Lecture with Ute Boekholt | Admission: 10 euros
The diversity of vegetable varieties and crops has decreased by almost 80 percent in the last 100 years due to the industrialization of agriculture and the concentration of seed production in a few corporations. The old, robust landraces have been replaced by globally developed and mostly hybrid varieties.
For some years now, gardeners from Samenbau-Nordost have been working to preserve this endangered cultural heritage in order to offer regional, seed-resistant seeds and bring them back into gardens.
For almost 20 years, Ute Boekholt has been growing vegetables, herbs and crop seeds according to permaculture principles in her small Alt-Rosenthal nursery between Oderbruch and Märkischer Schweiz. She attaches great importance to old, robust and naturally tasty varieties. All vegetables are grown exclusively in the open field. She is happy to pass on the experience and knowledge she has gained in the process, including in seed seminars. She is a network partner of the Verein zur Erhaltung und Rekultivierung von Nutzpflanzen e.V. (VERN). Her farm operates as an eco-certified company.
The lecture will provide an insight into the cultural history of vegetable varieties and the new breeding of seed-resistant varieties as an exciting alternative to hybrids and genetic engineering. The advantages of so-called "old varieties" in the home garden will be explained. An introduction to seed production should make you want to start propagating your own favorite varieties and thus make a contribution to diversity and food sovereignty.