Author: Alexander, Adam

Published by: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2022.

The best way I can describe the storytelling of this book is like a great find on Antiques Roadshow. Adam Alexander describes how he found the seed, and the origin story is always interesting, and the expert describes how it came to be and its importance. You, the reader, can sit back in the chair and relax and just let the story unfold while you learn some history and gain knowledge.

Alexander traces seeds that go back thousands of years through evolution–much like some of the seed origin story you may find in a Baker Creek Whole Seed Catalog. For some plants such as the fava bean, it has hardly changed through the centuries. He traces the carrot with an origin from Afghanistan and the origin color being purple. While describing lettuce, he discusses the many hundred wild species broken into several different categories and found in almost every country and adapted for their regional use. I found these bits of information to be fascinating and new to me.

Gardens today are familiar with The Three Sisters from North America: corn, bean, and squash. While each of these vegetables have been around for centuries, it is believed that the Native Americans established this cultivation style. Alexander tried to seek heirloom blue corn seeds in southwestern U.S. but found difficulty in obtaining the seeds as tribes protect their cultural resources. This causes a personal dilemma for the author, knowing that these seeds are well protected and yet as a seed collector and historian, it was extremely difficult to procure. He manages to procure some seeds that were quite close to the particular blue corn he was seeking by asking people who understood his purpose.

Alexander discusses his responsibilities as a seed saver. He comes from deep respect from obtaining seeds, receiving permission to share, and grows the seeds himself and sends some back to their origin (usually to families) so they can continue their crop growing and seed keeping.

One of the loveliest lines in the book describes his gentle nature and his deep connection with seeds:

“Growing a crop of colorful beans, creating a delicious meal, and then admiring the beautiful seeds evokes memories and emotions redolent of looking through a family photo album.”

Reading this book, you develop a deeper understanding of seeds and how they came to be and how the same seeds show up halfway across the world. Seeds are seen as a way humanity around the world is linked together.