The Story of Seed – a free public presentation

KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—[March 24, 2010]—The story of seed—from the wild to the engineered—is the focus of a free public lecture from 5:30–7 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort preceding the Hua Ka Hua—Restore Our Seed Symposium.

Speakers Matthew Dillon of Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath, Oregon, will present “The Story of Seed: Wild, Domesticated, Bred, and Engineered—Where Did We Begin and Where Might We Go?”

They will describe the early epic of crop domestication from hunter-gatherers to the scientific revolution, pre-modern breeding prior to study of genetics, the rediscovery of Mendelian genetics and first wave of classical breeding, the biotech boom, and the agro-ecological approach to seeds that they and others are developing.

“We are in the midst of a revolutionary food epoch unlike any other in history. It’s rich with potential, creativity and passion. And it’s rife with conflict, despair and danger,” Dillon wrote in a recent article.

As OSA’s founder and director of advocacy, Dillon focuses on issues of intellectual property and farmers rights, consolidation, genetic contamination and competition in the seed industry. He is a Lannan Foundation Fellow, author of State of Organic Seed Report, chair of the Organic Seed Symposium, and serves on the organizational committee for “Seeds and Breeds for 21st Century Agriculture.” He served as a consultant for the Organization for Competitive Markets on seed concentration issues, work that has led to a Department of Justice antitrust investigation of Monsanto. Prior to OSA, he was the executive director of Abundant Life Seed Foundation, an heirloom seed conservation organization, and was a consultant on biological and genetic resource conservation for the United Nations Development Program’s Africa 2015 Initiative.

Morton has been an organic seed grower for 28 years. His company, Wild Garden Seed, is a leader in on-farm selection and breeding of new varieties and disease resistant strains for organic farmers. These seeds, grown in Oregon 's Willamette Valley , are available from most NorthAmerican seed companies that supply the organic seed trade. Morton's mission is to educate and encourage other organic seed folks to pursue similar purposes, only better.

The symposium, which focuses on restoring and revitalizing the local seed industry, will be held on April 17 and 18 at the resort. Farmers, gardeners, and seed experts from around the state and Mainland will share ways to grow, select, and save high quality seeds for both home and market during the symposium. Participants will also help to plan a public seed initiative.

For the symposium program, speakers, and partners, see http://kohalacenter.org/seedsymposium/about.htmlor contact Nancy Redfeather, symposium coordinator, 808-322-2801, nredfeather@kohalacenter.org.

Registration for the symposium is $100 (cost includes buffet lunch for both days). To register, go tohttp://www.kohalacenter.org/seedsymposium/registration.html. A limited number of scholarships are available for teachers. Contact Redfeather for information. The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort is offering a special symposium room rate.

The symposium is hosted by The Kohala Center, with funding from the USDA Organic Research and Education Initiative (OREI) and the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development. Other sponsors include the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management,UH Hilo; the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, UH Manoa; and Keauhou-Kahalu‘u Education Group/Kamehameha Schools.

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[Dillon photo caption]

Matthews Dillon, Organic Seed Alliance, walks through a spinach field.

Photo by Micaela Colley, Organic Seed Alliance

[Morton photo caption]

Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seeds, collecting seed of lettuce.

Photo by Karen Morton

Contact:    Janis Wong, media relations

The Kohala Center

jwong@kohalacenter.org

direct: 808-325-1114, office: 808-887-6411

Saturday, March 20, 2010

from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

VOLUNTEER FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM.  Help locate native plants and clear vegetation around them as part of a project studying pasture grass control methods in the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.  These native plants have either recovered naturally or been planted within fenced enclosures that have protected them from grazing animals over the past four years.  Learn about the park's native forest restoration program at Kahuku and experience firsthand the start of natural recovery of the forest.