

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