For the second year in a row, the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) are presenting a series of six webinars on organic seed production. The webinars cover everything from planting to harvest, to the economics of seed production. The series is part of an organic seed internship program organized by OSA and MESA, but the free webinars are open to everyone. Advance registration is required--registering just once will allow you to attend all the webinars. The series will cover the same topics as the 2016 series, but whether or not you attended last year, you are welcome to join and type in questions for the presenters. Starting on May 16th, there will be one webinar on the third Tuesday of each month through October at 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, 12PM Mountain and 11AM Pacific Time. Dates are:
- May 16
- June 20
- July 18
- August 15
- Sept 19
- Oct 17
Register for the 2017 Organic Seed Production Webinar Series at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2788257417038326785
If you would prefer to watch the recordings from the 2016 series, they are available along with additional resources in at the following links:
Find out more about the organic seed internship program at https://learn.mesaprogram.org/courses/organic-seed-internship/
Schedule
Tue, May 16, 2017: Introduction and Crop Planning
- Which crops should I grow?
- Field planning
- Recordkeeping
Tue, Jun 20, 2017: Trials and Selection
Conducting on-farm variety trials is a valuable investment of time and resources to ensure you are planting the best crop, variety and stock seed source for production of your seed crop. Field selection or roguing of a seed crop throughout the production cycle can further refine and improve the quality and performance of a variety or population. This webinar will cover the basics of conducting on-farm variety trials including sourcing germplasm, field plot design, trial evaluation, and making sense of the data. Presenters will also cover basics of field selection or roguing to improve performance of open pollinated seed crops.
Tue, Jul 18, 2017: Diseases and Pests
Management of disease and pests in seed crops can be even more critical than in food production. Seed crops may encounter disease and pests unique to the plant reproductive phase and avoidance of certain seed borne diseases is critical for seed quality. Seed crops are a long season crop, often growing over twice as long and twice the size of a food crop, requiring additional management practices to reduce pests and diseases. This webinar will cover basic field practices for avoiding diseases and pests in seed production and post harvest. Presenters will also provide guidance on prevention, testing and treatment for seed borne diseases in organic seed production.
Tue, Aug 15, 2017: Seed Quality, Harvesting and Equipment
Deciding when and how to harvest seed can be one of the most tenuous steps that will ultimately impact the yield and quality of your seed crop. This webinar will cover basic principles for determining the optimum timing of harvest and guidance on how to harvest either by hand or with equipment. Presenters will also cover tips and tools for preliminary threshing and drying post harvest and addressing inclement weather during the harvest process.
Tue, Sep 19, 2017: Seed Cleaning and Recordkeeping
Cleaning seed can be either gratifying or frustrating depending on your knowledge, equipment, and space for handling seed. This workshop will cover the basics of cleaning wet and dry seed by hand or with small to large-scale equipment. Farmer participants will share their seed cleaning tricks, tools and facilities and engage in trouble shooting questions with participants. Tips and resources for record keeping will help ensure seed lots are in order at the end of the season and you can recall cleaning methods in future years.
Tue, Oct 17, 2017: Seed Contracting, Economics and Policy
Good business relations and management skills are critical to the success of all seed operations whether selling direct market or wholesale. Seed for wholesale is normally grown under contract with a retail seed company that will then pack and sell seeds to farmers and gardeners. Success in wholesale contracts requires assessing the costs of production and rate of return as well as building a good relationship with the contracting seed company. Join this webinar to hear from seed company representatives and a seed grower about when and how to plan for contract production and how to assess profitability. Presenters will also share perspectives on the details to consider in a contract including terms for pricing, over-production, field roguing, and seed cleaning.
Additional Resources
- Seed Saving Guide: http://seedalliance.org/index.php?mact=DocumentStore,cntnt01,download_fo...
- Climate Guide: http://seedalliance.org/index.php?mact=DocumentStore,cntnt01,download_fo...
- Crop Record: http://seedalliance.org/index.php?mact=DocumentStore,cntnt01,download_fo...
- Harvest and Handling Record: http://seedalliance.org/index.php?mact=DocumentStore,cntnt01,download_fo...
- Field Activities Worksheet
- Example Crop Plan
- Tourne Sol Seed Cooperative: Sample Brassica rapa seed budget
Funding for this program is provided by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.
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