Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds uwww.rareseeds.com 2013 Pure Seed Book Dear Gardening Friends, We are excited to bring you our 15th annual seed catalog, the largest and we hope the best yet. This year it contains 212 pages and 1450 varieties of rare and unique vegetables, flowers and herbs from over 70 countries, bringing you the largest selection of heirloom varieties offered in the Ameri- cas and probably the most diverse collection of ed- ibles on the planet. It is our goal to preserve these unique genetic treasures: seeds that have been passed down through the generations, savored, saved and honored as part of each culture. They tell a still-living story of a culinary and horticultural past. This is a past that is filled with amazing seeds and stories—stories that are just as colorful as the fragrant flowers and vintage vegetables that are now filling our gardens again. Heirloom seeds bring history alive and connect past, present and future together like nothing else can. For me personally, when I grow and eat Mexi- can chiles each summer, I remember my Mexican grandmother toiling in the garden all day, with me running along beside her and watching as she lov- ingly honored the soil and seeds, and then in the kitchen cooking the same foods that were passed down to her. As I plant each variety each spring, I am instantly transplanted back to cultures of the past, to the gardens of our forefathers, including my grandparents. Now I hope to plant a dream of good food and soil into our little daughter Sasha, who al- ready is captivated by the miracles of seed and soil. I hope to plant a dream without corporate control of our seeds, lands and the very foods that sustain us. Let’s work together to make America’s food future truly great, self-sustaining and fit to eat again. The movement to save our seed has become a global one, with gardeners everywhere bringing back the old seeds, saving and dispersing them. The fight to keep them pure is a greater struggle each year, with corporate giants like Monsanto promoting their patented, genetically modified seeds, chemicals, and an ever widening net of genetic pollution and patent infringement suits against America’s farmers. One of the challenges our company and the planet face annually is the loss of corn (and other crop) varieties due to cross contamination from these patented, GMO seeds. During the past 8 years since we started testing each lot of heirloom corn we sell, we have found that about 50% of America’s heirloom corn supply is already contaminated with these unwanted, pat- ented, and possibly dangerous, GMO varieties. We have pledged to not sell any seeds that come back positive for Monsanto’s genes in our test samples. Not only do we not believe in offering GMO taint- ag companies and their money can have. Just a mat- We are just one small company, but we must not ed seeds, but we would also be faced with possible ter of weeks before the November election, the ma- give up our fight for pure food. We fight for the legal action for selling these unwanted genes.We jority of voters in California were expected to pass right to our seed and the right for farmers to plant work each year to find growers in more and more the measure by an overwhelming margin. But the without fear of lawsuits from corporate giants bent remote areas, but corn pollen floats in the air, so opposing chemical companies were able to pour 45 on controlling every meal our children eat, feeding maintaining pure corn has become a labor of love. million dollars into propaganda that changed vot- us untested, and mostly unwanted foods that have All told, GMO corn has cost our company thou- ers’ minds. That amount of money influenced voter genes from who knows what: genes that are toxic sands of dollars in lost crops and sales. Worst of opinions and caused some of the support of Prop 37 to insects, cause tumors in rats and are likely contrib- all, though, is that several varieties have been lost to just fade away. But the fight is not over—nearly uting to many allergies according to many health or- because of this contamination. 50% of California voters voted in favor of food la- ganizations. Even the American Medical Association California’s Proposition 37 to require the labeling beling, and the movement toward pure food con- has called for mandatory pre-market safety testing of GMO foods has shown how much power the big tinues to grow. of genetically engineered foods. These “franken- foods” are already labeled in China, Russia, much of Europe and many other countries. That way Catalog Index their citizens have a choice, and nearly every one is Ukrainian Amaranth.................................16 choosing to buy GMO free; even in the USA, polls Tomatoes Artichoke.................................18 suggest more than 90% of Americans want GMO Asparagus................................18 food labeled. If your Monsanto-funded senator Beans.......................................19 won’t listen, start your own local food revolution: Beetroot...................................25 grow your own, buy local and shop only for brands Books.....................................200 that are labeled GMO-free. Broccoli....................................29 Times are a changing, and America is about Brussels Sprouts...........................27 to eat its way back to food freedom. Bite by bite Cauliflower...............................29 and garden by garden, we will bring back our in- Cabbage.................................30 dependence from the very corporations that are Carrots....................................33 destroying everything pure, good and natural. Celery......................................35 This is the beginning of the greatest grow-your- Corn......................................36 own food revolution in the last hundred years. Cowpeas..................................38 In fact, the number of gardeners in America has Cucumbers..............................39 doubled—yes, doubled—in the last two years! Eggplant.................................43 Ruslan, Marina and small Milana Dukhov with their tomatoes Endive....................................52 Here at the seed company, we continue to feel series “Vernissage.” Fennel....................................52 the growth and newly found interest in growing RUSLAN DUKHOV is a young Ukrainian plant enthusiast and Flowers...................................173 food. Each year we continue to get more and seedsman who is well known for his breeding and development of more new customers; this year we are printing excellent tomato varieties. Descending from several generations of Fruit.......................................52 Gifts & Tools............................201 350,000 catalogs, and we are also offering you growers, he grows many varieties of cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, Gourds...................................55 the largest array of seeds ever. In 2012 we also peppers, corn, and many more, but is famous for his more than Grains......................................56 started trialling varieties in California, in addition 250 varieties of tomatoes. His private collection of rare plants and Greens, Oriental.......................58 to our Missouri farm on which we usually trial and vegetables is the largest in Ukraine. He is always willing to share his knowledge and seeds. We grew four of his Vernissage varieties Greens, Other...........................60 grow crops for seeds. We also now work with a in our Baker Creek gardens this summer and were amazed at their Heirloom Gardener....................204 network of 150 small farmers, gardeners and beauty and were blown away by their exceptional flavor. We are Heirloom Life Book...................200 seed growers to produce any seeds that we can’t excited to offer the beautiful and delicious Green, Black, Pink and Herbs.....................................169 grow in our gardens. Yellow Vernissage varieties.The Dukhovs are from Mushirin Rog, Kohlrabi...................................62 2012 was a busy year for our family and our Dnepropetrovsk region, Ukraine. Kale.....................................63 gardens. In the Spring, we finished our second Leeks......................................63 book, The Baker Creek Vegan Cookbook, pub- Lettuce.....................................64 lished by Hyperion. We also again helped plan Melons.....................................66 three major events: The Spring Planting Festival Heirloom Expo.........................10 in Missouri, The Heirloom Festival in Connecticut Christian Dake: Okra.....................................83 and the huge National Heirloom Exposition in Cali- Farmer Extraordinaire Onion....................................87 fornia. We hope you will join us for one of these Parsnips....................................89 events in 2013 as we look forward to continuing Peas.......................................90 to spread the message of food freedom and to cel- Peppers, Hot.............................92 ebrating the harvest with fellow gardeners. Our California Peppers, Sweet.........................98 As I write this letter, my family and I are go- farm manager Radicchio................................102 ing “around the globe in about 80 days” and are trials over Radish....................................103 Rhubarb.................................106 currently in Rome, Italy. We are busy eating great 1,000 heirloom Rutabagas..............................107 food, collecting seeds and stories, and visiting varieties! Roselle...................................107 our