170: Don Tipping on Seeds and Plant Breeding

170: Don Tipping on Seeds and Plant Breeding

Cultivating the future through seed saving and education

Don has been offering hands-on, practical workshops at Seven Seeds Farm since 1997.  His farm is a small, organic family farm in the Siskiyou Mountains of SW Oregon; situated at 2,000 feet elevation on a 7,000-foot-tall-forested mountain with rushing spring fed creeks flowing through the land and nestled among old growth forests.

Don helped to found the Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative, which manages a 300 share CSA, a commercial seed growing operation, and an equipment co-op and internship curriculum among the 12 cooperating farms. He also co-founded the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative, a seed growing, marketing and distribution cooperative comprised of 10 western organic farms. 

He sits on the board of the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance and is a regular contributor to the Oregon State University Small Farms educational program.  Don is also a charter member of the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) as a plant breeder and a seed company advocate. Don is regularly sought out as a teacher, collaborator and consultant in the Pacific Northwest.

IN THIS PODCAST:  Greg chats with an organic seed farmer and educator Don  also explains how and why a couple cooperatives got started including the Open Source Seed Initiative.  He has been able to open his farm to host intensive seed academy classes and he guides Greg through the topics that are covered.

Visit https://www.urbanfarm.org/2016/12/15/don-tipping/ for show notes and links.