Bishop's Homegrown 2011 Face of the Earth Seed Catalog

Well, Alan Bishop (my friend, super farmer, plant breeder and social activist) of Bishop's Homegrown finally managed to get a seed catalog of sorts together for 2011.

http://faceoftheearthseed.blogspot.com/

I can't recommend his seeds highly enough. Alan is offering seeds from stable and unstable plant lines in his seed rack. While growing unstable lines may not be for everyone, the benefits of growing from seed like Alan's (as well as seed from the Ken Ettlinger Long Island Seed Project, Tom Wagner of Tater-Mater Seeds and others) are many.

Most importantly you are helping independent seedsmen who are busting their tails to ensure the supply of new, diverse and non-patented seeds.

You will have the ability to select individual plants that bear favorable traits for your specific garden, climate, taste or breeding project.
You'll have a garden full of interesting and surprising things that will taste better than anything you can find in a store.
You'll be contributing to the future of our nation's food system security.

Some of the finest tasting and most beautiful fruits and vegetables I have ever grown came from Alan, Tom and Ken.

I know there are many great companies out there, but here's a short list of folks I have personally done business with and highly recommend to get you started.

• Abundant Life Seed Co.
• Adaptive Seeds - The Seed Ambassadors Project
• Amish Land Heirloom Seeds
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
• Bountiful Gardens Heirloom & Open Pollinated Varieties
• Bunch Grapes - Lon J. Rombough, Grape Grower Extraordinaire
• Fedco Seeds
• Fillaree Farms
• Franchi Seeds
• Full Circle Seeds
• Garlicsmiths
• Gourmet Garlic Garden
• Gourmet Seeds Intl.
• High Mowing Seeds
• Hip-Gnosis Seed Development Project (Alan Bishop)
• Horizon Herbs
• Irish Eyes & Garden City Seeds
• JL Hudson Seedsman
• Kitazawa Seeds - Asian Specialty
• Kusa Seed Society - Grains
• Marianna's Heirloom Seeds
• Moose Tubers (Fedco)
• Mother Earth's Seed & Plant Finder
• Native Seeds/SEARCH
• Nichols Garden Nursery
• One Green World - Fruit Trees & Berries
• Peace Seeds - Alan Kapuler
• Peter's Seed Research
• Pinetree Garden Seeds
• Prairie Garden Seeds
• Rain Tree Nursery - Fruit Trees, Berries & Other Edible Bush/Vine Fruits
• Redwood City Seed Co.
• Sandhill Preservation Center
• Seed Savers Exchange
• Seeds of Change
• Sourcepoint Seeds - Grains & Legumes
• Sustainable Mtn Agriculture Center Inc. - Heirloom Beans
• Tater-Mater's Seed Potatoes (Tom Wagner)
• Tatiana's Tomato Seeds
• Territorial Seed
• The Italian Cook's Seed Co.
• Trees of Antiquity - Huge Selection of Fruit Trees
• Turtle Tree Seed
• Uprising Seeds
• Victory Seed Co.
• Wild Garden Seed

Tom Wagner Potato Sampler Available Now!

I've grown a number of Tom's children and l guarantee you will NOT find a better source for the best tasting and most nutrient packed potatoes you've ever had anywhere. Here's the word from the Tater-Mater himself:


This winter and until about April I am offering my Potato Sampler again. It is an 8 lb. box sent postpaid and delivered in two days or so. I usually put about 5 to 20 varieties together. The varieties could be little known varieties from around the world or exclusive varieties out of my potato breeding program. I ask $40 to cover shipping costs and the rest to support my research.

I usually give my address to folks over emails, but here it is: 

Tom Wagner
Tater Mater Seeds
8407 18th Ave. West 
7-203
Everett, WA 98204
425 894-1123

I have many of the standards such as Yukon Gold, Norland, Kennebec, Cobblers, but if you want some potatoes to try that you wont find at any of the other places offering seed potatoes just send me a line, email, or phone call. The picture on the right is a shot of my "John Tom Kaighin" potato variety.

WSU Master Gardeners Present : A Potato Hybridizing Workshop With Tom Wagner - 08.28.2009

I can't even begin to tell you what an amazing opportunity this workshop is for you folks. I've raved about Tom here at CCF&F before. Whether you farm for a living, are passionate about your home veg plot, or have a fascination with plant breeding and genetics this will be an event not to be missed. I'm guessing that this workshop will be a bit of a prelude to Tom's upcoming departure for his European tour. He'll be speaking in a number of countries and presenting his work with potatoes and tomatoes. Hopefully we'll be treated to a dry run of the presentation he'll be giving across the pond. I guarantee that once you hear Tom speak, you'll understand why I'm so enthusiastic about this workshop...and it's FREE!

Friday
August 28, 2009
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1919 NE 78th St. Vancouver WA 98665

Cost : free
Registration required: Class size limited to 30
Call: 360-397-6060 X7718 or e-mail to register for the workshop

Independent researcher Tom Wagner of Everett, WA will join us for an informative talk on his work breeding and hybridizing potatoes in the Northwest.

After a sack lunch we will head out to the fields to help harvest and label the tubers for next year’s planting.

If the harvest is good—there should be enough spuds to take home samples.

Bring: a lunch, water, pitchfork, gloves, shoes & clothes for digging, and dress for the weather.

For more information visit Tom Wagner’s blog at:
http://tater-mater.blogspot.com

Tom Wagner Tomato and Potato Workshops - Europe - 9-10.2009

If you are fortunate enough to reside in Europe or happen to be visiting Europe this fall, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in an amazing workshop presented by Kokopelli Seed Foundation and featuring Mr. Tom Wagner. Tom is one of the most brilliant, articulate, and thought-provoking gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with. I could write a few paragraphs just about Tom and his work, but let it suffice to say that you DO NOT want to miss attending one of his workshops if at all possible. Here's the word straight from the horse's mouth:

Tomato and Potato workshops 2009

Tom Wagner will be holding a series of unique global workshops starting in Europe during September and October 2009.

The venues for the events will take place in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and England. No ONE workshop held will be identical to another.. By using the internet and couriers all attendees will be not only able to make work and talk about it, but will be able to modify each other’s work electronically but also on physical pieces of potatoes and tomatoes, especially seeds.

This year, the format for the workshops will change to enable the development of ideas over a longer period. To this end, in September and October this year, there will be mostly weekend events in each location comprising lectures/presentations and informal workshops during which projects will be set to be developed over the following days, months, and even years.

The workshops are open to all but there will be very limited numbers in each location. Anyone who is familiar with past workshops will be aware that we usually try to keep the numbers of participants low so we can enter into meaningful dialogues with everyone on an individual basis. If you want to find out more about the workshops we've held before please visit Tom Wagner’s blog site, Tater-Mater.

As these events will be more complicated than the previous ones there will likely
be many questions so I will set up a FAQ page on my website over the coming weeks.

If you are seriously interested in taking part, please email your intention in English, French, German, or Danish, and do try to leave questions that you wish Tom would address.

Some of the topics that will be covered will be:

The history of Tater Mater Seeds

The development of some of Tom’s classic tomatoes such as the Green Zebra, along with dozens of other varieties that are available in the open market.

How Tom is rapidly accumulating a large germplasm of potato clones and TPS (True Potato Seed)

Hands on demonstrations of how to cross tomato and potatoes, many times with actual plants and with video and power point presentations.

Tom will talk about how he has taken just a few varieties of potatoes and tomatoes and created a vast diversity of seeds for the future. By using heritage potatoes and tomatoes, and adding some newer releases to cross with, Tom is working with these to create tomorrow’s heirlooms.

Tom will discuss making F-1 hybrids that anyone can make over and over again. He will talk about making backcrosses and taking each year’s seed increase to the filial level of F-5 on tomatoes which indicates a rather stable line. Tom will illustrate how his potato lines have better berry production which aids hybridization efforts.

Tom will talk about the nutriceuticals of tomatoes and potatoes; the essential nutrients that these crop could contain with a bit of breeding expertise. Enhanced antioxidants, anthocyanins, carotenoids, lycopene, are but a few. Fast cooking times in his new potatoes clones that cook in 5 minutes in boiling water will be featured in his topics.

Through a variety of breeder/grower initiatives beginning with the workshops, there will likely be many cooperatives dealing with plant breeding and variety development starting with seeds of Tater Mater.

These workshops will be part of an effort to keep seeds free and available to the public and not be allowed to be controlled by major seed companies, universities, or governments.

A concerted endeavor will be launched to work with local heritage varieties to incorporate them in variety improvement and to avoid GMO’s at all levels.

Potatoes can be grown from true seed and avoid the virus contamination of tuber trades. TPS is but one way to foster diversity and reach local needs for flavor, storability, yields, disease resistance, all with organic growing methods

The workshops will features many ways to look at seed extraction, seed saving, clonal selection.

Single seed descent and bulk population breeding and variety maintenance will be discussed.

The workshops will try to feature local gardens and local growers. The goal is to find ways for this to help Tom in his work and how he can help local growers in return.

Video and audio recording will likely be part of many of these workshops. Some of those may be shown at succeeding workshops to show the growth of the information exchanges. A few clips of how to cross potatoes and tomatoes may be linked to the Tater Mater blog. Many still photos will be shown of his tomato and potato varieties.

Each of these workshops will invite anyone to submit questions to answer during the workshops and/or later in an interactive format. With sufficient interpreters present, these answers will be delivered in the original language.

Workshop fees will go towards Tom’s travel in Europe and to free up important new seeds to be introduced. As Tom devotes more and more of his time to being a seed ambassador of sorts, these fees will help continue his workshops towards the future.

The goal of Tater Mater Seeds is to get young people involved in plant breeding, therefore, if Tom can be a mentor and teacher for many potential plant breeders, justice is done.

During Tom’s 56 years of breeding plants, he has not only proven that anyone can be a home garden plant breeder but will show many how they, too, can be plant breeders. His unique collection of proprietary seeds of tomato and potatoes will be a great resource for plant breeding groups in each nation.

Tom started out breeding plants on his family farm near Lancaster, Kansas. He kept a family heirloom bean alive and growing each year in his gardens from a few beans his great grandmother brought to the USA in 1888. He kept growing new selections out of his breeding work even while he obtained degrees in Anthropology, Botany, Geography, and Education. His career includes farming, managing garden centers, managing greenhouses, potato buyer, potato and tomato breeder under contract, teaching, seed catalog, and a wide host of other professions. He has offered many of his creations in Farmers’ Markets and has introduced his varieties to other organic growers.

Tom stays busy with his TaterMaterSeeds forum and is a moderator on the Tomatoville.com for CrossTalk and Potato sub forums.

Tom currently lives in Everett, WA. His plots are all organic and shuns any chemicals applied to the soil.


Tom Wagner
8407 18th Ave. West

7-203

Everett, Washington
98204
425 512-0313
Cell 425 894 1123

The Tom Wagner Great Tater-Mater Grow Out 2009

I've been keeping a little secret from you folks about a little local agriculture project happening around here, but I think I'm ready to share it with you now. About six weeks ago I was contacted by a gentleman named Tom Wagner via a gardening forum I occasionally visit. I already had some familiarity with who he was and what he did. Little did I know that a few weeks later I would be organizing a group of Clark County farmers to meet with him in person so we could assist him with what I consider to be one of the most important agricultural endeavors in the world today.

You see, Tom is an independent plant breeder who has been working primarily with tomatoes and potatoes for the last FIFTY years. You may already be familiar with Tom's work and may even be growing some of his creations in your garden or on your farm. He developed tomatoes such as the Green Zebra, Bloody Butcher, Green Grape, and a host of others. His work is driven by the quest to produce astounding amounts of genetic variety that can then be carefully selected for the traits of flavor, disease resistance, cold temperature tolerance, and nutritional value...although after speaking to him more thoroughly about this I think he has enough diversity in his collection to select for just about anything you could imagine. His personal germplasm collection is so extensive it boggles the mind. The rainbow of colors and nutritional value of the potatoes is like nothing you have ever seen or heard of before. His work is literally decades ahead of the seed companies, academic institutions, and government research facilities.

Despite Tom's insistence that he's not good talking to an audience and has a fear that people won't "get" him, I have to say that his genius in plant breeding is nearly eclipsed by his ability to communicate. He is what Malcolm Gladwell would refer to as a "Maven" and an "Outlier". I am still repeatedly kicking myself for not capturing our Saturday meeting on video. I guarantee it would have provided a much better explanation of Tom Wagner and his work than I am doing here. Someone would do well by making a documentary about Tom. It is of vital importance that information about his work is presented to the masses and the story of Tom's family history and his life would present a filmmaker with a very compelling subject.

So this past Saturday evening, a group of Clark County farmers and a few other folks involved with various facets of local horticulture and agriculture gathered at a farm in Ridgefield and spent over three hours listening to Tom talk about his work, his life, potatoes, and tomatoes. I think we could have easily listened to him talk until the sun came up. And now our little cabal has been entrusted with a small group of Tom's children, a fantastic assortment of potato tubers, potato seeds, and tomato seeds in an effort to expand Tom's breeding program. At some point we hope to recruit students from local schools to help Tom with his work. They'll be getting a priceless education in plant breeding, horticulture, plant biology, history, and genetics from a man who is one of the most foremost experts in what he does. Maybe we'll even perk the interest of the folks at the 78th Street project. Clark County was a potato production powerhouse for our nation some time ago. We could very well become the epicenter for new potato varieties for the future.

There really isn't enough space or time at this blog to begin to scratch the surface of Tom and his work. But suffice it to say, the work he is doing and the decision he has made to enlist our small group here in Clark County to assist him further develop his breeding program is the greatest agricultural endeavor to ever occur in Clark County. This work is of paramount importance to food crop production, food preparation, and local food system security and, in the near future, the results of his efforts will be of global importance. Today Clark County, tomorrow the world.

And here are a few pictures of Tom's potatoes I'll be planting for my garden this year:

































































You can also read a little more about Tom and his work at his web site or at his online bulletin board.

Tom's Taters

Today I want to introduce you folks to a man you really want to get familiar with. His name is Tom Wagner. He's an independent plant breeder residing in the Everett, WA area. He's been breeding/improving lines of potatoes and tomatoes for about 50 years. You have likely already grown some of his varieties of tomatoes (or at least seen/heard of them) and never even knew his name. Green Zebra, Banana Legs, Green Grape, Green Sleeves, Vintage Wine, Schimmeig Stoo, Schimmeig Creg, Elberta Girl, Snow Berries, Summer Cider, Lime Green Salad, and Brown Derby are just a few of his taste-award-winning successes.

Tom has been somewhat out of the public view for a while but, lucky for us, he's looking to get some of his work out into the hands of passionate gardeners again. He's not offering tomatoes at this time, however, for a very reasonable $40 (shipping included), he will send you a nice, diverse sampler box of potato tubers. These are Tom's own varieties and you will NOT find them available from any other source. Please do not contact Tom and make special request for particular traits or colors in your sampler. Tom is not set up to do custom orders at this time. But don't worry. He'll send you plenty of variety in your sampler and you will find at least a few tubers that you will come to treasure. For the more adventurous among you, he may also have some True Potato Seed (TPS) available for sale if you inquire. Here's a link to a very nice picture of potatoes he sent to some folks last year:

Tom's Taters Sampler

And here's a link to Tom's listing on Local Harvest. All the info you'll need to order a Tom Wagner potato sampler can be found there.

Tater-Mater Seeds

I've already ordered my sampler and look forward feeding my family some of the best tasting potatoes ever. Thank you for giving us access to your amazing work, Tom. What a truly wonderful and fortunate time it is to be a gardener and have something like this available to grow for our table.