<\/p>\n
Self-sufficiency and sustainability are rules to live by, but in times of crisis and strained resources, they grow imperative.<\/p>\n
And to encourage budding gardeners to take root around Mancos, some local farms and groups are collecting seeds, to be distributed in early May. Kellie Pettyjohn, one of the seed drive\u2019s organizers, said that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic seems like an opportune time to encourage people to begin garden plots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of people are thinking about how they can become more self-sufficient,\u201d said Pettyjohn, who runs the Wily Carrot farm in Mancos.<\/p>\n
This prompted Pettyjohn to consider sharing seeds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that I had a bunch of extra seed from the last year or two that I wasn\u2019t using,\u201d she said. \u201cSo it started out with me just saying, \u2018Hey, does anybody want some extra seed to go and garden with this year?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Others jumped onboard to offer seeds and facilitate the drive. Midge Kirk of the Mancos Public Library donated their entire seed library to the effort. Back in 2011, Kirk began the seed-lending library, which allows users to borrow non-GMO, organic and heritage seeds to plant, enjoy and then return after letting the plant go to seed.<\/p>\n
Kirk said she decided to donate the seeds after realizing this would be a \u201cstrange spring,\u201d with little opportunity for locals to drop by the Mancos Public Library and borrow seeds in a timely manner. The collection is now at the Sharehouse in Cortez.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome are pretty old, but I did a germination test, and they passed,\u201d Kirk said.<\/p>\n
Kirk said she would like to see the revival of Victory Gardens, planted by U.S. households in World War I and World War II to save resources and support the war effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrow when you can,\u201d Kirk said. \u201cEven if you just grow lettuce, let\u2019s say, in a container, sprout, do microgreens, and supplement your diet in a safe, inexpensive and healthy way. It makes so much sense. If you have a plot of land, be grateful, tend it, plant it and work it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with the Wily Carrot, other local farms that have either donated or pledged seed donations include Banga\u2019s Farm, Confluence Farm, Kestrel Farm, Mountain Roots Produce and Laughing Wolf Farm.<\/p>\n
Over at Laughing Wolf Farm, Lee-Ann Hill is another leader of the seed drive. She also works for the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance<\/a> and sees seeds as a connection to the past, as holding \u201cmemories\u201d hearkening back to the Anasazi civilization.<\/p>\n In her words, she\u2019s a \u201cseed junkie.\u201d And a strong proponent of seed-saving.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we save seeds out of our own garden, we are adapting them to our own practices and our own soils and habitat of our own gardens. We have very specific microclimates in each of our farms and yards,\u201d Hill said. \u201cSo that\u2019s a real benefit. And we\u2019re also participating in a really ancient tradition of saving seeds and growing our own food.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year, a late June freeze wreaked havoc on plants throughout the Mancos Valley, but some of Hill\u2019s heartier varieties survived.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see that some plants survive a freeze, those are the ones you\u2019re going to want to keep the seed from and continue to regenerate that seed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Hill\u2019s been helping Pettyjohn on the collection end, gathering seeds to be distributed. While she\u2019s a lover of many seeds and vegetables like squash and corn, she encourages locals to grow beans and grains.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beans have a very ancient lineage here with the people of the Southwest that have lived here for a millennia,\u201d Hill said. \u201cAnd they have been the true stewards of these seeds, and I\u2019ve just been honored to carry on the tradition of growing them here.\u201d<\/p>\n On the distribution end, the growers have partnered with the Mancos FoodShare and the Sharehouse in Cortez, which aim to increase access to healthy and local food. Mancos FoodShare offers gardening and nutrition classes and has a community garden to share, along with running a food pantry.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout having to essentially close our classes, we still wanted to offer people seeds and plants and education,\u201d said Stephanie Marquez, a co-director of the Mancos FoodShare.<\/p>\n They will be putting together boxes of seeds, or even boxes people can use as a garden space, and they are looking to offer online video tutorials with local farmers discussing some of the common problems of growing plants in this area.<\/p>\n Without knowing how long the coronavirus pandemic will last, being able to access local produce grows increasingly important, Marquez said.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of our produce isn\u2019t even grown in America,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s shipped. If this virus keeps going, we might not see a lot of fresh vegetables in the time we\u2019re used to, across even the country.\u201d<\/p>\n At the Mancos FoodShare, they\u2019ve only seen a slight increase in use of the pantry so far, Marquez said, but they expect more as recently unemployed residents begin to empty out their cupboards. Now more people are also picking up food for multiple others, as a way to comply with social distancing regulations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re lucky to live in a small community, and people are willing to help,\u201d Marquez said.<\/p>\n In addition to promoting self-sufficiency and locally grown food, the drive\u2019s organizers hope to offer an outdoor outlet for community members cooped up because of social distancing measures.<\/p>\n \u201cI think just getting outside and getting in the dirt and knowing that you\u2019re doing something positive and being productive is such a huge boost for your mental health,\u201d Pettyjohn said.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a positive communal aspect to it too, she added, whether it be sharing homegrown produce with a neighbor or asking for help from a more knowledgeable farmer. The organizers hope to create a Facebook page with information on various growing-related topics, and a space for community members to ask questions.<\/p>\n And at some point, the group may recruit volunteers to help people set up their own garden plots.<\/p>\n For now, seed collection will happen through April 15, after which organizers will sort and later distribute the seeds, likely at the Mount Lookout Grange and at the Sharehouse. Those who would like to donate seeds can contact Pettyjohn at kelliepj@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n