At The Spring House we grow food both for ourselves and to share with others. Our little urban farm is one large experiment in making the world a better place by engaging with the plants and people around us in ways that benefit both. All plants and crops are grown organically (non-certified) in a biodiverse environment. No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or GMO seeds or plants are ever used. We also do not “baby” our crops, and rarely water, fertilize, or treat for pests, even with safe or organic ones. Because we save seeds, we want to continue working with seeds who are able to survive in our changing and challenging environments.
In addition to developing landraces through these practices, it is important to us to grow culturally significant varieties which may be personally important to us and the communities we are connected with, as well as others that we grow to help protect at risk varieties, such as some Slow Food Ark of Taste crops.
We have also been involved in some landrace projects both with other organizations, and some of our own experiments to to discover varieties that do well in our area, and that have great adaptability to the changing stressors in our environment. We feel it is important work to identify and keep seed from plants that show exceptional vitality. Working with these seeds and their wisdom can help take us both into the future together.
As we grow food and medicine here, we try to be mindful not to see these plants as “resources”, but to honor the plants that support our life by saving seeds from them to ensure their survival into the future. We sing to them as we plant them and offer gratitude when they share their bounty with us at harvest time. At The Spring House we not only actively caretake seeds, but participate in the seed tending community through many of the organizations that you will find on our resources page. Rematriation of seeds to their original homes is also an important value here.
PROJECTS
Participant of The Utopian Seed Project
Heirloom Collard Project 2021…
Promiscuous Peas Project 2025…
Participant – Going to Seed – Seed Share 2024…