Seed Keeping Projects
Tanager Farm Melon Breeding - summer 2025
At Tanager Farm, we're excited about Participatory Breeding. One way that we explore this concept is through tasting events with our community.
With some crops like muskmelons and watermelons, we grow a diverse mix of genetics and allow nature and our community of eaters to select which seeds to replant next year. Over time we hope to develop delicious and productive melons that grow well with minimal inputs and labor.
From a diverse mix of starting varieties, we allow for natural crossing and increased genetic diversity in our melon populations. We don’t fertilize or overly coddle plants. Over the years, we cull out plants that don’t do well for us, perhaps due to pests, disease, low yields, or local weather conditions.
At harvest time, we invite our community to gather for a tasting party, in order to also use flavor as a selection criteria.
We use a simple method—if participants love the flavor and texture of a melon they taste, they spit the seeds into a “keepers” bowl. If the flavor is marginal to poor, the seeds go into the compost.
The seeds from the best tasting melons will be dried and stored for planting next year. These seeds represent a collaboration between melons, farmers, land, and eaters. Additional thanks and appreciation to the previous seed keepers, food communities, pollinators, and soil ecosystems that make it all possible.
Adopt-A-Squash Program - winter 2025
Kay Everts is a seed keeper and seed librarian who coordinates the Adopt-A-Squash and Seeds for Sharing programs with her community of gardeners in Clackamas county. The Adopt-A-Squash program is a fantastic example of community participatory breeding for local adaptation.
Kay with her moschata squash harvest at the Squash Tasting party
In spring, Kay distributes maxima and moschata squash seeds to interested participants. Growers are encouraged to direct sow, minimize fertilizer inputs, and make observations through the season.
In November, Kay coordinates a tasting event at Rose Villa Senior Living Community, where growers come together to evaluate the eating qualities of the year’s squash crop. Growers arrive with their best whole squash for tasting and a potluck dish featuring cooked squash.
One of the seed libraries managed by Kay
Growers pass their squash off to the volunteer staff for processing and sit to enjoy a slideshow detailing the project.
The volunteer staff carefully cut up the squash, separate the seeds, label everything, and cook up pieces for tasting.
Then finally comes time for tasting! Everyone tries a bunch of cooked squash pieces and fills out a scorecard to rate them.
The seeds from the best tasting squash will be mixed all together and redistributed for planting next year.
So as not to affect our palates, we partake in the potluck after the official squash tasting!
