Before a farmer can grow crops, he or she must have seeds — and for organic farmers, that’s a problem.
As little as 1 percent of organic produce is grown using seeds from plants grown organically — that is, free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.
There’s even an exception carved into the federal organic regulations allowing seeds from non-organic crops to be used in certified organic production if organic seed isn’t available, which often is the case.
The Port Townsend-based Organic Seed Alliance, however, in association with several entities, has secured a three-year grant to try and address the shortage by training organic farmers not only to grow their own seed, but to select and breed the plants to produce vigorous local varieties.
The first of several workshops for aspiring seed producers took place Wednesday at Nash’s Organic Farm near Sequim, drawing a few dozen participants from across the state as well as Oregon and Canada.
Here, the project is focusing on spinach seed. Sister projects are also under way in Idaho (green beans) and Oregon (radishes).
The program is aimed at both environmental health and increased economic security for agriculture, especially as the large-scale seed production industry consolidates, potentially reducing the variety of seeds available.
Seed production center
Washington is already a center of seed production for crops like spinach and cabbage.
Seed crops, however, are not subject to the same pesticide and herbicide restrictions as crops grown for consumption, said seed alliance executive director Matthew Dillon — and that has ramifications for organic farmers.
One concern is “the integrity of the organic system,” he said.
Using seed from plants raised non-organically promotes that system of production, and “we don’t want to be contributing to the pollution of the ecological system,” Dillon said.