Seed saving is important. In recent years we have seen the effects of climate change on agriculture more and more. From food shortages and droughts to changes in terrain and growing conditions, it becomes increasingly important to maintain a wide range of biologically diverse crops so that they can survive in many different growing conditions. Many of the seeds in the Native Seeds/SEARCH collection are extremely drought tolerant, others have a built-in resistance to certain pests or diseases. Growing a number of different crops all with different skills and strengths is the best way to protect against drought and famine.

In addition to Native Seed/SEARCH there are a number of other organizations across the globe that work towards promoting biodiversity in crops, the list below highlights just a few:

Svalbard Global Seed Bank - Located in Northern Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Bank serves as a safety deposit box for all the worlds seed. In recent years wars and political instability have ravaged the seed collections of many countries, this seed bank currently contains some 150 million seeds in frozen conditions and can accomodate samples of every seed in existence. 

Seed Savers Exchange - Seed Savers Exchange maintains a collection of heirloom seeds on their 23 acre farm in Iowa, they also serve as a resource for gardeners wishing to grow their own 

ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas has a large seed bank in Aleppo, Syria and works to rebuild agricultural diversity in areas such as Afghanistan.

By Emma Piper-Burket

By Ellie Downing

For thousands of years olives have been viewed as a symbol of importance and peace. Archeologists have uncovered olive mills and presses, sculpted oil jars, as well as discarded pits, indicating a rich history of cultivation starting well before 3000 BC. Native to the Mediterranean region, the top olive and olive oil producers today include Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco and California. Three-quarters of the world’s olive oil comes from countries belonging to the European Union.

Ranging in color from pale green, deep eggplant, to black, olives boast a variety of flavors perfect for giving your favorite pasta or salad a little kick. Some of the most popular varieties include manzanilla, picholine, kalamata, niçoise and lugano. The difference between green and black olives is simply their ripeness. Unripe olives are green, whereas ripe olives are black.

Olives contain a high monounsaturated fat content and no cholesterol. Additionally, olives are a good source of iron, vitamin E, copper, and dietary fiber. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil edible right after pressing. No further processing is necessary which ensures we benefit from all those healthy natural antioxidants left in the oil.
Before delving into this wonderful fruit, however we do need to remove the glucoside, a particularly bitter compound.

Thankfully, the bitterness is naturally removed during the pressing process when producing olive oil. Olives harvested for their oil are picked ripe in late autumn and winter by means of traditional hand-picking or use of mechanical tree-shakers. The first press (‘virgin’ olive oil) is often very green and sharp in taste, which some prefer to the mild, more mature pressings. ‘Extra Virgin’ olive oil indicates a low acidity often desired for flavor.

Olives reserved for their fruit, often called table olives, are harvested at various degrees of ripeness depending the desired texture and taste. Table olives once picked are first cured to remove the bitterness and then often packed in olive oil or vinegar. Curing techniques include water-curing, defined by repeated water soaking and rinsing (a lengthy process), brine curing (often combined with the use of herbs and spices to impart a particular flavor), lye curing or dry curing. Dry cured olives are packed in salt. This process removes the excess water from the fruit resulting in a dry, furrowed fruit. Table olives are available whole, sliced and chopped, not to mention pitted, un-pitted and stuffed. Some of our favorites are stuffed with pimentos, jalapenos, garlic and almonds.

By Emma Piper-Burket

Recently, mainstream media has experienced a growth spurt in its awareness of how food choices impact the health of our planet and our bodies. An illustration of this is the public (and publicized) return of the Victory Garden.

The modern Victory Garden takes many forms: rooftop gardens in inner city schools; public arts projects like WORK Architecture Company’s functioning farm- smartly title PF1- installed on the grounds of PS1 (the farm supplied eggs and produce to the museum café during the summer of 2008); and Slow Food Nation and San Francisco Victory Garden’s temporary garden in front of the City Hall that donated 1,000 pounds of produce to area food banks.

This time around the Victory Garden is grown in the name of environmentalism, education, health, and increased quality of life. Michael Pollan writes of, “a new Victory Garden movement, this one seeking ‘victory’ over three critical challenges we face today: high food prices, poor diets, and a sedentary population.” Though patriotism might not be a word to toss around at liberal dinner parties these days, Victory Gardens might still be a relevant way of helping our country.

For many Americans erratic gas prices or the occasional news headline are the only noticeable indications that our nation is at war. With a seeming abundance of wealth and resources, the vast majority of Americans have not had to alter their daily routine in any way during the past 7 years of war.

Contrast this with World War II when all around the country citizens were encouraged to save scraps of metal to be converted into bullets, to “Eat less bread” in order to save grains for the troops, and of course to grow a Victory Garden.

Providing up to 40% of the country’s food needs during World War II, towns, schools and families across the United States took part in the production of their food by way of these Victory Gardens. The Department of Defense produced pamphlets and films teaching children and adults how to grow the necessary varieties and quantities of vegetables to sustain them throughout the year. People were encouraged to can and preserve vegetables for the barren winter months and no one was to take more than they needed. Growing one’s own food was seen as a way of helping the country and everyone took part.

Today, while we may not need to grow our own food to support the troops, growing victory gardens could help us avoid future wars. Industrial farming techniques and transporting food to markets consumes vast quantities of petroleum. The war in Iraq and much of America's strategic interests abroad are linked to oil. Michael Pollan has said the removal of petroleum from our food system could help improve our national security, but perhaps more importantly, it would contribute to the survival of our planet.

Growing a garden in your backyard or neighborhood and taking an active role in the food production process is the best way to do your part.

Sources & Resources for Victory Gardens:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/24/HOFK13LPVD.D...
http://www.thewhofarm.org
http://www.eattheview.org/
http://www.futurefarmers.com/
http://www.gardenfortheenvironment.org/
http://www.sfvictorygardens.org/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/
http://sidewalksprouts.wordpress.com/history/vg/

A short film on making a local meal from our friends at Tamarack Media in Vermont:

At Slow Food Nation, we met Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin whose recent film "Good Food" is making the festival circuit. Good Food is about sustainable food and agriculture in the Pacific Northwest.  Visit their website for screening & ordering information.