Our survival begins, and ends, with seeds. Making sure there is sufficient diversity and supply of viable seeds, people to grow them, and a supply of the nourishing food they produce is a core philosophy of the Butte County Local Food Network.  Long-time Chico resident Pamm Larry founded and directs this educational non-profit organization, whose mission is “to create a strong local food system as the basis of a strong local economy, anchored in a healthy community that thrives on neighbors helping neighbors.”  

The work Larry does on a local level is a direct outgrowth of her national and state political activism, including her work with the campaign to bring labeling transparency to genetically engineered foods (California's 2012 Proposition 37: Right to Know), and with GMO Free USA (against corporate control of our food supply). After researching the consequences of climate change / chaos vis-à-vis food supply, Larry realized that effective change begins at the local level, and that her efforts could have the most impact locally and regionally.

Larry believes that it is our community, made up of individuals and neighbors, “a group of folks who share … dreams of health and community” that will create a successful food system enabling us to survive the threats and challenges of a changed climate.

Which brings us back to seeds. While the Butte County Local Food Network has a variety of educational and outreach programs (for more details visit their website), this article focuses on their work with seeds.  Prior to the COVID pandemic, the Butte County Local Food Network organized Seed Swaps, which took place regularly at local libraries. Individuals brought seeds they had saved and traded them with other gardeners to add to the varieties of edibles they could plant each season.

Realizing that a more coordinated and less contact-oriented method was needed during COVID restrictions, Butte County Local Food Network launched Save Our Seeds (SOS), an ingenious project which aims to “create a community that grows food together, then shares some of the mature seeds from those plants to ensure we have seeds to grow food again next year.” SOS partnered with Grub Grown Nursery and Farm, the Paradise Seed Lending Library, and the Chico Seed Lending Library to provide seeds to home gardeners. A simple pledge to “save seed for generations to come” and to share each harvest's seeds with five other families qualifies you to take part in this simple, elegant project. 

Seeds are dispensed in specially-designed packets through existing neighborhood Little Free Libraries in Chico and Paradise (told you it was ingenious!), or delivered by request. Seeds chosen for this program grow well in our area, do not cross pollinate, and have seeds that are easy to save. The four seed varieties distributed in Summer 2020 were rainbow chard, Waltham butternut squash, sunflowers, and black-eyed peas.  The Fall 2020 packets included snap peas, Swiss chard, Russian kale, and winter density lettuce. To participate in this project, please go to Save Our Seeds.

The big answer to “why save seeds?” is, according to Larry, Food Sovereignty, Food Justice, and Food Autonomy.  The rising cost of both seeds and food in general is a good reason to save seeds. But the real beauty of this program is that it starts with seeds and ends with finding ways to work together. As Larry pointed out, food supply is a multi-faceted system that interconnects us all. To create a stronger local food system, we need to address all of the pieces. A community that grows food together is stronger, healthier, more resilient, and ultimately less divided.

Larry is concerned with the security of the planet's food system.  Fortunately, our Mediterranean climate makes us uniquely poised to be able to garden and produce a wide variety of food for much of the year.   

Among the many geological, climatic, and geographical phenomena that make Butte County a special place to live is the access we have to fresh and healthy food all year long.  For example, due to dedicated and talented local farmers, we can buy vibrant, nutrient-dense greens whether it's 104 degrees during the summer, or a hard-freezing week in winter. The stalls and tables at our Chico Certified Farmers Markets, whose vendors proudly state “We Grow What We Sell,” are rich with food variety and quantity in a riot of colors and textures.  Many local restauranteurs buy from our growers.

In 2013 the Chico Farmers Market was listed in the top five international farmers markets in the Essential Travel website. Larry attributes this to the variety and quality of the food grown by trustworthy farmers, our special climate (Mediterranean), and our incredible soil (primarily Vina Loam). She notes that here in the north valley, and particularly in the “banana belt” of the lower foothills, we will be able to grow local food and raise enough animal products for our use well into the future.

Add to that the very special mix of people that make up our community: innovative, strong, and committed to helping each other. Larry sees proof of this in the many strides we have made during and since the Camp Fire, more so even than other communities that were impacted, but not wiped out, by wildfire.

Being a part of the effort to do something for and with our community members is what drives Larry in her efforts to develop more food security at the most simple and local of levels. After all, as Larry says: you buy insurance for your house; why not insure the most important part of your survival – food?  It all comes down to seeds!

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.

Photo credit for seed packs: Butte County Local Food Network.