I have never taken much time to think about how crucial something as seemingly simple as a seed could be. Unless it was in a science class, I’ve only ever really thought of seeds as merely a concept. While I’ve often used the idiom “planting a seed” with a full understanding of its abstract meaning, I never really thought about the meaning of physical seeds until now. I was really excited to get to go to Decorah and see the varied topography which was going to be a break from the flat monotony (which being new to the midwest I still appreciated) and getting to see what Dr. HN referred to as “Little Switzerland.” Neither the Seed Savers Exchange nor the Decorah topography were a disappointment, and I left with a greater appreciation for both.

It was really eye opening to see how the people at Seed Savers valued preserving old seeds. This added a new dimension to our discussions about the controversy surrounding  genetically modified seeds that lead to the creation of the optimal plant. It seems very likely that in this process we would lose track of countless species of plants without even thinking about it or caring. This loss of biodiversity seems extremely tragic. The founders of seed savers may not have had genetically modified seeds in mind, but they still valued biodiversity enough to make preserving thousands of seeds their life work. Hearing about all the ways people acquired old seeds that may have been the last of their kind was fascinating. I have never thought about seeds as being an heirloom to be passed down through the generations. But apparently this isn’t entirely uncommon as that is how the bulk of seeds that the Seed Savers Exchange have acquired came into its possession. Seeing how seriously they took preserving these thousands of types of seeds and plant varieties made me consider the importance of biodiversity. And less profoundly just appreciate the beauty of different, exotic plant species that have just barely escaped extinction. The highlight of our visit to Decorah was getting to go on a mini-hike to an orchard that housed about 450 apple varieties of the nearly 1000 that the Seed Savers possess. This experience gave me a greater appreciation for the value of a seed and the preservation of plant diversity.

Seed Savers Garden

Just one of hundreds of unique species of apple trees