Why I Save Seeds: The Cultural, Environmental, and Global Impact of Seed Saving

Panel Session: Wednesday, February 24, 2021 • 6:00-7:30pm

Hosted By: Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES) & Binghamton University Libraries

As awareness about the human impact on the environment continues to grow, many have highlighted the long-practiced tradition of seed saving. Seed saving provides both individuals and communities with a method of continuing cultural traditions, preparing for climate-related stressors, and cultivating biodiversity.

In this workshop four panelists will discuss their experiences with seed saving and share their expertise on its importance and impacts on culture and the environment both globally and locally. Topics that will be discussed include creating a heirloom seed bank in Fondwa, sharing seeds as a way to save culture and biodiversity, and community food systems.

This panel session will include four presenters and will take place on Wednesday, February 24th from 6-7:30pm.

Register here to recieve the Zoom link or join us on Facebook Live at https://fb.me/e/1unuawWNQ.

Panelist Bios

Anandi Premlall

With a global mindset and vision resting at the intersection of social justice, sustainability, wellness and permaculture, Anandi A. Premlall is an International Agro-Ecological Educator, Writer, Grower and Farmacist who has mycelial roots thriving in the Caribbean, ancestral India, and USA. Ms. Premlall’s genuine passion for sharing her work has forged connections to like-minded communities and producers, helping to foster lasting improvements in the fields of Sustainability and Agroecology, including biogas education, as well as biodigester installation and troubleshooting.

As Anandi’s Shero Dr. Vanda Shiva said, "We need to not only know how to grow food, we need to know how to cook the food and nourish ourselves." Ms. Premlall loves sharing about the wondrous sensory world of plants and insects and soil and letting her students discover the magic of seeds for themselves. With seed banks in various locations around the world, Anandi shares and grows seeds to preserve culture and biodiversity by growing food for the ecosystem.

Junior Beauvais

My name is Junior Beauvais and I am originally from Fondwa, a small community village in the western department of Haiti. I grew up on a small farm with my grandmother where she would cultivate crops such as black beans, corn, and pigeon peas. These crops are very essential to farmers in Fondwa. I believe in seed saving because seed is an economic engine for the farmers in our community. However, getting proper seeds was a big challenge for the farmers In Fondwa. To help solve the problem, I built a seed bank to collect and distribute heirloom seeds to the farmer during planting seasons. I have volunteered myself to help farmers Fondwa fight the seed crisis.

Valerie Imbruce

Valerie Imbruce is an economic botanist who is interested in how community food systems are influenced by processes like immigration, gentrification and global trade. She has worked for Bioversity International which supports the conservation and continued cultivation of agricultural biological diversity. She has visited community seed banks in Ecuador and Peru, and saves and replants seeds with her children.

See https://www.cityaslivinglab.org/chinatown to learn more about a current project in NYC that is supported by the Binghamton University Sustainable Communities TAE, including a short video of Valerie and her collaborator, and a story map of a virtual tour of Chinatowns food system.

Lisa Bloodnick

Lisa Bloodnick of Bloodnick Family Farms, is a well-known seed steward, who has been growing rare seeds for the Experimental Farm Network and maintains a collection featuring approximately 1000 bean varieties and other rare crops.  Bloodnick Family Farm is a diverse, horse powered family farm serving our community sustainably raised produce since 1992. They have operated a popular CSA for over 25 years. In addition to raising produce, herbs and flowers the operation also raises a small flock of heritage breed sheep and makes maple syrup.