Check out Emilee’s blog Heirloom Living for a look at her latest projects on the farm, travels, vegan recipes, reviews and a behind-the-scenes peek at the seed company.

The 2010 seed catalog is in the works. Seeds from our growers are arriving daily. It’s always an exciting,  but extremely busy, time of year for us! We look forward to getting the new catalog into your hands in the near future!

A view of the exhibit hall at the Garden Writer's Convention.

Our exhibit booth with produce that traveled with us from our garden.

Thousands gathered in support of farmers at the FarmAid concert in October.

We got to see many of our old friends, including a chance listen to a farewell performance by our friend Wayne Horsburgh of Austraila, as he makes his last summer-long tour of the USA.

Also we got to learn from cool demonstrations and enjoy old-time entertainment, just like an old fashioned fair.  Make plans to come to our monthly events if you can!

The Giant Tomato Contest with Ezra and Homer Lee

35 Vendors selling local products.

Australia’s Country Performer of the year, Mr Wayne Horsburgh!

For many people worldwide, gold is an obsession. But, all that glitters is not gold. To a gardener, gold is brown—the brown of the soil. And for those who want the ultimate in perfect soil, the name of the game is compost.

When my wife, Peggy, and I lived in San Diego, California, we had a small lot (as lots tend to be in Point Loma), so we could either grow Bermuda grass or a garden. We elected to put our whole back yard into a garden. The growing season in San Diego is phenomenal, so we had something going almost year round.

However, the soil in our back yard was poor. Even soil amendments we bought at nurseries and Home Depot never quite satisfied. Then, one day, my wife bought a book at a yard sale: “Crockett’s Victory Garden” by James Underwood Crockett, copyright 1977, Little, Brown and Company, which was the companion book for the PBS series by the same name. This book is perhaps the finest garden reference book of its kind; simple, but elegant. Unfortunately, it is only available nowadays through outlets such as Amazon.com at greatly inflated prices, because it’s become a collector’s item. But, I stray from my main topic.

On page 180 of this book begins a section on composting, entitled “The Composter, or the Brown Gold Cadillac.” Space doesn’t permit a complete recapitulation of this article, but to summarize, it defines compost as “the gardener’s best friend.” For the poor soil of our back yard in San Diego, this proved one hundred per cent accurate.

More than just a testimonial, the article provides plans for a 3-bin composter, which I built with materials purchased from Home Depot. We began depositing lawn clippings from the front lawn, table scraps, and an occasional bag of manure into bin #1, applying water copiously, and before long, we had a mixture we could transfer to bin #2, then to bin #3. The final product was a soil that was truly magnificent. When blended into the native soil, this proved to be the brown gold that Mr. Crockett promised. Our garden took off like gang-busters.

One important point that I must stress (as the book explains) is that no meat scraps are to be added to this mix. Only vegetation can be used. Meat won’t decay at the same rate as vegetation, gives off an unpleasant smell, and attracts undesirable critters.

The only negative is that this is labor-intensive. Turning the compost into each bin with a shovel on a routine basis is hard work, plus the need for regular watering is tedious. Being of the engineering persuasion, I thought there ought to be a better way. Since we moved to Missouri, I’ve tried a purchased composter made of black plastic that has proved to be an expensive bomb. For less money, the Crocket composter is a real winner.

I’m attaching a scan of the plans for the Crockett composter, and believe me, if you follow the plans scrupulously, you will produce compost that is truly brown gold. Try it and see.

Kiwano (African Horned Cucumber) which is a Jelly Melon. It is a very unusual fruit with spiny “horns.” The green-yellow skin turns a bright deep orange when ready to harvest and the pulp resembles lime-green Jell-O. The fruit has a sour-sweet, banana-lime-tropical fruit taste and is good juiced. This fruit is appearing regularly in US markets. Native to Africa, it is hardy and easy to grow; can be grown just about anywhere you can grow melons. Beautiful vine and fruit!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co., headquartered in Mansfield, MO is reaching out to the Great Golden State of California with their first branch retail location in the City of Petaluma, in Sonoma County. They’ve leased the historic Sonoma County National Bank building, (199 Petaluma Blvd., N.) A beautiful structure in the heart of the retail district at Petaluma Boulevard North and Washington Avenue. With its 30-foot high hammered-metal ceilings, ornate lights and fixtures, and enormous windows, this venue fits perfectly with Baker Creek’s theme of heirloom seeds that trace their origins back to a time when foods were healthier, with no GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) content.

The new location will offer California’s largest selection of heirloom seeds and traditional gardening items.

In a recent interview, Owner Jere Gettle said, “A huge share of our current California business is concentrated in a few counties surrounding Petaluma. Not only will we be able to serve those folks better, but we also expect to be a destination for many tourists from across the country.” He added, “The tentative opening date is set for June 8, 2009. We’ll be selling seeds and for a brief time, doing a bit of remodeling, as well, so come on out and see us.”

“We want to thank each and every one of you for making our family business of seed preservation a success,” said
Gettle, “helping us swim against the river of modern agriculture, as we continue to work for the farmer, the gardener and most of all each and every eater!”

Over 1200 varieties of heirloom seeds will be offered, including vegetables, flowers and herbs, the nation’s largest selection!

Interested in working with seeds?
Baker Creek is looking for several employees to manage their new store in Petaluma, CA.
If you live close by and would like to talk about this exciting position, call 417.924.8917 or send an email to webmaster@rareseeds.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
2278 Baker Creek Road
Mansfield, MO 65704
417.924.8917
FAX 417.924.8887
http://www.rareseeds.com
Contact: Andrew Kaiser or Bill Timmsen