Common Wealth Seed Growers LLC 138 Twin Oaks Rd Louisa, VA 23093 www.commonwealthseeds.com [email protected] (540) 223 5861 Dear friends and supporters, Research and breeding are essential parts of the quality regional organic seed system that we are working to create as Common Wealth Seed Growers, but they don’t directly generate income. As a new growers’ cooperative, we need outside support to fund our ongoing breeding and variety trials work. Variety trials allow us to start with the best and most regionally appropriate seedstocks, not only for seed production but for breeding and selection work as well. Trials provide data and information that growers need when deciding what varieties to plant and how to manage them. Ongoing trials over several seasons allow for confirmation and follow-‐up of initial findings in a wider range of conditions, and for refinement of trial methods and focus. Our breeding projects employ the information gathered in trials as a starting place to create new varieties that thrive under the disease and pest pressures we experience, while producing flavorful and nutritious food for local markets. Proprietary control of seeds has grown exponentially in recent years, with just a few corporations controlling the majority of the world’s seed supply. 100 years ago, seed saving was part of being a farmer or a gardener – today most farmers don’t know how to save seed. Meanwhile, most of the open-‐pollinated plant breeding work that used to be done in Land-‐Grant universities has been discontinued. Common Wealth Seed Growers is part of a movement to reclaim control over our seed supply and to create a collaborative, non-‐proprietary regional seed system that serves and empowers growers and consumers, and that builds local food security and food sovereignty. Regional on-‐farm variety trials and breeding are key parts of that effort, but are hard for growers to fund on their own. Organic farmers especially are in need of regionally bred, regionally adapted and regionally trialed seed. Because we don’t use conventional chemical controls for insects and disease, we have to rely more on the genetics of our seedstocks. Information about suitability for regional conditions (including climate, diseases and pests) is important for all growers, but especially for organic growers. Our trialing procedures are based on recommendations in Organic Seed Alliance’s publication On Farm Variety Trials: A Guide for Organic Vegetable, Herb and Flower Producers. We also rely on our own experience and ideas, and on mentorship from our friends at Organic Seed Alliance and Cornell University. We post variety trials results on our website, www.commonwealthseeds.com. This includes 2014 trials at Twin Oaks Seed Farm and Living Energy Farm. We also pursue other outreach to disseminate the results to appropriate audiences, for instance at sustainable agriculture conferences. Here is a link to an interview I did with Margaret Roach about Twin Oaks’ 2014 cucurbit trials: www.awaytogarden.com/cucurbit-‐downy-‐mildew-‐research-‐twin-‐oaks-‐farm/. Twin Oaks Seed Farm will be hosting a trials field day in late summer this year. Details will be posted on our website, along with information about other public presentations, educational events and media related to our work. Below you will find a list of the breeding projects and variety trials we have in mind for 2015. Some trials are follow-‐ups from 2013 and 2014 research, and some are new projects. The trials will take place at Twin Oaks Seed Farm, Living Energy Farm, Moyer Family Farm and other farms in the Common Wealth Seed Growers cooperative. The breeding projects will take place at Twin Oaks Seed Farm. Funding to complete all the trials is $12,575. Funding for the 2015 breeding work is $4250. If we raise this money this spring, we will do all these trials and pursue all the breeding projects listed this year. With a smaller amount of money we can still pursue specific priority projects. We are currently applying for longer-‐term grant funding for breeding and trialing work in 2016 and beyond. If you choose to donate money, let us know whether you would like to be credited for your donation in our trial reports and breeding project updates at the end of the year. We can send email or print versions of these for you to share with your networks, as well as keep you updated during the growing season. The reports will include good quality pictures. We welcome your feedback on our project proposals; let us know if there is a specific project or projects you most want to see happen – this will help us prioritize. If you would like to completely fund a specific trial or breeding project we would be happy to credit you as the funder of that project. We are also looking for matching donors for specific projects. If you donate half the funding to a project, we’ll use the momentum you create to raise the rest of the funding. We will be happy to credit you as a matching donor. Thank you for your consideration and for working with us to reclaim a healthy seed system! Edmund Frost, Director of Common Wealth Seed Growers and Manager of Twin Oaks Seed Farm Common Wealth Seed Growers Variety Trials Proposals for 2015 Follow-‐up on Twin Oaks’ 2014 Melon and Cucumber Trials (Location: Twin Oaks Seed Farm, Louisa VA): In 2014, funded by a one-‐year SARE grant, we gathered extensive data on 58 varieties of cucumber, 20 varieties of melon and 48 varieties of winter squash. See the results at www.commonwealthseeds.com/research. We identified and documented excellent Downy Mildew resistance, productivity and eating quality in a handful of the varieties. We want another growing season of data to confirm the results for these standouts. These trials are planted late to better evaluate Downy Mildew resistance. (We are not proposing a follow-‐up to the winter squash trial, as we have limited seedstocks of some varieties and will instead pursue winter squash work in the form of breeding projects). Cucumber: We will trial eight cucumber standouts from 2014, two more Downy Mildew resistant lines developed by Cornell, and two moderately susceptible controls. There will be ten single-‐plant replications of each entry (more replications are better for evaluating Bacterial Wilt); each plant will be trained separately. We will take foliage ratings for Downy Mildew and Bacterial Wilt, measure yields and marketable yields, and evaluate eating quality. Sales of cucumbers will partially fund this study. Estimated sales: $400. Cost: $1650 for 110 hours at $15 per hour, plus $40 for seed. Funding needed: $1290. Melon: We will trial five melon standouts from 2014, plus three additional entries and two moderately susceptible controls. There will be eight single-‐plant replications for each entry (more replications are better for evaluating Bacterial Wilt); each plant will be trained separately. We will be taking foliage ratings for Downy Mildew and Bacterial Wilt, measuring yields and brix (soluble solids – strongly correlated with sweetness and nutritional value), and evaluating eating quality. We will use this trial as a springboard for future breeding work by making hand-‐pollinated crosses between many of the varieties. We are interested in breeding a standard Eastern Shipping Melon with good Downy Mildew resistance and excellent eating quality. Cost: $1350 for 90 hours at $15 per hour, plus $40 for seed. Funding needed: $1390. Winter Brassica Greens Trial (Location: Moyer Family Farm, Castlewood VA): With the growth of winter farmers markets and grocers and chefs buying local, there is increasing demand for fresh greens late fall through spring in the mid-‐Atlantic region. To determine which plants deliver the most greens, we will: transplant 150 plants each of 8 cold-‐hardy greens (including kales, mustards and collards), in early October. When temps drop below 20F, row cover will be applied to 100 plants of each, with 50 left uncovered. Snow depth and persistence will be noted, as well as low temps through the season. We will begin picking late fall, recording harvest dates, weights and sales. We will monitor survival and yield of covered vs. uncovered; will record when growth of each begins again late winter/early spring and when bolting begins; and will record weights of tender stalks (raab) from March into May. We are looking to identify cultivars which together provide a succession of greens from December through April. Cost: 32 hours soil prep, seeding, transplants, etc and 60 hours harvest and evaluation @ $15/hr for $1380. $50 for seeds. Approx. $480 sales will defray costs. Funding needed: $950. Peanut Observation Trial (Location: Slade Farms, Surry VA): Surry County Virginia, in the Southeast part of the state, is a traditional peanut growing area; Clif Slade has been involved in commercial peanut production for decades. In this trial he will evaluate resistance to two of the most important diseases in the area: Cercospora Leaf Spot and Sclerotinia Blight, with an eye on finding varieties that work well for organic growers and without the use of fungicides. He will also measure yields and assess competitiveness with weeds. 100 row feet of each of six varieties will be planted, including varieties noted for disease resistance, and a control variety. Cost: $1350 for 90 hours of labor (15 hours per variety) at $15 per hour, plus $100 for seeds. Funding Needed: $1450. Note: several of the varieties trialed will be entered in the Living Energy Farm peanut trial as well. Peanut Observation Trial (Location: Living Energy Farm, Louisa VA): Central Virginia, like many parts of the mid-‐Atlantic region, is a cooler-‐than-‐ideal location for producing Runner-‐type peanuts and Virginia-‐type peanuts. Valencia and Spanish type peanuts, however, mature more quickly and are produced as far north as Ontario. We will evaluate productivity for 7 kinds of Valencia and Spanish peanuts, plus 3 Virginia-‐type peanuts. We will also evaluate flavor of the roasted peanuts, competitiveness with weeds, and resistance to sprouting before harvest. Living Energy Farm is located in Louisa County Virginia. There will be 30 plants of each variety, and we will plant in late May. Cost: $900 for 60 hours of labor at $15 per hour, plus $100 for seed. Funding Needed: $1000. Replicated Follow-‐up on Twin Oaks’ 2014 Watermelon Observation Trial (Location: Twin Oaks Seed Farm): In 2014 Twin Oaks trialed 40 kinds of watermelon, with a focus on evaluating brix levels, eating quality, productivity, Downy Mildew resistance and Anthracnose resistance. We identified six standouts that we would like to evaluate for another year, and we want to trial five additional varieties, with three four-‐plant replications of each entry. The trial will be planted about June 5th – on the late side in order to evaluate Downy Mildew. Cost: $1500 for 100 hours, plus $60 for seed. Funding Needed: $1560. Gourd Observation Trial (Location: Twin Oaks Seed Farm): We will trial 15 varieties of gourds in an unreplicated trial, with four plants for each entry. We will focus on evaluating Downy Mildew resistance and on describing the characteristics of the gourd fruits. We have noticed a lot of variation in DM resistance among different gourd varieties; about half the varieties we’ve tried have shown resistance. We will hand pollinate and save seeds from all the varieties as well. We’re also looking for attractive gourds with thick shells that are good for crafting and useful as containers, bowls, bottles etc. Cost: $375 for 25 hours of evaluation and training vines, at $15 per hour, plus $65 for seed. We will mostly fund the trial with gourd seed sales and gourd sales. Funding Needed: $440. Sweet Corn Observation Trial (Location: Twin Oaks Seed Farm): We will evaluate emergence, days to maturity, days to tasseling, sweetness, sweetness window, flavor, resistance to earworms, tip fill and productivity. We especially want to identify open-‐pollinated sweet corn varieties that perform well compared to modern hybrids. We will evaluate four OP varieties and two Sugary Enhanced hybrid controls, with 90 plants per variety, in an unreplicated trial. The OP varieties are: Top Hat, Who Gets Kissed, Hawaiian Supersweet #9 and Hawaiian Supersweet Silver. We will plant an additional 200 plants each of Top Hat, Hawaiian Supersweet #9 and Hawaiian Supersweet Silver, and will do a GMO test of the foliage (qualitative PCR test at Genetic ID labs in Iowa) on these plantings when the plants are small. If the tests come back clean, we’ll grow the crops to maturity and save the seed, using a bagging method to prevent crossing. Cost of main trial: $1200 for 80 hours of labor at $15 per hour, plus $100 for seed. GMO test on auxiliary plantings: $600 ($200 per test) Apart from GMO tests, the auxiliary plantings will be funded from seed sales. Funding Needed: $1900. Summer Lettuce Observation Trial (Location: Twin Oaks Seed Farm): We will trial 12 varieties of heat-‐tolerant lettuce (Batavian and Romaine types) looking for varieties that can make good full-‐size heads before bolting, turning bitter, or sustaining leaf damage. There will be 20 plants for each entry, without replications. Cost: $675 for 45 hours at $15 per hour, plus $60 for seed. Funding needed: $735. Summer Squash Trial (Location TBD): We will trial eight varieties of summer squash, evaluating vine borer resistance, Downy Mildew, Bacterial Wilt, productivity, eating quality and appearance. There will be 10 single-‐plant entries of each variety (more replications are better for evaluating Bacterial Wilt). The trial will be planted on the late side (mid to late June) in order to evaluate Downy Mildew. Cost: $1200 for 80 hours at $15 per hour, plus $40 for seed. This trial will be partially funded by squash sales ($350). Funding Needed: $890. Dry Bean Observation Trial (Location TBD): We will trial 12 varieties of dry bush beans, evaluating for yield, earliness, and resistance to mold. We’ll also evaluate eating quality for the best performers. We want to find a dry bean that can be planted and harvested early, before bean beetle pressure becomes damaging. We also want to find a bean that won’t mold in our rainy, humid weather. Each entry will only be picked once, after all the beans are mature. This will be an unreplicated trial, with 15 row feet planted for each entry. Cost: $900 for 60 hours of labor at $15 per hour, plus $70 for seed. Funding Needed: $970. Breeding Work at Twin Oaks Seed Farm in 2015 1) Seminole – Waltham Cross: The goal of this project is a Downy Mildew resistant butternut squash with good productivity and eating quality. I crossed Seminole Pumpkin and Waltham Butternut in 2011 (Seminole as the maternal parent). I grew out the F1 population in 2012 and the F2 population in 2013. There were approximately 40 plants in the F2 generation. I selected three of them in mid-‐October based on yield, shape, eating quality, and vines that were still alive. In 2014 I grew out F3 plants in our winter squash variety trial, as well as separately from the trial. In the trial they resisted Downy Mildew much better than Waltham (we have pictures from late August where the Seminole-‐Waltham cross looks green and healthy and the Waltham foliage is more than 90% dead). Yields were on average 60% higher than Waltham. About 50% of the fruits had a butternut shape (others were bell shaped or round). Eating quality varied from moderate to very good, with one squash testing at 19% dry matter. I did a number of hand pollinations in these populations and have selected seed to use for the next generation. In 2015 I plan to grow at least 50 F4 plants, as well as 30 F3 plants in case my selections last year weren’t adequate. Each plant will be trained separately. I will rogue out plants with non-‐butternut shapes early on, and will self-‐pollinate as many plants as possible, selecting the best based on DM resistance, productivity, brix, dry matter, and butternut shape. Squash sales and seed sales will partially fund this project. We are seeking help for the evaluation, vine training, and hand pollination work. 40 hours at $15 per hour, or $600 total. 2) Downy Mildew Resistant, Bacterial Wilt Resistant Cucumbers (Pickling and Slicing): In our 2014 cucumber trial I identified several varieties with excellent Downy Mildew resistance. This is notable since there are virtually no commercial US cucumber varieties with good DM resistance (apart from some promising new lines from Cornell University). It is also notable that I found good resistance sources originating in China, India and the Philippines, pointing to good potential for stacking different kinds of DM resistance. We made multiple crosses this winter using three of these standouts and Marketmore 76. I plan to grow the F1 generation (a few plants of each) starting in early April in a hoophouse, self-‐pollinating the plants. I will grow the F2 population in the field starting in mid July. I will plant 100 plants from each cross or reciprocal cross (600 in all), plus some of the parents and F1 crosses for comparison. Each plant will be trained and observed separately from the others. The harvests will be placed next to each plant to get a sense of yield. Plants will be rated for Downy Mildew, Bacterial Wilt and yield, and evaluated for fruit characteristics. I will self-‐pollinate the promising plants from each cross and will also make additional crosses between standouts. I will also backcross to a standard pickling cucumber. My goal is to develop a pickling cucumber and a slicing cucumber that resist Downy Mildew and Bacterial Wilt and that also have good eating quality, color, shape and keeping quality. In 2016 I will plant the recombined crosses twice – the first time to mix up the genetics and the second time to select in a similar way as in 2015. In 2016 I will also plant and select from the F3 generation of the original crosses. The field-‐planted part of this project in 2015 will cover 0.4 acres and require approx. 170 hours of labor for planting, cultivation, regular harvest, training, evaluation, and hand pollination. The F1 generation planting will take 25 hours. At $15 per hour, labor cost is $2925. Irrigation, land preparation and miscellaneous costs are $200. Total cost in 2015 is $3125. 3) Downy Mildew Resistant, Bacterial Wilt Resistant Orange Muskmelon: See muskmelon trial proposal. We will cross several varieties in the trial in multiple combinations, in order to start a breeding project for a DM resistant, BW resistant, standard Eastern shipping melon with excellent sweetness and eating quality. 4) Tropical Pumpkin Selection Project: In our 2014 winter squash trial we identified several tropical varieties with excellent Downy Mildew resistance and yield in our conditions. Several also had some fruits with excellent eating quality. However, within these seedstocks there was also a high degree of variability in terms of eating quality, brix and dry matter content (which are both good quantitative indicators of eating quality). We plan to grow 15 plants of each of five seedstocks: Soler, Rio Mayo Segualca, Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin, Cuban Necked Tropical Pumpkin, and ‘Heart of Panama.’ Each plant will be trained separately from the others. We will self pollinate each plant, and then evaluate the fruits for eating quality, brix, dry matter, Downy Mildew resistance, yield, and appearance. We will save seeds from the promising plants. Squash sales and seed sales will partially fund this project. We are seeking help for the evaluation, vine training, and hand pollination work. 35 hours at $15 per hour, or $525 total.