Author: Paddy Halling
A common theme throughout the Oxford Real Farming Conference has been the need to rebuild more ecological and local systems, across agriculture and horticulture, which used to exist in the past. Until around 140 years ago, seed breeding and production was done on a much more local scale. Now, the sector is mainly in the hands of very large companies, who produce a smaller number of varieties, which are ‘F1 hybrids’. Growers find that these varieties can be unsuited to growing in our climate, and also do not perform so well when grown using organic methods. In addition, seed saved from the plants does not grow true to type, thus preventing growers from saving their own seeds.
In this session, chaired by Adam Alexander, AKA the ‘Seed Detective’, we heard from three seed producers who are breeding and supplying open-pollinated and locally-adapted varieties of seeds, for home and market gardeners. Vital Seeds in Devon, and Seeds of Scotland in the Highlands, are two of around a dozen agroecological seed producers in the UK. These small businesses are leading the way in supplying seeds of nutrient dense and tasty varieties of vegetables and herbs, seeking to keep alive old local varieties, such as the Shetland Kale, while improving or developing new varieties to suit the local climate. Mostly they sell to customers directly through their websites; they grow the majority of their seed themselves, and work with a handful of other contract growers. Importantly, both these companies have very informative websites, and offer training courses, to encourage customers to save their own seeds.
The final speaker was Holly Silvester, a vegetable and seed grower based at East Neuk Market Garden in Fife. Holly also works part time for the Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty Programme, running the programme’s Crowd Breeding Project: this innovative project is supporting 25 community and commercial growers, to improve known varieties and thereby breed new varieties suited to their growing environment.
The three speakers spoke about the challenges that growers face in breeding and producing seeds at a smaller scale in the UK. One issue is the legislation: seed laws need to be clarified, and made more proportionate, for small scale seed suppliers. They are currently very onerous, and the associated costs eat into margins. Other countries, such as the US and Canada, have more flexibility in their legislation, to support seed production and breeding. Another challenge is the investment required: polytunnels are essential in growing and breeding many varieties, to extend the growing season and to prevent cross-pollination. Despite these challenges, a number of brave and capable businesses and networks are demonstrating how to produce and breed seed in the UK using agroecological methods.
About the author: Paddy works for the charity Garden Organic, supporting a network of volunteers and community initiatives around the UK, aiming to promote organic food growing, seed saving and composting, in gardens and other growing spaces. Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library holds over 800 varieties of seed, including heirloom varieties passed through generations, landrace varieties adapted to particular conditions, and varieties which are no longer available to buy. The HSL is the UK’s national collection for vegetable varieties. It is a living collection: each year, certain varieties are grown to save seed, at our gardens in the Midlands, and by the volunteer ‘Seed Guardians’. Adam Alexander is one of the most experienced Seed Guardians. All of the collection, once they have enough seed, is distributed to their members to grow and enjoy.
To learn more, check out this session in the ORFC archives.
Feeling inspired to share your ideas about seed production and other real food and farming topics? Don’t miss your chance to submit a proposal or idea for ORFC 2027 – you can find out more by checking out our ORFC Session Submission Guide.