About 60 percent of the food my family eats come from what I ’ve hunted , angle or grown , but when I ’m unable to incur food through my own mean value , I trade . For a successful trade , you ask to have a desirable currency : Mine are excess seeds I’vesaved from the gardenand extra plant starts I grow myself . To ensure my currency holds up to all my bartering needs , it ’s necessary to establish a seed bank . If you ’re also looking to trade seeds for other homestead demand , like texture , eggs or meat , use these tips for begin a collection of workable cum that others will be thirsty for .
1. Choose the Right Crops
When choosing seed that will make good currency in a swop , stay with crops that most families like to eat and that store well . I choosetomatoes , beans , squash , peasandcucumbersbecause they ’re easy to grow and raise hatful of seeds . Do n’t get fancy . Stay forth from designer crops , and instead , opt for 1 that grow well in your expanse .
2. Start With Good Seeds
If you do n’t start with high - character seed , you wo n’t have any for late use . I purchase heirloom seed from a company calledBotanical pursuit , but many other reliable party haveheirloom seedsavailable . broadly speaking , heirloom vegetableshave remained genetically unaltered for at least 50 years . Most are open - pollinated , with the plants growing from those seed being true to the parent industrial plant . Heirloom seeds are more expensive , but you ’ll only have to buy them once . Not only will they provide you with seeds to imbed for geezerhood to do , but they ’ll produce plenty to trade in . Before buying seed , take the software or catalogue description so you have intercourse what you ’re getting and how to grow it .
3. Dedicate Garden Rows to Seed Saving
How much you plant is relative to the space you have available . I have a 20 - by-20 - foot garden , and after planting the crop I call for to hold up my category , I dedicate a row to seed production . Here , I ’ll plant crops like supererogatory beans and peas that will be used solely for trade . There ’s no need to give spare rows to crops like pumpkins and crush , though , as the fruit you eat will produce more than enough come to use in business deal .
4. Package and Store Seeds Properly
All seeds have a limited shelf life history , and to maximise their viability , proper storehouse is key . I package my seeds in plastic container with airtight lid and store the containers in a dark , nerveless , wry location . I also put the dates on the container and revolve my gunstock often . Any unused seminal fluid is discarded after two years . When I package the seed for trade , I usually put it in resealable charge card bags .
Keep in mind , not all seeds have the same ledge life . bean plant and pea , for example , will stash away longer than crush and pumpkins . The Colorado State University Extension has a goodseed shelf - life scout . I revolve my seeds more oft than recommended in the storage usher . You do n’t want to risk with viability when using seeds as currentness .
5. Make the Trade
How you apply your seed as up-to-dateness is only limited by your vision . I on a regular basis trade in seeds for eggs , farm I do n’t grow myself , and chickens or a joint . I ’ve also used seminal fluid , along with some cash , to have some welding done . Finding people to trade with can be the tricky part . It ’s base on need : both yours and theirs . I never sell my seeds , but if I try out a help or item and the provider is unforced to trade in for seeds , a transaction is made . The economic value of your semen is found on what you could obtain with them . If someone will give you a dozen egg for 20 or 30 seed and you ’re fine with that , then that is what your seeds are worth .
The goodness that comes out of using seeds as currentness is a winnings - win . You get a Cartesian product or service that you need and the other party gets the seeds they need . With the cost of food today , those germ will go a long direction . Just like the old saying , “ Give a mankind a Pisces the Fishes and you will prey him for a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Teach a man to angle and you tip him for life , ” money will bribe food for thought for a curt time , but seed will provide an endless provision .
Dana Benner
