The Seed Farmer Podcast

Today, let's talk about how to set you up for successful seed harvests this summer. Taking a little time right now to make sure you have the right tools on hand means you can just head to the field and get those seeds when the weather is right! Today's minisode is all about •  Setting up your Seed HQ for your summer seed work •  Choosing your seed harvest tools •  Building field screens •  And protecting your lungs and bodies from all the dust and sharp bits Enjoy the show! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Use code HARVESTREADY  for 50% off the Harvest System Designs course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//courses 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/ Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/ Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Josh Volk runs Cully Neighborhood Farm on a one-acre lot in Portland, Oregon, where he grows vegetables for a CSA. Josh also operates Slow Hand Farm, where he helps grow market gardens and community through his writing and technical support. He is the author of Compact Farms and Build Your Own Farm Tools. Across all his work, Josh brings an engineering mindset to farming. In this episode, Josh explains how he integrates seed production into a busy market garden and grows seed mainly for his own use. Josh tells us how he determines what crops to keep for seed. We discuss Josh's "lazy" approach to growing seed which includes natural selection rather than intentional roguing, getting seed clean enough but not perfect, and embracing genetic diversity instead of trying to avoid all cross pollination.  In the deep dive, Josh and I talk about growing fava beans for seed. We get into fall-sown versus spring-sown crops, selecting for cold hardiness, and  threshing using a vintage roller thresher.  We also talk a lot about bean weevils. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   Episode links Slow Hand Farm website https://slowhandfarm.com/ Slow Hand Farm on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/slowhandfarm/ Cully Neighborhood Farm website https://cullyneighborhoodfarm.com/ News links May 21 Open House quarterly seed call https://seedalliance.org/events/virtual-open-house-quarterly-call-2/   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/ Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Have you been feeling scared to keep the seeds from your crops? Have those seed books with their 1 to 2 mile isolation distances gotten you down? This minisode is all about how to cheat those formal isolation distances and still harvest seed that works for your farm.   In this episode we get into    •  The four main isolation crop groups and what distances you can get away with •  How to create physical barriers are your farm to grow things even closer •  What crops you can grow in easy to make isolation cages   Of course, it wouldn't be a Seed Farmer episode if we didn't get into how a little bit of crossing is a good thing.   Enjoy the minisode! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links   June 18 webinar: Breeding to Purple: Crossing & Selecting Brassicas  https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/event/breeding-to-purple-crossing-selecting-brassicas/   Watch the Seed Farmer book promo video https://youtu.be/liHQmUz227E   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Mélanie Ouellette runs the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library from her home in Orleans, Ontario. This all began when she asked "What's preventing people from growing native plants in our region?" In this episode, Mélanie shares the logistics of how the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library works. How hundreds of volunteers harvest the seeds, pack seed packs, fulfill orders, and attend events to distribute the seeds to gardeners. We talk about the importance of genetic diversity, the difference between straight species and cultivars, and the importance of reciprocity in community stewardship. In the deep dive, Mélanie and I focus on growing swamp milkweed for seed. We explore how it is a host plant for monarch butterflies, the technical nuances of harvesting and cleaning milkweed's fluffy seeds, and the importance of cold-moist stratification to ensure successful germination. Enjoy the conversation!   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Episode links Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca/ Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Instangram https://www.instagram.com/ottawawildflower/   Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CV6G1cvGY/   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links May 16: Seed Library Conference: Sustaining a Seed Library https://givebutter.com/sustaining-a-seed-library?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email   Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Today's minisode is all about getting ready for the season- farm photo season, that is!    Whether you want good visuals for the crops on your online store, or you want to document your breeding selections, or you're writing up standard operating procedures for your crew; having the right images makes all the difference.   Those pictures don't happen by themselves, you need a Farm Picture Plan!   In this episode, we'll get into…   • How to use your photo archives to understand your farm • Figuring out what pictures you'll wish you had this fall • Setting up your Picture Plan spreadsheet • Tips for making sure you actually take the shots you need   Enjoy the minisode! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   News links   Tourne-Sol's  new sweet corn variety https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlyiE4jlvm/?img_index=1   Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems   🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/   Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/ Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Charlie Watt runs Homecoming Seeds in Northfield, Vermont. His seed journey began in Montana under the mentorship of John Austin, a connection that eventually led Charlie back to his roots in the Northeast with a suitcase packed with high-altitude adapted seeds. In this episode, Charlie shares the logistical challenges of scaling a seed business from a home garden to a production farm. We discuss the steep learning curve of his first year, including winning a venture capital pitch competition and the logistical hurdles of seed contracting. Charlie also reflects on the meaning of his seed company's name, and how seed work is a homecoming for anyone looking to deepen their relationship with the land. In the deep dive, Charlie and I get into growing eggplant seed,  a crop that has frustrated both of us. We cover when to harvest, how to speed up eggplant seed extraction and the mysteries of eggplant germination rates. Enjoy the conversation!   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast       Episode links Homecoming Seeds Website https://homecomingseeds.com Homecoming Seeds on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/homecomingseeds/ Charlie's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@charliewatt22   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/ Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Today's minisode is an audio immersive tour of our seed warehouse. We'll start in the cleaning room to hear the distinct seed rain of different types of seeds. We'll then put the fleet of seed cleaning machines to work and listen to their different rhythms, from the cascading acceleration of the spiral separator to the roar of the Winnow Wizard. From there we'll step into the chilled hums of the seed cold room to hear the sounds of storage. Finally, we head to the pull room to follow the tactile journey of fulfilling a seed order, wrapping up with the unique sounds of our different fulfillment options. Enjoy the minisode! And Happy April 1st. Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/ Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds   Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Sarah Kleeger runs Adaptive Seeds alongside Andrew Still in Sweet Home, Oregon. Their journey began twenty years ago with the Seed Ambassadors Project, a massive seed-finding expedition through Europe that saw them return to the U.S. with over a thousand rare varieties that had almost no commercial presence in North America.   In this episode, Sarah shares what it's like growing over 380 crops in a year while balancing trials, stewardship  and producing seeds for the catalog. We discuss OSSI (the Open Source Seed Initiative) as a way to keep seeds in the public domain. And we get into contract seed growing and how Adaptive Seeds tries to incentivize quality and share the risk with their grower network. We also touch on the impacts of wildfires and smoke seasons on both farmers and the seeds themselves.   In the deep dive, Sarah and I get into her favorite crop: Amaranth. We cover why amaranth is such a climate-adaptable grain, how to determine the perfect moment to harvest the seed, and Sarah's threshing machine of choice.   And of course we talk about the cats of Adaptive Seeds.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Episode links Adaptive Seeds Website Adaptive Seeds on Instagram OSSI - Open Source Seed Initiative News Links   Fundraiser to support Saved by Seeds: Embracing Diversity, Adaptation, and Diversity. Chris Smith's upcoming book.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Let's head over to my library and take a look at the books that have most influenced my journey as a seed grower. Whether you are just starting out or looking to develop your own farm-original variety, these are the titles I return to time and time again.   🌱Basic Seed Books • How to Save Your Own Seeds by Seeds of Diversity Canada • Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth • The Seed Garden by Micaela Colley and Jared Zystro (Editors: Lee Buttala and Shanyn Siegel)   🥕Advanced Seed Books • The Organic Seed Grower by John Navazio   🌸Plant Breeding Books • Breeding Organic Vegetables by Rowan White and Brian Connolly • Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe   ✍️One more seed book … The Seed Farmer by Dan Brisebois (I might be a bit biased on this one, but this is the book I wrote to fill the gaps I found in the others!)   So, those are my 6 favorite seed books (plus one of my own). I hope these resources inspire you to harvest some seed this year.   Enjoy the minisode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Jesse Frost operates Rough Draft Farm in Kentucky with his wife, Hannah Crabtree. Jesse is also the author of The Living Soil Handbook and hosts the No-Till Growers Podcast. As a writer and farmer, Jesse approaches plant breeding as a creative process; a rough draft shaped by the unique terroir of his land.   In this episode, Jesse shares how he moved past the seed intimidation of his early years to a more integrated approach, and simply looking for seed opportunities within his existing market rotations. We discussed the evolution of the Topper Popper pepper, a project that actually began at Tourne-Sol (where I farm) and that Jesse refined on his farm. Jesse gets into how to find the capacity for seed work without sacrificing production and being patient with your farm's evolution.  And how all you need is a pocket full of rubber bands to become a plant breeder.   In the deep dive, Jesse and I get into Sweet Potatoes. How to harvest them, how to cure them, and how to propagate them as slips without scurf. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   Rough Draft Farm on instagram Rough Draft Farm website   No Till Growers on instagram No-Till Growers website         Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

This minisode is about unexpected seed opportunities in your cold room.   And those opportunities are the roots you're storing in that cold room and haven't eaten yet.   Most root crops are biennials, and you might be able to plant these roots as second year biennials and get a seed crop this summer!   This is true for onions, turnips, rutabagas, winter radish, beets, carrots, parsnips, and more!   In this episode, we'll get into…   • How to choose the best roots from what you have in storage • The importance of an intact growing point • Tips for breaking dormancy in the spring • What to if you're not totally sure what varieties you have in storage • How many roots you should plant out   Enjoy the episode Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Edmund Frost is a seed grower and plant breeder based at Twin Oaks Community in Virginia. He is the manager of Commonwealth Seed Growers, a cooperative seed company focused on regionally adapted varieties for the Southeast.   In this episode, Edmund shares the hidden realities of contract growing and his efforts to build a Seed Workers Union through the Seed Worker Organizing project to advocate for fair wages and better working conditions. We discuss the transition of Commonwealth Seed Growers into a co-operative model, the importance of self-advocacy when negotiating seed contracts, and how seed stewardship provides farmers with a resilient insurance policy against the disappearance of commercial hybrid varieties.   In the deep dive, Edmund and I get into Cucurbit Breeding. We cover the devastating impact of Downy Mildew since the 2004 pathogen shift and how Edmund uses vine tracing to select for truly resistant plants. Edmund also shares his exciting work crossing Korean and Brazilian genetics to create a summer squash that is naturally immune to Squash Vine Borers. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links Common Wealth Seed Growers website   Common Wealth Seed Growers on instagram   Seed Worker Organizing website   Twin Oaks Community website News Links  Visit  LocalSeeds.org to support A Campaign to Raise Awareness of the Importance of Seeds. Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

This minisode is a conversation with Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN).   I invited Lucy to talk about the new genetically engineered Purple Tomato. This the first biotech vegetable seed being directly marketed to home gardeners. It's important for folks in the seed world to be aware of this change and to start thinking about the potential long-term impacts on our shared seed commons.   Lucy and I dig into what this shift could mean for growing seed crops, sharing seeds, and the broader culture around open-pollinated seeds, and why this moment feels different from past biotech crops that were mostly limited to large-scale agriculture.   Lucy also shares what gardeners, eaters, and seed people can actually do if they want to have an impact.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Episode links   CBAN's website CBAN on instagram   News Links Register for  the OSA Virtual Open House Quarterly Call     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Bonnetta Adeeb is a founding member of the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, a program of the non-profit STEAM Onward based in Maryland. Bonnetta is dedicated to increasing the number of BIPOC seed farmers stewarding culturally meaningful crops and liberating seeds from "seed jail".   In this episode, Bonnetta shares her journey to find the Stone Mountain Watermelon, a variety mentioned in family lore that allowed her ancestors to purchase land after slavery. We discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed a local gardening project into the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, a regional network for seed production and training through the Ira Wallace Seed School.   In the deep dive, Bonnetta and I get into Collard Greens. We cover using Ultra Crosses as a community breeding method, the necessity of cold snaps for seed production, and why Bonnetta describes collards as the Jazz of American Cuisine. We also explore how the rhythmic movements of harvest are like dancing.   At the end, Bonnetta also talks about the upcoming Seeds & Culture 2026 Conference on March 6-7 in Washington DC. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links Ujamaa Seeds website   Ujamaa Coop Farming Alliance on instagram   Seeds & Culture 2026 Conference  March 6–7, 2026 Washington DC. Columbia   Ira Wallace Seed School   Heirloom Collard Project   Steam Onward website      News Link   Northern Latitudes: Sourcing and Saving Seeds from Similar Climates     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

This minisode is a conversation with Rebecca Newburn of the Seed Library Network. We talk about seed libraries: what they are, how they work, and how anyone (yes, anyone) can start one. And we talk about the Seed Library Conference on February 14th, focused on helping people get started with seed libraries in their own communities.  Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   The Seed Library Network's website The Seed Library Network on substack The Seed Library Network on instagram     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Shannon Jones runs Broadfork Farm with Bryan Dyck in River Hebert, Nova Scotia. They grow vegetables and cut flowers for market. I've been trying to get Shannon on the podcast since the beginning of the pod because Broadfork is a great example of how a market farm can integrate seed production into their vegetable and flower fields. And we finally found a time that worked for us to have a conversation. In this episode, Shannon shares how she and Bryan choose the seed crops they grow and how they manage seed harvest through the season, and clean seeds in the off season. She also explains about how they sell some of their own seeds during their spring seedling sales. In the deep dive, we explore growing Salad Turnips for seed. We start with why Shannon was looking for a Hakurei turnip alternative, then get into trialing different OP salad turnips to figure out which variety to work with, and finally cover planting, harvest, and cleaning. We also talk about Bupleurum and Onions for seed.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Episode links Broadfork's website Broadfork Farm on instagram Freed Seed workshop: Botany of Seed Formation    Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Episode 50 of the Seed Farmer Podcast!!!! Wow!   Let's do something a bit different to pause and mark the occasion.   In this episode, I'm joined by my podcast producer, Molly Brisebois, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about how the podcast gets made, how it's changed over time, and what we've learned along the way.    We talk about how sharing seed stories and talking about seed work brings hope when it is so easy to feel hopelessness these days.    And we talk about the intimacy and the feeling of being "in the room" when listening to podcasts.   We wrap up the conversation with how Molly would approach being a seed farmer.   For those with a keen eye (or ear) for detail, you may have noticed Molly and I share the same last name. Molly happens to be my sister.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     News links My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Chris Belnap is the owner of Cambridge Pacific, based in Cambridge, NY. Their tagline is The Folks Who Make The Packets, and that's exactly what they do: printing seed packs for a wide range of seed companies.   In this episode, Chris shares the history of Cambridge Pacific and walks us through how seed packs actually get printed. We dig into what you should think about when designing your own seed packs. And we explore the Packet Maker magazine, their annual publication that documents Chris's travels to meet the companies that use their packs.   In the deep dive, we talk about dragons and how they have become a signature of Cambridge Pacific.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   Cambridge Pacific website News Links My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

It's crop planning time!   I'm sharing the spreadsheet system I've been evolving on farms for over 20 years. These sheets start with your financial goals and work backwards through your sales plan to your field plan. You end up with field schedules, nursery schedules, and a seed order.    Crop planning can feel overwhelming, but when it's done right, it brings clarity, confidence, and less stress to your growing season. And ultimately, when you grow the right amount of crop for your sales channels without extra work, you're on the road to a more profitable farm.   In this episode, you'll hear about two sets of spreadsheets: 🌱 The Basic Farmer Spreadsheet Academy Crop Plan templates. 📊 The Full Crop Plan & Harvest Management Framework that are part of my Farm Spreadsheets for All Seasons course.   You can use these spreadsheets to plan your market garden, your cut flower production, or even your seed crops.  I'll share how these systems work, why pivot tables are a game-changer, and how you can use spreadsheets to plan, track, and grow smarter this season.   It's time to figure out what to grow next season. Enjoy the minisode!       Episode links   Pivot table tutorial   Basic Farmer Spreadsheet Academy Crop Plan Templates   My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.   News Links Find our more about Permastead:https://github.com/curvedspace/Permastead   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

I invited Janisse Ray for this New Year's Eve episode because I wanted to start the year grounded in the idea of place, rooted in connection, and inspired in your seed work.   Janisse is a writer, naturalist, and farmer based in south Georgia.She is the author of The Seed Underground and Journey in Place, and writes the Substack Trackless Wild.   In this episode, Janisse and I talk about how you learn to be in place and the concept of place-keeping. We explore how this works its way into seed work and foodways. We also dive into the tension between trying to save every seed and focusing on growing a few crops.   In the deep dive, we talk about growing okra for seed.   I invited Janisse for this New Year's Eve episode because I wanted us to start the year grounded in the idea of place, rooted in connection, and inspire you in your seed work. Enjoy the conversation and happy new year! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Episode links Janisse Ray website  Janisse Ray on substack  Janisse Ray on instagram The latest issue of Crop Stories from Utopian Seed Project features an article from Janisse Ray. News Links   My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

As we wrap up this year, I want to do something a little bit different. At the end of every Seed Farmer conversations I ask my guests two questions   1- What would you tell your younger seed-growing self? 2- What would you say to market growers & gardeners to inspire them to start growing seed?   The answers I get are really wonderful and I often think about them afterwards.   I've decided to take the answers from episodes 1-10 and put them together to share with you.   In this episode we hear words of advice from … • Frank Morton of WIld Garden Seeds • Adrianna and Joelene of Empowered Flowers • Marie-Claude Comeau of Semences St-Laurent • Kristyn Leach of Second Generation Seeds • Annie and Nathaniel of Deep Harvest Farm • Helen Skiba of Artemis Flower Farm • Liz and Matthew of Muddy Fingers Farm • Robin Tunnicliffe of Sea Bluff Farm • Chris & Owen of Truelove Seeds • Rowen White of Sierra Seeds Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links Holiday Special - My Harvest System Design is 50% off!   My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

So I've been quietly working on something since April. It hasn't exactly been a secret, but it has mostly stayed under wraps. In this episode, it's finally time to share that project.   The big news: I've co-written a book with Julia Shanks of The Farmer's Office, and we've just submitted the manuscript to the publisher.   In this episode, Julia and I talk about how this collaboration began, why we wanted to work together, and what each of us brought to the book. We also share what we're most excited for you to read, and how this book connects farm production, business planning, and quality of life into one practical framework.   And yes, the project finally has a name. The book is called The Profitable Farmer: Strategic Farm Business Planning for Profit, Purpose, and Quality of Life. It will be released in September 2026, so consider this your early heads-up to mark your calendar.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Episode links The Farmer's Office website The Farmer's Office on instagram   Come to the Free Organic Seed Community Virtual Open House  Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 Time: 7 – 8:30 PM Eastern   Watch the Growing for Seed and Produce recording of the webinar I gave last summer.   Holiday Special - My Harvest System Design is 50% off!   My crop planning course Farm Spreadsheets For All Seasons is open for registrations. It comes with a full set of crop planning and harvest management spreadsheet templates.   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Alexis Yamashita is a community organizer, seed grower, and PhD student in Food Systems at the University of Vermont. Alexis has also been deeply involved with seed-based cooperatives. She helped found and served as co-director of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, she co-managed the seed racks division of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, and she lived  in the egalitarian intentional community Twin Oaks.    In this episode, Alexis shares how her background - from cooperative seed work and community living to academic research - shapes her vision for seed systems rooted in culture, equity, and collaboration. We explore the motivations behind her current work and how she bridges grassroots organizing with institutional research.   In the deep dive, Alexis gets into growing mung beans and adzuki beans for seed. From growing to harvest to cleaning.   Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Episode links   Alexis at UVM Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance     Come to the Free Organic Seed Community Virtual Open House  Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 Time: 7 – 8:30 PM Eastern Watch the Growing for Seed and Produce recording of the webinar I gave last summer.   Holiday Special - My Harvest System Design is 50% off! Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Fred Thériault is a farmer and founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in Les Cèdres, Quebec, where they grow vegetables for 500 weekly CSA baskets and an acre of seed crops. I say "they" but I should guess I mean "we" because I farm with Fred at Tourne-Sol and we've been great friends for the last 25 years and have done all kinds of things together. Such as - Fred and I also co-authored the book Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.   In this episode, we talk seeds, but I also brought Fred on to explore what it's really like to be part of a co-op. We dive into the challenges and rewards of shared decision-making, balancing individual and collective goals, and building a farm culture where collaboration supports both production and innovation. Fred shares practical insights on how cooperative structures can help farmers thrive while maintaining flexibility and creativity on the farm..   In the deep dive, we focus on on-farm tomato breeding. Fred explains how he selected the Ruby-Sol tomato from a red hybrid, honing in on earliness, yield, and flavor. We explore the trade-offs between production efficiency and experimentation, and the lessons he's learned from years of tomato selection.   I hope you enjoy this conversation. Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links Fred's Farm Co-Op Academy Watch Fred's  Free webinar: Start Your Agricultural Co‑op 101 Tourne-Sol farm's website  Tourne-Sol on instagram       The The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Here's a peek inside the Seed Farmer Mentorship—a guided learning experience I've created to help growers build the skills, systems, and confidence to produce high-quality seed on their farms. This winter, I'll be hosting the mentorship for the second time, and I'm excited to guide a new group of growers through hands-on learning, practical tools, and a season of intentional seed projects.   In this episode, you'll learn: • Who the Seed Farmer Mentorship is for - both new and experienced seed growers • How the mentorship combines pre-recorded videos with interactive live sessions • What past participants have gained from the program, including skills, confidence, and inspiration • The value of learning alongside a community of seed growers and sharing experiences • How this mentorship can help you take your seed projects to the next level   Here are the 7 modules we cover in the mentorship: 1 - Seed Basics & Choose Your Seed Crops 2 - Recording Keeping For Seed Harvest & Cleaning  3 - Germination Tests, Seed Storage & Inventory Management 4 - Crop Planning & Growing Seeds On A Market Garden 5 - Plant Selection & On Farm Plant Breeding 6 - Sharing & Selling Seeds 7 - Seed Harvest & Cleaning Techniques Registration for the winter cohort is now open. If you've ever wanted to grow seed more intentionally and connect with other growers, this is your chance to get started.   Find out more and register the Seed Farmer Mentorship here.   Enjoy the episode! Episode links Support the Utopian Seed Project for matching funds   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

David Catzel is the BC Seed Security Program Manager at FarmFolk City Folk, the Regional Program Coordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, and serves on the board of the BC EcoSeed Co‑op. He also grows seed at Fraser Common Farm Co‑op.   In this episode, David shares his experience supporting growers, organizing cooperatives, and stewarding seed networks. We talk about on‑farm plant breeding, including his efforts to select an open‑pollinated white peacock kale.   In the deep dive, David and I get into the nitty-gritty of growing sea kale (Crambe maritima), covering its tricky germination, perennial habits, and seed production. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Enjoy the conversation! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links BC Seeds Gatherings https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/bc-seed-security-program/bc-seed-gathering/   Farm Folk City Folk https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/bc-seed-security-program/ https://www.instagram.com/farmfolkcityfolk/   BC Seed Suppliers https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/find-seeds/bc-seed-suppliers/ The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security https://www.seedsecurity.ca/en/ News Links   The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations!     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

You've reviewed your field records, gathered feedback from your team, looked at your sales channels, and even listened to your customers. Now it's time to bring it all together.   This is the final episode of the 2025 Season Review Challenge! Let's pull together everything you've learned and turn it into a clear picture of your season.   I'll also share a few examples from Tourne-Sol - including my frustration with cleaning Tithonia seeds and how amazing melons can be when everything goes right.   In this episode, we'll cover: •  Summarizing insights from all your seed reviews •  Celebrating your seed successes •  Learning from your seed challenges •  Identifying your biggest bottleneck in seed work •  Getting better with tool solutions, system solutions, and planning solutions •  Why saying "no" to one thing means saying "yes" to something better   Enjoy the episode — and congrats on completing the Season Review Challenge! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations! Find our more about Organic Seed Alliance: Regional Seed Summits   Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Matt Bell has worked at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine, since 2018. He is currently a trial technician focusing on cucurbits, but today's conversation dives into some of his previous work with brassicas.   Matt comes from a family with a long history of seed saving and continues that tradition by growing seed at home outside of his work at Johnny's. He also grows vegetables for his partner's café, Café Grazie, in Rockland, Maine.   In this episode, Matt shares how he approaches seed production with intentional goals, five-year selection plans, and the value of diversity over uniformity. We dive deep into overwintering brassicas — from digging and potting plants, pruning, and greenhouse setup, to managing cold-hardiness, rodent and aphid pressures, and drip irrigation. Enjoy the conversation! The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations!   Episode links Johnny's website   Cafe Grazie instagram Cafe Grazie website   Register for the Free 2025 Midwest Organic Seed Summit     Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

This week we're turning our attention to your customers. The people who actually buy your seeds. Whether you sell seed packs through your online store, seed racks in retail shops, or bulk seed on contract to other companies, this is the perfect time to connect, listen, and learn.   This minisode is part 4 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.   In this episode, we'll get into … • Why customer feedback is the heart of a thriving seed business • How to survey or interview your customers effectively • When to use personal calls instead of online forms   We also talk about Chufa nuts in the intro. Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   Registrations for The Seed Farmer Mentorship open on Nov 6 The BC Seed Gathering is on Nov 28 Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos      Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

It's time to review your seed sales channels to see what's working and what isn't.    Whether you're selling seed packs through your own company or bulk seed to other seed companies, there are a few metrics that will help you plan for next season.   This minisode is part 3 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can build an even better seed business next year.   In this episode, we'll get into … • How to top and bottom-selling varieties • The seed cost per pack for different crops • The potential sales per growing space for different crops • Considering non economic reasons why you choose certain varieties • Get ready to plan next season   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   The Seed Farmer Mentorship registration starts November 6 Behind the Packet: Open-Pollinated Seeds in Focus on October 28 Watch my Pivot Table tutorial Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos      Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Gather the crew - it's time for a season review!   This week on the Season Review Challenge, we're talking about doing a team season review. That means gathering everyone who worked alongside you this year, and looking back together on how the season went - not just from your perspective, but from theirs.   Taking time for a team review might feel risky during fall harvests and cleanup, but it's one of the best investments you can make for your systems, your sanity, and your staff retention. When people feel heard and see their feedback shape next season's plan, they're a lot more likely to stick around and keep growing with you.   This minisode is part 2 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.   In this episode, we'll get into: • How to structure a team season review • Questions to ask that draw out useful insights • How to use surveys to gather input efficiently • Why sharing everyone's responses matters • How this feedback can directly improve your seed systems   So, before you dive into winter planning, take an hour to harvest your team's experience. The seeds of next season's improvements are already there. You just have to ask for them.   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links The Seed Farmer Mentorship is coming back soon. Breeding tomatoes on a farm: practical selection advice. Article in Growing For Market Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos        Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

You might be busy harvesting carrots, planting garlic, and wrapping up the season - but this is also the perfect time to pause and look back at your growing season.   Before all the details of the season fade away, take a moment to review what you actually planted, what you harvested, and how it all turned out. Completing your field records now, while the season is still fresh in your mind, will make your future planning so much easier.   This minisode is part 1 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.   In this episode, we'll get into …  • Why to do a season review while you're still busy in the field  • What planting and harvest records matter most for seed growers  • How to complete your records if they have a few holes  • How to figure out your own seed yields  • Why your own numbers are more valuable than any reference book (Though the Seed Farmer book is still a pretty good reference!)   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast         Episode links   The Seed Farmer Mentorship is coming back soon. Help Shape the 12th Seed Library Summit Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos      Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

All those roots you're harvesting for fall storage aren't just good for eating or selling at market. They are also the first stage of a biennial seed crop!   If you've planted carrots, beets, turnips, onions, or winter radishes this season, you can choose the best roots now to grow a seed crop next year.   This is another Seedy September minisode to realise that there is seed growing in your garden right now and all you have to do is go and harvest it.   Actually - this might actually be an October minisode.   In this episode, we'll get into …  • How to choose the best roots to overwinter for seed  • How to store and handle biennial roots through winter  • Tips for starting biennials and breaking dormancy in the spring  • Keeping genetic diversity and avoiding accidental crosses  • How many plants do you need and how much seed can you get   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Seed News links Canadian Farmers! Sign the petition to protect your right to save certain protected seed varieties on your farm. https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6778     Stay in Touch   Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Your bean plants might be winding down but that doesn't mean there isn't one last harvest in them.   If you've been picking bush beans or pole beans all summer, chances are a few pods got missed. By now, those pods are starting to mature—and even if you didn't plan to grow beans for seed - those missed pods mean that you still have a chance to harvest some bean seed!   This is another Seedy September minisode to realise that there is seed growing in your garden right now and all you have to do is go and harvest it.    In this episode, we'll get into …    • Whether to pick individual pods or whole plants  • How green you can pick a pod and still get good seed  • Easy threshing and cleaning methods  • How likely beans are to cross pollinate  • The joys of better germination   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast   Seed News links Pre-Order Crop Stories from Utopian Seed Project Read the Organic Task Force report   Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Head to your squash patch and grab a fruit or two — because inside, you've got a pile of seed waiting for you!   Another Seedy September Minisode about what seed you can harvest from your fields right now.   Now, squash is a bit different from peppers or flowers. Most of the time, I wouldn't tell you to start your seed journey with squash. But if you've only got one variety of a squash species in your garden — especially a butternut or another Cucurbita moschata — then squash seed might be the perfect seed crop.   In this episode, we'll get into …  • The four main species of squash and how they cross (or don't)  • Why Cucurbita pepo squash (like zucchini, pie pumpkins, and delicata) are tricky seed crops  • Why  Cucurbita moschata squash (like butternut) is the easiest starting point  • How to harvest and clean squash seed right in your kitchen  • The challenge of mystery squash   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Head out to your flower beds and look for those blooms that have dried up and turned brown! This is another Seedy September minisode to realise that here is seed growing in your garden right now and all you have to do is go and harvest it.  This episode is about all the opportunities in your cut flower garden. In this episode, we'll get into … • How to spot when flower seeds are ready to harvest • Simple ways to collect and store dried blooms for later cleaning • Why cross-pollination in flowers is something to embrace, not fear • Which flowers are the easiest to get seed from • Tips for cleaning seed and how clean does you seed really need to be   Enjoy the episode! Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Head out to your fields and pick some peppers then cut them open and take out the seeds!    That's what I"m hoping you do as soon as this episode ends - or better yet, that is what I hope you do while you're listening to this episode.   My goal with this podcast is to get more farmers to grow their own seeds. And September is the perfect time to do that. So this month I'm talking all about the crops that are just waiting there in your garden waiting for you to harvest their seeds whether you planned to or not.   And peppers are the first crop I want you to go pick.   In this episode, we'll get into … • How likely peppers are to cross pollinate • What to worry about when growing sweet and hot peppers side by side • How easy it is to harvest and extract pepper seeds • The difference between growing pepper seeds for yourself and for sale   Enjoy the episode!   Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast     Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/     ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Adam Alexander is a film maker, writer, and gardener based in Wales. Adam is also the author of the upcoming book Accidental Seed Heroes: Growing A Delicious Food Future for All of Us. A chance meeting with a delicious pepper in a Ukrainian market in 1989 kicked off his career as a Seed Detective tracking down rare, endangered, culturally important and above all, delicious vegetables from around the world. In this episode, Adam and I talk about how accidental plant breeding has shaped agriculture for millennia and about the seed heroes who are doing that work these days. We talk about what this looks like for a number of crops including grains, eggplants and peas. And we wrap up talking about how Adam grows peas for seed in his own garden and why growing seed locally matters for genetic diversity and food security.  I hope you enjoy this conversation Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast Links for this episode   Visit the Seed Detective website & follow on Instagram.   You can also preorder The Accidental Seed Heroes       Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Sebastian Aguilar runs Summertime Seed with his wife Kelly Gelino in Dayton, Oregon. This year they're growing 190 varieties on 16 acres.   In this episode, Sebastian shares how they transitioned from vegetable farming to seed production, the challenges and benefits of mechanizing seed cleaning and harvesting, and how they recently launched their own retail seed company.   In the deep dive, Sebastian and I talk about growing onions for seed. We get into growing the bulbs, trellising the bolting plants, and when exactly to cut the seed heads, In addition to all the nitty gritty in between steps. I hope you enjoy this conversation Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast Links for this episode   Visit the Summertime Seed Co.website & follow on Instagram.     Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Chris Smith is the founder of the Utopian Seed Project, a hands in the earth non-profit based in Asheville, North Carolina. Chris is also the author of the book the Whole Okra: A Seed To Stem Celebration Chris grew up in the UK and moved to the U.S. in 2012 with no formal background in farming, But that all changed when he received an okra pod and a gift card to a local seed company as wedding shower gifts In this episode, Chris shares his journey to become a seed grower and advocate. We talk about his time at Sow True Seed, where he began his deep dive into seed systems and community engagement. This led to launching the Utopian Seed Project to develop a seed system rooted in the Southeast U.S. And later the Appalachian Growers Seed Collective, a farmer-led network focused on growing, adapting, sharing, and selling seeds that know the South   Chris and I talk about the importance of meaningful relationships with seed over time rather than simple rigid preservation, climate resilient crops like taro and chayote, and then we talk a lot about growing okra for seed. I hope you enjoy this conversation Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast Links for this episode   Visit the Utopian Seed Project website & follow on Instagram.   Find Utopian Seed Project on Patreon.       Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!  

Patrice is the owner of La Société des Plantes, a farm based seed company in Kamouraska, Quebec.   On his website, Patrice describes La Société des plantes as "une agence de rencontres entre les plantes et les jardiniers" which roughly translates to "a Dating Service for Plants and Gardeners."    In this episode Patrice shares his journey from city boy to seed farmer, and how being an artist inspired his approach to farming and growing seed.   Patrice and I talk about how he's rooted his business into a rural community with deep historical roots, his philosophy on growing with nature's rhythms, and whether you can really trust the seed longevity charts you find in reference documents.   We finish with growing biennials for seeds. Patrice talks about overwintering lettuce in the field in our Quebec winters, which really impresses me. And then he does a deep dive on growing carrots for seed.   Please note that the episode was recorded in February - there are a few seasonal references where this matters in the conversation. I hope you enjoy this conversation Support the Seed Farmer Podcast http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast Links for this episode • Visit La Société des Plantes website & follow on Instagram. • Watch the trailer for the Sower   Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram   Get my weekly seed newsletter   Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/   ❤️ Thanks for listening!

Jared Zystro is a research and education director at the Organic Seed Alliance. Jared is based in Arcada, California. I invited Jared onto this episode so he can tell you about the Organic Seed Growers Conference in Corvallis, Oregon that is taking place from February 26th to March 1st, 2025. I first went to this conference in 2008 and it was the single most important learning experience to my seed career. I also made so many great friends and contacts that have followed me throughout all my CD endeavors. And I think that you would probably enjoy an experience like this also. So in this episode, Jared and I talk about what is happening at this year's conference and how you can participate not only in person, but also virtually if you can't make it to Corvallis. Jared and I talk about more than just the conference in this episode. We start with Jared's seed story and how it went from working summers on vegetable farms to ultimately getting a PhD in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin Madison. And we finished with a deep dive into growing quinoa on both a larger commercial scale using a combine and a smaller scale with manual techniques. Free, Crop Planning for Seed Farmers minicourse: www.spreadsheet.farm/seedcropplan Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Léa and Ferdinand are two of the twenty-two members of Buzuruna Juzuruna, a 2 ha seed farm and school farm in Lebanon. In this episode, Léa and Ferdinand define the terms "peasant seeds" and "balady seeds" and the challenges of finding local seeds in Lebanon. They also discuss the role of international seed banks in preserving seeds and the importance of reclaiming these seeds and bringing them back to where they originated. Ferdinand describes the seed house at Buzuruna Juzuruna and how they control temperature and humidity. Léa explains how the seeds and crops they grow are distributed. In the deep dive, we talk about growing cucumbers for seed and how you shouldn't assume every cucumber is a cucumber. Léa and Ferdinand also discuss how they work with ancient wheat varieties. Free, Crop Planning for Seed Farmers minicourse: www.spreadsheet.farm/seedcropplan Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Stephen Silverbear McComber is a seedkeeper and a recently elected chief on the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke whose portfolio is sustainable development. Silverbear tells us about the seeds that different people shared with him while visiting different First Nations communities within the Confederacy. He tells us how he has taken care of these seeds and a generation later, he has been able to return some of these seeds to the families of the folks who shared them with him, and the joy and connection that this brings. Silverbear explains how he plants by the phases of the moon, and what crops he plants during different periods, how the spring has been starting later than it used to and the autumn is also ending later and the challenges that creates for growing food. Silverbear explains how it is important to select corn and other crops to adapt to this changing environment and to your bioregion. We then do a deep dive into growing squash for seed and hand pollination techniques. Mentioned in the show... Steve's Garden Tips Facebook Page Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Heron Breen is this episode's guest. Heron grows seed on six acres at Fruits of Our Labors in St. Albans, Maine. In this episode, Heron and I discussed the nature of seed work as a plant-based meditation that encompasses sculpture, art, science, and quantum physics, and the generational connection that seed provides across time and space. And then we pivot into talking about how to space seed crops and the reasons and importance of broader spacing before delving into what words like heirloom and open pollinated seeds really mean. In the deep dive, we talk about growing onions and leeks for seed. Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Katie Kulla is the author of Farm-Raised Kids. A brand new book from Storey Publishing. Katie is also an illustrator, one of the hosts of the Growing For Market Podcast and farms with her husband at Oakhill Organics on Grand Island in rural Dayton, Oregon. In this episode, we do discuss Katie's brand new book but we also talk a lot about Katie's experience growing seeds and how that experience has changed over the years. Katie's early seed experience was mostly growing seed contracts on her market farm. Katie liked how seed crops occupied a different time and space than growing vegetables for CSA or farmers markets. And also how seed crops often generated more $ per square foot than vegetable crops. Then when Oakhill Organics moved to offering a full diet CSA, they moved out of seed contracts and shifted to growing seed for food such as grains, beans, and popcorn. And now that the farm plays a smaller role in Katie's life and she is focusing on other interests such as writing books, Katie is still harvesting seed whenever it is easy to do so from the crops in her fields.  This brings us to  Farm-Raised Kids, Katie's new Book. We talk about the dream and the actual reality of having kids on the farm. How there is an idyllic vision that children can just chill out and hang around the fields but having kids on your farm is actual work and farms can also be dangerous places for little ones. Katie talks about how it is still an amazing opportunity for kids to grow up on a farm. How they pick up so much knowledge about different crops and food bit by bit over the years. And how kids wind up learning real skills like how to handle knives and breaking down just about any vegetable. Katie also explains how satisfying it is for kids to put their hands in gooey fermenting seed tomatoes or getting to hit dry beans with a stick to thresh them or just getting to sink their arms in buckets of clean seed. In the deep dive, we talk about growing dry beans for seed because Katie's family just loves eating dry beans and there is really no comparing the flavour with store bought beans. We talk about how bush beans are a lot easier than pole beans, how farming in the Willamette Valley with its dry summers means you can dry seed outdoors without cover in your backyard but how Katie might still bring seed indoors if she was still growing commercial seed contracts. And how she still wishes she'd invested in a good set of screens. Katie also has a reminder that you should make a point of not eating all your dry beans and make sure to keep some as seed for next year's crop! Mentioned in the show... https://www.katiekulla.com/ https://www.instagram.com/katiekulla Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Ellen Rignell has many years experience growing seed from her time at Trill Farms and as a program coordinator for the Gaia Foundation seed sovereignty program. But in this interview we catch Ellen at a new part of her seed journey as she's finishing the first growing season of her Winnow Farm Seeds, her very own seed company based in Dorset in the UK. In this episode, we discuss what Ellen wants from this new business and we discuss all the things other than growing seed that you need to know when launching a seed business. Ellen talks about her collaboration with Lucy and Emma of Meadowsweet Flowers and Floristry. These are flower growers she shares the site with. How this helps share infrastructure, rent and labour in addition to amazing camaraderie and having tea breaks together. This collaboration also creates an opportunity to grow flower seeds especially adapted to the wet UK climate. In the deep dive Ellen and I talk about growing parsnips for seed. The importance of sloping shoulders to drive rain away, whether to stake flowering parsnips or not, and do parsnip seeds live up to their reputation as bad germinators with limited storage life? We also discuss working with biennials other than parsnip. At the end of the conversation Ellen goes into the opportunities to grow seed in a market growing context to take advantage of gaps in your crop plan and to better use farm labour. Mentioned in the show... Visit Winnow Farm Seeds website & follow on Instagram To make your Season Review a little more manageable, I've got a 5 video series that will walk you through all the steps you need to do. There is also a checklist to help you keep track of what you've done. If you want to watch the Season Review Challenges videos and get your annual farm review started you can find them at www.seasonreview.farm/ Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!  

Manish Kushwaha is a fourth generation seed farmer who had no intention of following the family tradition, but after a period working as a software engineer and thinking about what was meaningful to him, Manish decided to start working with seeds and ultimately start his own seed company, Gaia Organic Seeds in Ottawa, Ontario. In this episode, Manish talks about getting set up on land in Ottawa's NCC Greenbelt where it is possible to rent farmland for 25-year periods. This opportunity let him get set up with tile-drained fields, buildings, and a place to live. Manish explains how his approach to seed is more spiritual than scientific. He sees himself as a steward. Seeds are our allies and we walk in this journey together. Manish also uses seed growing isolation distances that are much smaller than usual recommendations. We talk about how he has established these distances without compromising his seed varieties. Throughout the interview, we keep coming back to Manish's watermelon breeding project, where he crossed 22 varieties to create a diverse gene pool and how he has been selecting out specific phenotypes from the mix, including the ever elusive mango watermelon.This leads into a discussion of how you should always keep some of your stock seed back to compensate for the vagaries of squirrels, plant disease, and rats. In the deep dive, we talk about growing watermelons from seeds, planting, spacing, harvest, and how to extract the seeds with the food processor and/or pressure. Check out the Gaia online catalogue and follow Gaia Organic Seeds on Instagram Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

Gabriel Bravo is one of the founders of the company Semillas Plantae and farms with Mima Picado at El Tablazo Farm in Costa Rica. In this episode, Gabriel talks about how Semillas Plantae is structured with 4 partners who operate the seed company and how they distribute their seeds. Gabriel explains how they source seeds from outside of Costa Rica and trial them to see what can grow in their bioregion and how he is always on the hunt for Costa Rican heirloom varieties and the stories that come with them. We also discuss what it is like growing seed in the tropics where there is a very humid season that is a nightmare for growing dry seeded crops and a dry season that is much better suited for seed production. We then have a more technical seed growing conversation about growing cilantro for seed and producing seed for biennials such as carrots in a climate with no cold winter to help with vernalisation. Follow Semillas Plantae on Instagram and check out their YouTube channel Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!

In almost every interview on The Seed Farmer, my guests and I wind up talking about tools. And one tool that podcast guests have mentioned more than any other tool is the Winnow Wizard. We use the Winnow Wizard at Torne-Sol Farm to clean seeds, so I understand the love that folks have for this machine. But I really wasn't expecting it for it to just keep coming back, interview after interview. And since it has kept coming back, I thought we should spend some time with the person who designed the seed cleaning machine, Mark Luterra. Mark currently works at Adaptive Seeds in Sweet Home, Oregon, but he started his seed journey at Wild Garden Seed, where he designed and built the first Winnow Wizard to make his seed cleaning days easier. He then went on to build another 104 machines that have been shipped all over the U.S. and Canada. He's now transferred production of the Winnow Wizard to Oppen Works in Wisconsin. In today's episode, Mark tells us what the Winnow Wizard does and how it works, and we do a deep dive into seed cleaning. And of course, the Winnow Wizard plays the key part in the seed cleaning stories, but Mark also explains how seed harvest and screening are equally important steps to get your seed clean. Mark also reveals some secrets of using a shop vac for seed cleaning. During the discussion, we go through four seed cleaning scenarios and how Mark would tackle each of them. Mark then wraps up the conversation by telling us about his next seed project aimed at small-scale seed farmers. Follow Mark on Instagram and check out his Substack Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!