Seed saving is a fun and easy way to back up food security for our families as well as providing us with fresh, organic produce.

Many new members to our group are surprised when they find out that access to our seed bank is free for members.

The only obligation is, if you do take some seed from the bank then you save some seed from those plants when you grow them to donate back.

This two-way relationship does a number of things for us as a community.

It keeps the stock fresh and viable. It grows diversity within our bioregion, and it makes the seedlings/plants stronger and better suited to our local growing conditions. Diversity and community sufficiency are a key to making a population and bioregion better able to survive food shortages and pandemics.

As a self confessed seed-nut, I was able to supply friends and neighbours during the NSW state virus lockdown with 230 seed packets from my own 'stash'. I hope that some of that plant stock still survives, nourishing my community.

Our seed bank volunteers produce our own seed packets from repurposed waste office paper, using origami techniques. We are currently doing an inventory of our seeds and creating a searchable data base because, in this last year, the bank has outgrown its usual container and requires expansion due to the generous and ample donations from our members.

The best Australian publication on the subject of saving seeds is the Seed Savers Handbook.

The handbook is a complete reference for growing, preparing and conserving 117 traditional varieties of food plants. It was written in 1993 by Michel and Jude Fanton, founders of The Seed Savers’ Network, especially for Australian and New Zealand cultures. It is however applicable to all situations.

The Seed Savers’ Handbook has 180 pages with stunning original illustrations and is a must have for anyone who wishes to save their own seed and become more self sufficient

***• Origami seed packets, labelled with the date stored and the suburb they were grown***

***• Chilli seeds and cucumber seed packets: just a couple of varieties in our ever growing seed bank***

Clara, the current president of Permaculture Central Coast (Claras Urban Mini Farm), always takes her favourite varieties and saves seeds or propagates them from cuttings. By spreading them out in the community even if her patch floods or is levelled by a Wallaby she feels secure knowing that her favourite species will still be available in friend’s gardens.

Should you wish to get in contact or even better, join us at one of our gatherings, we hold them every month at different community gardens all over the Central Coast.

You can reach us here.
Or at our facebook page Permaculture Central Coast Inc
Or myself through my facebook page Pickle's Patch.

Jen Jones, Seed Bank Coordinator

Permaculture Central Coast