I’ve long been a believer in organic, non-gmo local eating, which stems from my understanding of our connection to Nature, our reliance on healthy eating of natural foods, and from the study of our modern food; it also helps that I have a few amazing (and hippie) folks in my family who share their wealth of knowledge. The year 2017 marks my first full-go, large venture into creating my own organic and completely sustainable garden, and while I’ve gone through the typical trails any first-timer goes through, I’ve also grown to deeply appreciate the natural growing process. It’s not only fulfilling to see all your hard work take shape, but there’s this amazing, special feeling that I receive from eating my own homegrown and fresh vegetables and herbs.
In today’s day and age, our food is genetically altered, mass treated with chemicals and tend to be processed into mineral-stripped foods that provide only a fraction of their nourishing power when fresh and untainted, and have been proved to cause cancers and other diseases. I grew up eating whatever my mother brought home from the supermarket and as the decades past, the more and more these sorts of foods made their way onto shelves. Sure, they look bright and colorful on the package, but they are bad for us. When I was young, I used to say I didn’t care if it was good for me, then I started noticing its affects, and I began thinking deep on the subject, and researching the origins and treatment of our food, and I became disgusted and scared, and vowed to change my unhealthy ways. Now, my mind automatically pictures processed foods as cardboard cleverly disguised as something edible.
I recently teamed up with the fine folks over at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, who run RareSeeds.com, and they sent me their amazing Northern Jumbo Package, which is a very large collection of seeds, and two of their gardening and cook books. The Northern Jumbo Package included 250 packets of rare and unique heirloom seeds. There’s a wide range of strains of just about every vegetable and herb you can imagine, each selected for cooler, northern climates. The Northern Jumbo Package may feel too large for some people, and that’s okay, you can order their packets individually as well, because this package is meant for larger groups and families, and schools. For me, I gathered my family for dinner and had a sort of hippie party, to where she shared things from our gardens, or things we made, and I shared this package among family. It helps to have a family of green thumbs.
All of the seeds are grown and collected by Baker Creek, and immediately upon opening the first packet, it’s obvious that they care a great deal for our natural world and the future of our food. Within the giant Northern Jumbo Package is a mix of the following, among others (and many unique variations): corn, beans, peas, cowpeas, carrots, beets, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, greens, okra, winter squash, summer squash, radishes, turnips, huckleberries, sunflowers, leeks, amaranth, broccoli, ground cherries & kohlrabi, etc. It’s jam packed with so many styles and unique strains of all of the above that I began feeling overwhelmed at first perusal. There were dozens of melons from all over the world. Now, I need to find enough space to grow each! Each packet comes with an insight into the characteristics of each crop, and some even give helpful info as to cultivation. This is a truly amazing package!
Whether you’re a first time grower, an avid gardener or a full-fledged farmer, investing in non-GMO seeds can be beneficial on several levels. How, you might ask… Well, think of it this way: If we continue along the path we’re going, as a species, the natural world will be gone within mere decades, and with it, the unique varieties of plants and animals will disappear. By investing in a large collection like this, you are not only keeping a seed bank in case the world needs it, but if you may find yourself in a survivalist scenario, you’re prepared to help the natural life on this planet retake the balance. AND you will have food! The natural course of change has been gaining in momentum for the past couple of decades and is showing no signs of slowing. This is a fantastic sign of hope, because without the momentum of changing visions, we are doomed to die off in mass, malnourished and poisoned. This is why the ‘Eat Local’ movement started, not only because of large corporations mass-producing everything, but because eating fresh, whole foods is how the human evolved and will continue to evolve and survive. Eat local and grow local, not because it’s what’s in right now, but because you deeply feel within your soul that better food makes a better you, and a better you makes for a better world. Without our efforts to eat well, and to preserve the natural world, we are doomed. Be the necessary change in the world. You will eat and live better for it.
If you would like to find out more about Baker Creek’s Rare Seeds, click here.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
I recently teamed up with the fine folks over at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, who run RareSeeds.com, and they sent me their amazing Northern Jumbo Package, which is a very large collection of seeds, and two of their gardening and cook books. The Northern Jumbo Package included 250 packets of rare and unique heirloom seeds. There’s a wide range of strains of just about every vegetable and herb you can imagine, each selected for cooler, northern climates. The Northern Jumbo Package may feel too large for some people, and that’s okay, you can order their packets individually as well, because this package is meant for larger groups and families, and schools. For me, I gathered my family for dinner and had a sort of hippie party, to where she shared things from our gardens, or things we made, and I shared this package among family. It helps to have a family of green thumbs.
All of the seeds are grown and collected by Baker Creek, and immediately upon opening the first packet, it’s obvious that they care a great deal for our natural world and the future of our food. Within the giant Northern Jumbo Package is a mix of the following, among others (and many unique variations): corn, beans, peas, cowpeas, carrots, beets, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, greens, okra, winter squash, summer squash, radishes, turnips, huckleberries, sunflowers, leeks, amaranth, broccoli, ground cherries & kohlrabi, etc. It’s jam packed with so many styles and unique strains of all of the above that I began feeling overwhelmed at first perusal. There were dozens of melons from all over the world. Now, I need to find enough space to grow each! Each packet comes with an insight into the characteristics of each crop, and some even give helpful info as to cultivation. This is a truly amazing package!
Whether you’re a first time grower, an avid gardener or a full-fledged farmer, investing in non-GMO seeds can be beneficial on several levels. How, you might ask… Well, think of it this way: If we continue along the path we’re going, as a species, the natural world will be gone within mere decades, and with it, the unique varieties of plants and animals will disappear. By investing in a large collection like this, you are not only keeping a seed bank in case the world needs it, but if you may find yourself in a survivalist scenario, you’re prepared to help the natural life on this planet retake the balance. AND you will have food! The natural course of change has been gaining in momentum for the past couple of decades and is showing no signs of slowing. This is a fantastic sign of hope, because without the momentum of changing visions, we are doomed to die off in mass, malnourished and poisoned. This is why the ‘Eat Local’ movement started, not only because of large corporations mass-producing everything, but because eating fresh, whole foods is how the human evolved and will continue to evolve and survive. Eat local and grow local, not because it’s what’s in right now, but because you deeply feel within your soul that better food makes a better you, and a better you makes for a better world. Without our efforts to eat well, and to preserve the natural world, we are doomed. Be the necessary change in the world. You will eat and live better for it.
If you would like to find out more about Baker Creek’s Rare Seeds, click here.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
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