Know Your Seed: Choosing the Best Varieties for Your Farm

This session of the Young Farmers Conference was live streamed on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 at Stone Barns Center.

Know Your Seed: Choosing the Best Varieties for Your Farm

Seeds are a foundational component of any successful farm, but how much do you really know about the seeds you are planting? Presenters Amy Grondin (Organic Seed Alliance), Jason Grauer (Stone Barns Center) and Adrienne Shelton (Vitalis Organic Seeds) are passionate about organic and sustainable seeds and breeds. In this workshop, they will share their experience of the intricacies of the organic seed industry, from global breeding companies to independent breeders, and why organic seed is so important. Farmers play a critical role in influencing the new varieties that are commercialized each year, and we will discuss how to become a part of the process of determining which seeds make it to market. We will also present ideas for designing and implementing successful on-farm trials, with practical case studies from ongoing variety trials at Stone Barns Center.

Speakers: Jason Grauer, Amy Grondin and Adrienne Shelton