Why Having an Emergency Heirloom Seed Bank is Important

With everything that is going on with the global economy and food system, it's hard to argue.

Yes, it is important to have the canned goods and non-perishables, but what happens when they run out and the supermarket shelves are dry?

That's where having an emergency seed bank helps out. I'm not getting all sensationalistic and saying it's going to happen today or in the near future, but like any other emergency kit, it's best to be prepared.

For more information, please check out http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• urban
• organic
• gardener
• gardening
• seeds
• emergency

[tinkk1979]

The problem with a seed kit is that seeds are only viable for so long. You should make a kit every season to make sure you have fresh seeds. Keeping seeds in a jar for 10 years wil not grow.

[CanarsieBK]

@tinkk1979 From what I've read freezing them will help to extend their shelf-life.

[ratdavid9]

I share your passion for gardening and I indeed do have a seed bank set up, however I'm curious about the "alarm" of your video. Are you worried about something?

[miriamjwoods]

@ratdavid9 Personally, I think the current system gives us a lot to worry about, in terms of food security, environmental impact, and our health.

[CanarsieBK]

@miriamjwoods True dat. Well said.

[CanarsieBK]

@ratdavid9 We all have hurricane, flood and tornado kits. Why not one of these too? Plus what Miriam said.

[tinkk1979]

Not indefinitely though just making a point that people are spending money on kits that won't last. Almost anything can be grown indoors as well. So while I do keep seeds I date each packet and the typical shelf life of each seed.

[miriamjwoods]

@ratdavid9 The entire agricultural system (or nearly all of it) is dependent on oil and petroleum products. Fertilizers, oil and gas to run farm machinery, trucks and ships to transport it to stores--they're all made of oil, which isn't going to last forever, and whose price may spike at any time. Plus what happens if there are major crop failures on large industrial farms that supply a large percentage of our food, or if some pest or disease wipes out an entire (monocultural) crop?