{"id":13208,"title":"Ellis Bowdler from Vallis Veg talks to Gaia about her love of Seed Saving","description":"We're incredibly grateful to the team at Vallis Veg in Frome for turning their green fingered hands to modelling for the afternoon and donning the Seed Revolution Tee so wonderfully. Ellis Bowdler is fast becoming an incredibly skilled seed saver thanks to Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Programme trainings.\nWe took the chance to talk to Ellis about all things seed...","content":"

We're incredibly grateful to the team at Vallis Veg<\/a> in Frome for turning their green fingered hands to modelling for the afternoon and donning the Seed Revolution Tee so wonderfully.<\/p>

Beyond market gardening and modelling, it's fair to say that the Vallis Veg bunch have an eclectic range of skills when it comes to all things regenerative. Sociologist turned farmer and author, Chris Smaje's 2020 book A Small Farm Future<\/a><\/em> <\/a>is a must-read publication for anyone interested in the role that small-scale, agroecological farming can (and must!) play in the future of food production, whilst market gardener Ellis Bowdler is fast becoming an incredibly skilled seed saver thanks to Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Programme<\/a> trainings.<\/p>

With the ambition to grow commercially and eventually set up her own small seed company in north Devon, we took the chance to talk to Ellis about all things seed...<\/p>

\"\"

Ellis, tell us about your journey from market gardener to seed saver, and what inspired you?<\/strong><\/p>

This is my sixth year as a market gardener, having originally studied to be a grower at Schumacher College<\/a> in Dartington. During the first few years of growing I've really focused on the skills required to produce healthy crops and work with the land, but latterly I've become increasingly obsessed with seed. It feels like the missing piece of the puzzle and something really important which I can focus on and specialise in. Once you start understanding the art of seed saving it can become incredibly addictive, as no doubt anyone whose tried it will know.<\/p>

As a market gardener, the pandemic really highlighted the need to be self-sufficient not only in our food production but our seed production. Thankfully we were well prepared and had the seed we needed for the imminent growing season in spring 2020, but had we not been, it would have proved incredibly hard and competitive to access the seed we required to meet customers (increasing!) demand. UK based, small-scale seed producers could not meet the sudden rocketing demand and panic, but at least the whole experience served to demonstrate why local seed systems and producers are an absolutely critical part of a resilient food system.<\/p>

\"\"

Beyond your own inquisitive exploration of seed saving, how did you learn the skills involved and sustain that learning process?<\/strong><\/p>

In order to truly learn something and retain that information I have to physically do it. Learning by 'doing' was critical. So for me, Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Programme trainings were perfect. The Programme's south-west Coordinator Robyn Minogue<\/a> ran the intermediate training programme which I was part of from March 2021 through to the Autumn. This meant 5 face-to-face sessions across the growing season to learn everything involved in seed saving and small-scale commercial seed production. Each session was held somewhere that could bring the principles and processes to life - so we met Ashley Wheeler at Trill Farm<\/a>, Fred and Ronja at Vital Seeds<\/a>, Kate McEvoy at Real Seeds<\/a> and the team at Grow Wilder<\/a> in Bristol.<\/p>

In addition to the Course I've been doing my own studies. My two seed saving bibles have been Carol Deppe's Breed your Own Vegetable Varieties, and The Seed Garden by the Seed Exchange.<\/p>

And which seeds are you saving currently at Vallis Veg?<\/strong><\/p>

I started out with beans and peas because they're self-pollinating, and also tomatoes because they're quite a good one for beginners. I also experimented with flowers. Now I'm also saving seed from peppers, chillies, aubergines, cucumbers, gerkins, squash, spring onions and leeks. So steadily the spectrum of variety, taste and colour is growing!<\/p>

\"\"
<\/p>

What's next for you on your seed journey?<\/strong><\/p>

I was thrilled to be accepted on a \"Seed Exchange\" process organised by Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Programme in partnership with the Land Workers Alliance<\/a> (which I'm also a member of!) and the UK Grain Lab<\/a>. This is a really exciting opportunity to hear from some of the most inspirational folk out there. People like Row 7<\/a> who are pushing the boundaries when it comes to working with chefs to select for the very best flavour, and Adaptive Seeds<\/a>, a farm based seed company also based in the States.<\/p>

Everyone involved in the exchanges is also given a certain number of varieties to sow and trial, so it will be a really interesting opportunity to share learnings, successes and no doubt some failures. Being able to talk about these experiences with other seed savers at a similar level and with similar ambition will be incredibly supportive and no doubt rather eye opening.<\/p>

Beyond the exchanges, myself and my partner Kris are about to move to north Devon to establish a market gardening cooperative, and our longer term aim is also to set up our own small seed company. Watch this space for locally adapted seed varieties in the north Devon region!<\/p>

We look forward to that! Finally, can you tell us why you think seed saving is so important. What does it mean to you? <\/strong>

I feel a deep sense of responsibility, amidst the chaos out there in the world right now, to play my part in preserving seed diversity for future generations. There's no doubt that things will get harder as climate disruption worsens, and having diverse food crops will be critical in navigating this. There's no end in the pressure that agri-business puts on farmers, seeking to take seeds out of their hands and control our seed and food system, and so it feels right - and empowering - to be doing something which directly acts against this, and keeps the seed in our hands. Passing on the skills and knowledge to save seed feels an incredibly important act... A food revolution starts with seed, right!?<\/p>


You said it!! Thank you Ellis, good luck with your next adventure and thanks to Chris, Cordelia, Kris and Ellie at Vallis Veg for being such willing t-shirt wearers for our promo shoot. Photographs by Ally Nelson for The Gaia Foundation.<\/strong><\/p>

<\/p>","urlTitle":"gaia-talks-to-ellis-bowdler","url":"\/blog\/gaia-talks-to-ellis-bowdler\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/gaia-talks-to-ellis-bowdler\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/thegaiafoundation.teemill.com\/blog\/gaia-talks-to-ellis-bowdler\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1633981559,"updatedAt":1634203109,"publishedAt":1634203109,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":139496,"name":"The Gaia Foundation"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/v1zjixe3ielzhz3wzex4evkksdzvg0r6jscdyn96pgkslq9l.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/v1zjixe3ielzhz3wzex4evkksdzvg0r6jscdyn96pgkslq9l.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/v1zjixe3ielzhz3wzex4evkksdzvg0r6jscdyn96pgkslq9l.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":13232,"title":"Introducing Gaia & the Seed Sovereignty Programme","url":"\/blog\/the-folk-behind-the-tee-gaia-the-seed-sovereignty-programme\/","urlTitle":"the-folk-behind-the-tee-gaia-the-seed-sovereignty-programme","division":139496,"description":"Registered UK charity The Gaia Foundation (Gaia) has been working at the nexus of climate resilience, seed diversity and indigenous knowledge for over three decades, both in the UK and overseas. Across Africa we support local and indigenous communities to revive their local seed diversity, by restoring confidence in their traditional knowledge and governance systems. We also use communications to raise the voices of traditional seed keepers and small-holder farmers and fisherfolk around the world, and in 2012 we released the documentary Seeds of Freedom, narrated by Jeremy Irons, to exposing the truth about the corporate takeover of seed","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/orqqaof3m2cmg3la9f8vlypoxvnfgp4ymrw4v044wyx89tmt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/orqqaof3m2cmg3la9f8vlypoxvnfgp4ymrw4v044wyx89tmt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":13205,"title":"The Seed Gathering - October 2021","url":"\/blog\/the-seed-gathering\/","urlTitle":"the-seed-gathering","division":139496,"description":"A collection of discussions, workshops and talks celebrating the diversity, opportunities and deep cultural connections of our seeds.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/do7qe5jmdbqkhnephgdnkfgum6h1yyncxgepecosrzgaa7se.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/do7qe5jmdbqkhnephgdnkfgum6h1yyncxgepecosrzgaa7se.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":13207,"title":"The Story Behind the Artwork","url":"\/blog\/the-story-behind-the-artwork\/","urlTitle":"the-story-behind-the-artwork","division":139496,"description":"We're thrilled to have collaborated with much loved artist Isla Middleton to come up with the iconic image to represent the Seed Gathering 2021, and now feature on this exclusive range of t-shirts. With a popular series of foraging posters and calendars, Isla's work had caught the attention of Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Team and we knew that her style would suit the Seed Gathering perfectly. Isla usually sources inspiration for her designs from plant forms, flowers and natural colours from her immediate surroundings, but we challenged her to create a design featuring three seeds which relate to particular stories connected to our Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rdrheurqbe5fe72ydcdqoemuat0v1y0ujcq35nejffyidc3r.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rdrheurqbe5fe72ydcdqoemuat0v1y0ujcq35nejffyidc3r.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}