#seedpenpals

[seedkeeping]

Tri Sa of Transplanting Traditions Community Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, holding some of the seeds we just sent off from my seed collection, from Namu Farm in Sunol, California (Chestnut Beans from the Heuksalim Institute in South Korea - the dry black and white soybeans in her hand), and from Novick Family Urban Farm in South Philly (many varieties from Karen and Chin groups in Burma, including the Long Bean seeds in her other hand). Tri Sa is a Karen refugee farmer from Burma and was very excited particularly for the Burmese crops from Novick Family Urban Farm - including these Long Beans which look like a special variety from the mountains that she lost, as well as a rainy season herb seed in the caraway/dill/parsley family that they are planting immediately. Not sure the name yet. A couple weeks ago this group had sent us seed for Water Spinach, Roselle, Bitter Melon, and more and I was able to plant some and share them as well with Novick and @vietlead. Loving the seed pen pals!! #seedpenpals #seedswap #transplantingtraditions # (at Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

[seedkeeping]

Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) plants, flower and seeds. This plant was introduced to me as rau muống by @dinhteresting of @vietlead, as she explained that Vietnamese soldiers during the American War would plant stem cuttings in bomb craters as they traveled to new places. The plants would root quickly and there would be fresh food to eat. So powerful and resilient. I bought these as greens at Hung Vuong market on Washington Avenue in South Philly and rooted them in pots under the leaky part of the hose - they love it! You can see the flower looks like it's cousin, morning glory (and also sweet potato). These water spinach seeds (called gazun in Burmese) and several others were sent by Tri Sa and Nicole Accordino of Transplanting Traditions Community Farm (@farmtraditions) in North Carolina where Karen and Chin farmers from Burma grow traditional crops as well as foods native to their new home. Very excited about new seed pen pals! Shared these seeds already with VietLead, and will soon share with @novickurbanfarm. #gazun #raumuong #waterspinach #ipomoeaaquatica #seedpenpals #seedkeeping #watermorningglory (at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)

[seedkeeping]

Cute alert. I got these treasures from a family I met at my recent Seed Keeping workshop at Soul Fire Farm. During the workshop, I mentioned that I LOVE having seed penpals, so when their mom (@wake.robin.botanicals) and I recently arranged a trade (I sent a couple pounds of dried Tulsi in exchange for some of the herbal products here), they told me their 11-year-old wanted to be seed penpals. So they included all these seeds with notes about how long they’ve been growing them, etc! In a maddening world, exchanges like these that are tied to joy, nourishment, and survival really keep me going. #seedpenpals #seedkeeping #seedsaving #bartering @soulfirefarm #tigerseyebeans #scarletrunnerbeans #blackdakotapopcorn #truecranberrybeans (at Southwest Philly)