LANDRACE GARDENING

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Seed Distribution

Pilot Program

GOAL: Give members a jumpstart on landrace development by consolidating & mixing seeds for specific species, making it easy to obtain genetic diversity in a single packet.

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NOT:

• A replacement for existing peer-to-peer trading
• An exhaustive seed catalog
• Centralized distribution (or responsibility)

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Bonus: be able to send a diverse packet of seeds to new students

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Geography & Shipping

• International shipping costly if not illegal
• Start by determining who is willing to be a seed steward
• If we get volunteers from EU, Australia/NZ, etc, will try to set up mirror sites
• Might be US/Canada only for first season

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Timeline

• AUGUST: Identify seed stewards, answer open questions about overall system
• SEPTEMBER: Committee meets to review grex planning
• SEPTEMBER 30: Publish list of seeds we’re collecting
• OCTOBER- DECEMBER: Stewards collect, organize and inventory seeds. Anna designs and builds out tech systems.
• JANUARY 1: Publish the seed list & descriptions, open orders
• JANUARY 31 - Seed orders close
• FEBRUARY 15: Deadline for stewards ship seed
• MAY - AUGUST: Stewards field questions, moderate forums

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Timeline

• SEPTEMBER 30: Publish list of seeds we’re collecting, start accepting donations
• OCTOBER 1 - NOV 15 - Stewards collect seeds, organize & inventory (enter data in spreadsheet about approximate number of packets so we can ship them supplies)
• OCTOBER 31 - Close seed donations
• NOVEMBER 15 - 30: Stewards package seed into provided packets. (by NOV 30 update inventory spreadsheet with actual amounts of seed packets)
• DECEMBER 15: Deadline for seed stewards to ship packets to US & Canada hubs
• JANUARY 1: Publish the seed list & descriptions, open orders
• JANUARY 31 - Seed orders close
• FEBRUARY 15: All seeds shipped.
• MAY - AUGUST: Stewards field questions, moderate forums

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October 31

Stop accepting donations All packages must be postmarked by October 31st

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Stewards receive seeds, organize and inventory them.

December 1

Seed orders open

US shipments will be sent out in the order they are received

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Canada shipments will be held until orders close

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December 15

Seed orders close

All orders guaranteed to be shipped by January 2

Timeline

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September 30

Start accepting donations

List of seeds we are collecting will be posted with mailing instructions

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November 7

Stewards update inventory spreadsheet with estimated number of packets

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November 15

Stewards receive packets/supplies

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Meet to discuss any changes to grex proposals based on seed received

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Stewards package seeds

November 26

Last day for stewards to ship to US hub (Anna)

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Stewards update inventory spreadsheet with actual packets shipped

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December 17

Anna ships inventory to Canadian hub

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What’s the role of a Seed Steward?

• Gather as much diversity within a single crop as possible
• Determine how to sort into grexes
• Draft description of grexes & horticultural info about species
• Store & inventory those seeds
• Pack and ship seeds - one time for the season
• Answer questions, gather field reports

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NO financial commitment

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Sign up to be a seed steward!

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What are the responsibilities of seed recipients?

• Pay for postage
• Grow according to agreed upon principles
• Provide field updates
• Save seed according to steward’s instructions and ship them back to the steward

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What’s Anna’s role?

• Identify seed stewards
• Host committee meetings & facilitate decision making around grex definitions, etc
• Design/ Build / Manage system for order management, inventory, shipping labels/postage
• Create website/ form with ordering info
• Process any large donations (e.g. Joseph or Mark)
• Provide seed packets
• Manage shipping reimbursements to stewards

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END