Comments

Episode-1152- Jere Gettle of Baker Creek on Heirloom Seeds — 9 Comments

  1. I have always loved gardening. My husband and I have always raised and garden, froze, bottled, enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

  2. Amazing timing, Jack. After the interview on High Mowing, I’ve been listening to interviews on seeds all week and just yesterday I was listening to a few other interviews with Jere Gettle and thought, “Hmm, I wonder if he’s been on TSP….” Thanks!

  3. I wonder if there would be a market for a seed network for all the small companies that sell heirlooms and potential providers of seeds. Maybe even an affiliate agreement where if one company is out of stock it can send the customer to the next site.

  4. Another great show! I had just recently read about this guy in another magazine and meant to look his site up so this was a nice surprise. It’s so encouraging and educational to hear from guys like this. Good work, Jack.

  5. Baker Creek is one of my “regulars” when I purchase seed. No need to go into all the great things I could say about their catalog. You folks covered that!

    I really enjoyed learning Jere’s more in depth knowledge in regards to what’s going on in the commercial seed industry. I am also REALLY in favor of the idea floated, on this program, of many small gardeners learning to preserve one or two things. That is huge!

    Jere’s reviews of a couple of plants at the end of the program have me already planning some new things for next year’s garden. That was quite helpful.

    I do have a problem with the term “heirloom.” As I understand it, “heirloom” refers to something passed on down from one person to another for a good many years, say, several generations. I grow two beans which my wife and I received from her grandparents, who in turn received them from relatives. That’s heirloom. But open pollinated is often equally valuable, even if it isn’t “heirloom.” For instance Sioux tomato isn’t technically an heirloom. But it is a very worthy variety which can be indefinitely preserved. This is just one thing I wish I could change in our nomenclature. I’ve been conscientiously saving seed since 1983 and seed this term broaden out until it is almost synonymous with “open pollinated.”

    Finally, I just received my first copy of Heirloom Gardener for Fathers’ Day. Wow! I haven’t been a great fan of gardening magazines since my beloved Gardens for All (National Gardening) went out of print. But this magazine has much of the flavor I’ve missed. So far, the articles I have read are quite good and I feel almost like I’m visiting with the authors, when I read; which is how it was to read Gardens for All. Thank you for such a fine publication (in spite of the name lol).

  6. Great interview man. The arrival of the Baker Creek seed catalog is always an exciting day at my homestead!

  7. I’ve ordered from Baker Creek for the last two years. Their service is wonderful. I’ve had some good and bad luck with the seeds but I’m going to keep trying when ever I see something I like.
    It’s companies like yours and your values that make this country great.

  8. A couple of years ago we held a workshop on composting and gardening for 800 women in El Salvador. Baker Creek donated Amaranth and Long Beans for us to give to each one of the ladies who attended and even years later their gift continues to produce here in El Salvador. They are amazing people and we appreciate there generosity. They are the real deal!