Seed Catalog V3
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Stillwater Valley Farm Seedlisting 2021 Hello and welcome to my third annual attempt at a descriptive catalog/formal seedlisting! In the past I have only used namelistings of seed, expecting that buyers do their own homework – but it is my hope that the descriptions on these pages will be of assistance, especially to those who may simply be curious. The purpose of this first page is to establish background and “ground rules”. I have always been a “farmer” ever since chewing down dirty carrots in my dad‟s garden, though I entered into seedkeeping after college. My beliefs and educational background established indigenous causes as something close to my heart, and beyond my basic self-sufficiency desires, the connection I feel to my seed is spiritual. It is something I take extremely seriously. I am not in this for profit; I am in this as “heart work” and a calling. I am a lone, economically challenged grower and I process and ship all of my seed by hand with no help. Therefore, I do not have a system for „buy it now‟ seeds and everything here is subject to my own whims and is only based on what I personally grow and provide. If you wish to obtain samples, these details will explain how. I understand they are long, but I ask you to read and respect them all. Informationals: – Varieties are offered in small quantities. I cannot provide poundage; please don‟t ask. A normal distribution of corn is approx. 200 seeds. A normal bean distribution is 20-30. “LQ” or “ELQ” means I have low quantity; these will be provided in roughly half the above stated amount. Other types of seed use the bean sample size at minimum, sometimes more. Tiny seed (tobacco, poppy) is a pinch. - Packets are $5 each unless noted. This includes all the shipping costs. The minimum request is 2 packets AND a $10 value (must meet both of these or higher). Local pickup cost is less - please inquire. - Prefer payment in Cash or Paypal. I can also accept checks, but it will delay processing. – Shipping is to the lower 48 U.S. states only. I will also ship to Canadian indigenous people (at increased shipping expense). I will not ship elsewhere - sorry, don‟t ask. Included shipping is a USPS First-Class Parcel. I am not responsible for stolen, lost, or seized packages; if you would like added insurance, it will cost extra. – Season will now be January 1st – June 1st yearly. I have stopped shipping year-round as it is too much hassle for me to ship during the growing season. I try to ship within a week of receipt, but if I am occupied with “life”, shipping may take some time. I do not rush orders. – You WILL be vetted if you request any important/critically rare varieties. Expect this, and understand that it is not meant as an insult to you. I am looking for responsible stewards, not profit. It will save us both time if, in your first message to me, you include some information about yourself/your growing situation/your goals and reasons for requesting. Anything on the “freely available”/(C) list is for anyone to request with no vetting. – I can custom-grow bulk seed or specific varieties; this must be pre-arranged by contract. – I do trade seed for other seeds, but my collection is very big and I am picky. I am looking for types I don‟t have that are of Northeast U.S. origin, or for indigenous varieties from anywhere in the country. I am most interested to swap corn for corn and bean for bean. I am not interested in any super-long season varieties or desert varieties of anything, and I do not trade for any commercial seed. I also trade for goods/supplies. – Indigenous seed banks/food sovereignty projects in need are welcome to contact me for possible discount or other arrangements. I will review all projects on a case by case basis. I am NOT generally able to donate seed to any other causes, or to private individuals. If you cannot afford seed, I am happy to trade for supplies, art, produce, crafts, grow-out work, etc. Contact may be made at: stillwatervalley.com - facebook.com/stillwatervalley - [email protected] - [email protected] - 1161 South Main St. Ext., Jamestown, NY Any inquiries or questions are completely welcomed. I am happy to address all questions even if no purchases are being made. And now, on to the listing… 2021 Seedlisting – FREELY AVAILABLE SEED Anyone may request and purchase the seed in this category – there are no restrictions and you will not be vetted if you only request these. These packets are $3 apiece. Barley Faust – A hulless, awnless barley that is therefore easy to thresh and clean in small scale home production. Many tillers. Somewhat susceptible to barley rust. Moderately susceptibility to lodging in heavy weather. Beans Calypso - similar to Yin-Yang/Orca and may often be labeled interchangeably. Bush type, black and white spotted. This seedstock has cosmetic damage but the seed is unaffected in germinability. Chocolate Multiflora – AKA Chocolate Runner. This is a coccineus (runner) bean, not a vulgaris. Young, small pods are good green/fresh beans, while and the fully mature seed makes beautiful (and large) dry beans. Pole type, requiring a strong trellis. Red blooms are produced in abundance. Seed is a range of colors, and may be black, brown, brown or purplish speckle, tan with brown speckle, etc. 10 seeds. Good Mother Stallard – pole type dry bean, magenta/maroon and white swirled rounded bean. One of the 1,186 beans given to Seed Savers Exchange in 1981 by bean collector John Withee of Massachusetts. Named for Carrie Belle Stallard of Wise County, Virginia. This variety dates to at least the 1930s. Maroon beans splashed with white, 5-6 seeds per pod. Wonderful rich meaty flavor, great for soups. Popularized by Glenn Drowns of Sand Hill Preservation Center. King of the Early - bush/dry, large dark red beans speckled with orange. Originally sourced from Fedco Seeds via Linwood Ware. A great baking bean with a history in the Northeast. Fred Wiseman believes this to be an indigenous-origin bean, and I am inclined to agree as the color pattern and type resembles some of my others. Mitla Black - bush/dry with some runners, prolifically produced solid black seeds. A “black turtle” type. Despite the labeling on many seed sites, this is a common vulgaris bean. It is absolutely NOT a tepary bean. The actual history of this is unknown to me and is obscured in this false information. North Star Lima – I chose this lima for its lovely pattern, which is a spraypaint-stipple of dusty purple-rose extending in over the white base from one side edge of the seed. This is a large- seeded pole type lima that did very well in my climate, matured mid to mid-late season, and appeared to suffer very little from fungal issues even as my other beans faltered. I obtained this from John Sherck. I have no specific history for this bean. Broomcorn Broomcorn (Sorghum vulgare) - NOID/VNS - A tall, resilient broomcorn producing heads with red, orange, or yellowish seeds. I previously got this seed with no attached identification as a prize/gift from a Facebook seed trader. This is new crop/fresh seed grown out by me. It produces a decently long brush. Calendula Pennsylvania Dutch Mix - Nice hardy calendula, good for adding color to salads or as a fun garden nibble. I originally got this from William Woys Weaver. Most of them appeared to be standard single orange, though I recall a few double blooms or yellows in there (much more uncommon than the orange, so not represented in the seed much if at all). Resina – Mix of orange blooms with some yellow. Single blooms. Sticky calendula with high resin concentration, making it a good medicinal. I find this variety grows in one prolific summer wave, with a second flowering wave as frost approaches in the fall. Clematis virginiana Wild Native Clematis/Virgin‟s Bower - Also known as Devil's Darning Needles, Woodbine, Traveller's Joy, Love Vine. A perennial vine that can extend many feet high. Its overwintering roots send out slim stems that easily twine around trellises or nearby vegetation. A U.S. native often found in moist thickets, damp meadows, and creeksides. Small white flowers abundantly spread along the length of the vine, typically in small clusters, blooming mid-late summer. Attracts native bees, is a nesting habitat for songbirds, and is the larval host of the clematis clearwing moth. Corn Dakota Black - very dark red to black colored popcorn. Pops to nice small nutty tasting white puffs. As each stalk usually makes one cob, it is not super productive, but it is attractive and great as a specialty item. Hardy plants, approximately 100 DTM. Double Red - Striking sweet corn with very high anthocyanin content, which is expressed in its kernels, silks, husks, stalk, tassels, and sometimes even pollen. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants found in these dark red/purple pigmented varieties, and are nutritious for us to consume. The husks will stain your fingers when shucking, and can be used to make a natural dye. Bred by Dr. Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds, who has developed new varieties for decades. SU genetics. Can also be dried for cornmeal and flour. 5-7' tall plants with 1-2 ears per plant. Most cobs 10-14 rows, though I had one with 16 - as long as the dark color and sweet type was consistent, I kept them all.