It’s Your Turn: Join A Global Alliance to Save the Non-GMO Seed

“Our seed are seeds of resistance – let us plant them together.” ~ Vandana Shiva

Never has planting an organic garden been such an act of defiance against corruption. This September 20^th and October 20^th, you can join millions of other political ‘rebels’ and support a caravan for heirloom, non-GMO seed sovereignty. The event is hosted by Seed Freedom, and it aims to join millions who want to save seeds, support sustainable agriculture and planting practices, and support the ‘millions of years of biological and cultural evolution’ that unfolds in the potential of a single seed.

Dr. Vandana Shiva’s Declaration on Seed Freedom points out the right of farmers to live without debt, to save, exchange, evolve, breed, or sell seed as an inherent right and part of seed freedom.

Since seeds are the very first link in the food chain, it is absolutely imperative that people everywhere stand up to corporate interests who would control the entire cycle of life. Patented, biotech seeds have no place in our modern agricultural landscape. By creating community heirloom seed saving resources and seed libraries, Seed Freedom is hoping to refute the illegitimacy of actions which make seeds the private property of corporations.

What actions can you take?

• You can sign the declaration and commit to saving heirloom seed, and share it with your friends.

• You can download a PDF of the Seed Declaration to share it at community farmer’s markets, seed swaps, gardener’s meet-ups, and other places that you know people care about supporting food sovereignty.

• You can start your own seed bank.

• You can guerrilla garden or start a ‘seed-bombing’ event in your community.

Read: 5 Vegetables Anyone Can Grow Easily

Tips for Guerrilla Gardening

Not sure how to guerrilla garden some non-GMO plants? Here are some tips:

• 1. Find some local, orphaned land. Neglected flower beds (especially owned by the city), plots of grass along a highway, or abandoned buildings with green spaces are ideal.

• 2. Plan your striking, and involve some friends so you can do your excavation, prep the soil, plant your seeds, water, and cover in the smallest amount of time as possible.

• 3. Need heirloom plants? Ask neighbors, gardeners, and even retailers. When you tell them what you plan to do, they may even gift you some free organic plants to add to your cause. Just be sure to document your handy work with pictures so that you can go back and ask again. Make sure you pick hardy, heat-resistant, cold-resistant, drought-tolerant plants. Unless of course, you plan to revisit your guerrilla gardening plot frequently.

• 4. Revisit. Even if you sew hardy plants, you need to check on them periodically to water and apply organic fertilizer when needed.

• 5. If you get really good at beautifying spaces with non-GMO, organic plants, publicize with the local papers. You can enlist more volunteers that way.

• 6. Want inspiration? This town in England completely transformed itself with guerrilla vegetable garden planting.