How does the Ferme de Sainte Marthe preserve forgotten varieties?

At the Ferme de Sainte-Marthe, we're working hard to replenish our stock of old varieties and make them available to gardeners. "We make extensive use of the catalogs of the major seed companies that operated in the 1900s and 1930s, including Vilmorin," says director Dominique Velé. "Our role is to bring these old varieties back into fashion."

Step One: Test the Seeds

And the task is no small one. The first step is to test the seeds to verify that they match those listed in the catalogs of the time. These are generally sent to them in the form of small samples of 10 to 15 seeds by genetic resource conservation networks or the National Institute of Agronomic Research, which are supposed to have preserved the seeds. Only after this verification can the production of the basic seed begin, and then be multiplied the following year. "In order to preserve the original characteristics of a variety, what we call maintenance, complex measures must sometimes be taken," explains the director of the Sainte Marthe Farm. "For squash, which easily crossbreed, which could lead to varietal drift, for example, it is necessary to separate the crops of two different varieties by more than 1.5 km!"

A long-term job

This maintenance work is also long-term: it takes between three and five years from the moment when the experts at Sainte Marthe spot an interesting variety in an old catalog to the moment when they manage to have it included in the catalog of varieties for amateur gardeners. Not to mention that this variety still needs to be attractive and its distribution must financially support its maintenance! "Our goal is to ensure that 80% of our varieties will be preserved in the next 20 years, which will allow us to reinvest in 20% of other new varieties," hopes Dominique Velé.

Multiplier farmers

The Ferme de Sainte Marthe places this maintenance in the hands of five propagating farmers, responsible for preserving these old varieties in their fields. More than 250 varieties are listed in the catalog of old varieties for amateurs, and the Ferme de Sainte Marthe already maintains 110 of them. And the list is expected to grow: we are also focusing on classic varieties, in order to now also offer them in "organic" varieties.

Click here to watch a video about the new old varieties

Source: GNIS