Are you passionate about preserving local biodiversity and building resilient, sustainable food systems in your community?
Community RiseUp is starting a local seed bank!
A seed bank is a carefully curated collection of seeds that are preserved for future use. Local seed banks play a crucial role in preserving and protecting locally adapted plant varieties that are well-suited to the local environment and have evolved over generations to withstand local climate, soil, and pest conditions. By preserving these varieties, a local seed bank helps to maintain local biodiversity and promote food security.
I have organised a local community seed swap in Cornwall for several years, and I believe that establishing a seed bank would be a natural extension of this project. A seed bank would provide a permanent, centralized location for processing, storing, and exchanging seeds, and would help to build community networks and strengthen local food systems.
Here are some of the ways in which a local seed bank can benefit our community:
- Preserving Biodiversity: Local seed banks help to preserve and protect the genetic diversity of plant varieties that are adapted to local conditions. This helps to ensure that a wide range of plant species and varieties are available for future generations, and that biodiversity is maintained.
- Promoting Food Security: Local seed banks are important for maintaining local food security because they provide a source of seeds for farmers and gardeners in the event of crop failures or other disruptions to the food system. Locally adapted plant varieties are often more resilient and productive than non-local varieties, and can help to ensure a reliable food supply.
- Building Resilience: By preserving locally adapted plant varieties, local seed banks help to build resilience in local food systems. This is particularly important in the face of climate change, as locally adapted varieties are likely to be better able to withstand changing weather patterns and other environmental stresses.
- Sharing Knowledge and Expertise: A local seed bank can serve as a hub for sharing knowledge and expertise about seed saving, plant breeding, and sustainable agriculture practices. This can help to build community networks and strengthen local food systems.
- Preserving Cultural Heritage: Many local seed varieties have cultural and historical significance, and preserving them helps to maintain cultural heritage and identity. Local seed banks can play an important role in preserving and promoting this heritage.
Cornwall has a rich history of agriculture and horticulture, with numerous community food project initiatives and regenerative agriculture projects. In addition, there are many local plant varieties that are well-suited to the region's unique climate and soil conditions. By establishing a local seed bank, we can help preserve these varieties and promote sustainable, resilient food systems in our community.
If you share our passion for seed sovereignty and would like to get involved with the local seed bank project, we would love to hear from you. Join the conversation and sign up to our mailing list to stay informed as we work to build a network of supporters.
We are also actively seeking funding opportunities and partnerships with local organizations to help get the seed bank off the ground. We are reaching out to local farmers, allotment holders, homesteaders, gardeners, and seed savers to share the seeds they use that are thriving in our climate. Our collection will include a wide range of locally adapted seeds, as well as other useful varieties such as nutritive, herbal, and forest gardening species. Biodiversity is key, and we aim to preserve and share a diverse range of edible and useful plant varieties for everyone in our community.
Together, we can build resilient, sustainable food systems and protect our local biodiversity.
