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Seed-Blog

Welcome to our seed-blog! From time to time we will highlight what William has going on in his garden and in his work. Check back now and again to see what's new!

App Voices Article

6/20/2022

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Cultivating Communities Through Seed Saving

By Carolina Norman, June 2, 2022 ​

​Chelsea Askew, a farmer from Northwestern Georgia, grows many fruits and grains. By fostering a hospitable environment for their seeds to recreate, she can then collect those seeds, saving them for the next year.

“Seeds contain all the DNA and essential first energy sources for that seed to become a plant,” Askew says. “All of that’s packaged in there — whether a tomato or corn kernel. It allows you to continue to grow that particular kind of plant. More of my focus...*Continue Reading Article at AppVoices.org*
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Some Container Gardening Advice

4/21/2022

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I'm not exactly sure how these folks found me, but I was asked to give some advice about container gardening for an article featured on Redfin|Blog.  I don't do a lot of container gardening outside of my houseplants anymore, but I have had very good luck with Horace Pippin's beautiful "Fish Pepper."  My seeds came from my friend Bob Alsup in Winston Salem, but they all track back to William Woys Weaver and his grandfather's seed collection and black painter Horace Pippen.  In brief, Horace sought relief from arthritis, and using an age old (and effective) cure, he sought out a local bee keeper (H. Ralph Weaver) to borrow bee sting or two.  In exchange, he brought along some of his stunning and flavorful little peppers.  I like to grow them for a few reasons: 1) They have a great story 2) I got my seeds from a dear friend 3) they are beautiful and unusual 4) they are prolific and flavorful.

You can read the Redfin|Blog article here.
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The new year

1/5/2022

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Ray Dellinger on his Porch with Izzy, Courtesy of Jeannette Dellinger.
I have (like many other people I'm sure) entered into this new year with deep trepidation, not to mention a nice complimentary wave of depression. The turn of the year has become especially tough for me as I have leaned more and more into the work of gardening and maintaining the special roots and seeds of friends. It's the time when I have to start really thinking hard about what will go into the limited ground in my care. So many deserving little sleeping frozen gems. There's also many trees to prune, (perhaps others to graft) This year in particular, I also have the added weight of many un-started projects--between Bobby McMillon's papers and books, my South Arts Emerging Artist program, and also a long-time-coming CD. 

See, I both love the work of gardening, and also strangely dread the responsibility of caring for a garden. I also dread the disappointments and frustrations that seem to be largely absent from the oh-so-cultivated-and-perfect gardens that people share on instagram. Please, show me your errors, your messes, your mistakes. What "eyesore" is left out of frame? 

Today I made my way down to the lower garden, hoping against hope that a very special plant had pulled through--despite my rather poor care of them. This fall I had dug up a few roots of my dear friend Ray Dellinger's horseradish plants. They had always been there at his place beside the camper. A neat strip contained by mowing. I dug them up before the old place sold, determined to keep up a little connection between me and a dear friend taken by 2021 and Alzheimer's. But In my scattered state, I promptly forgot them for a week or more in the root cellar. I knew Horseradish to be survivors, but they looked terrible (and for the forty billionth time in my life I was furious with my absent-mindedness). But I hoped hard, put them in a tender hill in the bottom, and covered it with a blanket of straw. Nothing much happened after that despite this global weirdness warm, and I grieved losing another little part of Ray. 

Today, as we were moving an old chicken-coop-turned-tool-shed down to the lower garden. I risked a look at my little straw-covered row and was filled up with joy to find that every bit of root I stuck in the ground had sprouted a beautiful little fractal crown of horseradish.  I was reminded then of that sister emotion to grief, and close kin of Joy:

Wonder.  

And how good wonder-surprise-joy feels when it pours into those holes left by grief pouring out.  It is dangerous to love.  There's a grief-price you must be willing to pay.  I will let some of my plants down this year, bugs and varmits will eat others, tornado winds may rip through the holler again and flatten half my corn, and I may lose out on the seeds for something that just can't be replaced.  There's no seed catalog for the things I grow.  It hurts, it's embarrassing, and frustrating, but goodness is it worth it when those little sleepers burst through the clay and open up their arms.  And good food is just a healing thing.  They say hunger is the best spice.  But "I grew that" is damn delicious. 

So here's to wonder, joy, and grief.  Can't have one without the other.

And Jeannette, thank you so much for this picture, of Ray in his element with two of his favorite joys.  There's really not words to describe how grateful I am for it. 
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Spring PLants Available Soon

4/30/2021

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This year we have a small assortment of historic regional heirloom slips and starts (and one from central Mexico that's well adapted). Please reach out through our homepage "contact us" section for the list of what we have available. Seeds we can ship (see "Seeds" page our website), plants we cannot. Plants won't be ready until around Mother's Day, and we don't suggest planting them that early despite these incredible balmy days--the weather is weirder than ever and I'd bank on late spring frosts.
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Gateway to the Smokies pOdcast

3/15/2021

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Tuesday, March 16th, I'll be appearing on the Gateway to the Smokies podcast.  Listen live at 6pm Est. on Facebook or  ​https://www.TalkRadio.nyc/listen-live
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Candyroaster Pie

2/20/2021

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It's been a little bit since I've written an "ethnobotanical" (the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people) song.  Recently I was working our Sylva Candyroaster page and I even wrote "I still need to write a song about candyroasters."  Then I thought, maybe I should just write one right quick--and I did!  A few years ago I submitted an article about this fabled Appalachian Squash to the NC Folklife Food Blog.  Their Food Blog is really worth a gander!
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Feast and Farmin FUn-Time

2/19/2021

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A little bit of old news here, but I was very pleased to participate in a great little online program with Mars Hill College and the Appalachian Barn Alliance late last year.  There's lot's to learn here about old barns and also the Farmers Federation (which historically had a huge role here in WNC).  To see the virtual mountain farm tour *click here*  Lots of great photos and information there!
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Material CUlture

2/2/2021

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Song to Seed (@songtoseed)

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A Kernel of Wisdom

10/11/2020

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View this post on Instagram

A nugget of traditional elder seed-saving wisdom from John Leopard of Jackson County, NC. Typically, it's best to not plant end kernals--unless you have a small amount of seed to start with (Like the last existing ear of Hamburg corn he rescued in 1978. He was careful to note that he even planted the end kernels then!) End kernels often lack the vigor of the straighter, interior seeds. #seedsaving #seedstewards

A post shared by Song to Seed (@songtoseed) on Oct 10, 2020 at 9:04pm PDT

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"Who" is your favorite bean?

10/1/2020

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Starting on top from left to right Lindsey Butterbeans, Bonnie Cope Greasybacks, Maw Laney Beans, Yona Soup Beans, Barte Laney Beans (Maw Laney Sport), and Herb Key's Half-runners. Also grown this year but not pictured: Mary Soup Beans, Lonnie (sp?) Morgan Cornfield Beans, Granny Greene Cornfield Beans, Balsam Soup Beans. Once someone asked me "who" my favorite bean was. It caught me off guard as odd, but at the same time, almost all of the beans I've taken into my care over the years already came with a person's name attached. Honor your source, honor your community, and honor the seeds-of-place. #hierlooms #beans #seedstewards

A post shared by Song to Seed (@songtoseed) on Oct 1, 2020 at 6:54am PDT

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  • Home
  • About
    • Photos
  • Programs
    • Bean-String Ballad-Sing
    • Registration
    • Live Links
  • Songs
    • Mentor
  • Seed
    • Sweet Potatoes
  • Projects
    • Ray Dellinger Memorial Garden
    • Bobby McMillon Legacy >
      • Legacy Podcast
      • Cassette Transfers
      • Folklife On the Go
      • Hunting Tale
      • A Very Unfortunate Man
      • Field Recordings by Bobby
      • Videos From University Collections
    • Resources & How-Tos
  • Blog
  • Newsletter