The Plowboy Interview Kent Whealy

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PLOWBOY: Where do you expect the SSE to go from here?

WHEALY: Well, if we just continue what we're doing now—and do it well— I'll be satisfied. I'd like the Seed Savers Exchange to remain a clearinghouse for access rather than a warehouse for seed, because I can't, myself, undertake the expensive task of storing seed. It's my aim to provide a means of allowing people to exchange the varieties they're saving on their own. I see us as a pilot project that might lead to a larger network of seed exchanges, storage banks, and growers' networks. The real value of the SSE, therefore, isn't only in the access to rare vegetables that we make possible for hundreds of gardeners, but also in our demonstration of a functional structure that others may want to emulate when setting up similar projects.

Ideally, of course, I'd like to expand the scope of the exchange until we can locate all heirloom vegetables that are still being handed down among families . . . keep alive those varieties that are being dropped from seed catalogs . . . and search out any that have already been discontinued but are still "hoarded" by individual gardeners.

PLOWBOY: What is your most urgent need if you're to guarantee the continued growth of the Seed Savers Exchange . . . hard, cold cash or the active participation of members?

WHEALY: As is the case with most other non-profit preservation projects, we've had a hard time getting funds. Recently, since the SSE has become tax exempt, we have received help from several sources . . . including 60 people who had enough trust in our work to purchase $100 lifetime subscriptions! That sort of financial assistance has allowed me to work full time on the exchange this year, which will obviously make a big difference in how the organization develops from here. But it's going to be a long struggle, so we're always seeking new sources of funding.

The best way for folks to help us, though, would be by becoming small-scale plant explorers within their own areas. Such localized botanists could be invaluable . . . since they'd be able to build up small collections of particular vegetables native to their various regions. We also need more young people in the SSE. A lot of older gardeners are keeping and growing varieties that they've bred up through a lifetime . . . but as a result of today's mobile society, there are often no family members still living in the same area to inherit those specialties. Therefore, younger gardeners who've put in enough hours in a vegetable plot to know what they're doing can perform quite an important service by multiplying these older folks' crops and then offering the seed to others through the exchange.

I've found that most of the SSE members fall into one of two age groups: They're either in their 20's and 30's—and part of the new back-to-the-land movement that MOTHER represents—or they're in their 70's and 80's . . . and hark back to North America's original homesteading tradition! That age gap can be bridged by young people who are willing to accept the skills and seeds that are available to be passed on. A number of my members, in fact, have suggested that we establish some sort of apprenticeship program in special techniques of gardening and saving seed . . . and I think that's an excellent idea.

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