films

Seed production methods in pictures: technical ABCs

Videos to learn how to make your own vegetable seeds, step by step

From seed to seed: educational films for seed production

Following the entire plant cycle, from sown seed to harvested seed, is a surprise, curiosity and pleasure. It also makes it possible to perpetuate and revitalize a heritage that has been built up over centuries thanks to close collaboration between humans and nature. As such, it is nobody’s prerogative and it is priceless. It is urgent to become part of this dynamic tradition and to perpetuate it, because this is the only way to safeguard and renew the diversity of existing varieties.

This is all the more important in view of the major climate changes observed in recent decades. Knowing how to select and multiply varieties adapted to specific pedoclimatic conditions or to rapid climate changes is a challenge that must not be left in the hands of multinationals.

Finally, learning and sharing this elementary and vital know-how makes it possible to regain part of our means of subsistence.

The idea of making a series of educational films on seed production arose at a time when large events were bringing together thousands of people on the subject of seeds, seed fairs, campaigns against new restrictive European seed legislation, public awareness workshops. All of these actions have revealed the loss of knowledge in this area.

After three years of filming, the “From seed to seed” films were released in the autumn of 2015. They are designed to provide as many answers as possible to the questions that everyone faces when becoming involved in seed production. The educational films are divided into two categories: general ABCs and practical manuals for each vegetable.

Seed production methods in pictures: technical ABCs

The ABCs are films dedicated to a theoretical approach to questions such as pollination, botanical classification, how to choose the seeds with which to start, the selection of seed-bearing plants. Other more practical films explain the manual pollination of cucurbits, techniques for isolating seed-bearing plants, extracting and sorting seeds. You can navigate from film to film according to your requirements and interests.

Videos to learn how to make your own vegetable seeds, step by step

Over thirty short films of about ten minutes are each dedicated to a vegetable, with chapters on its diversity, pollination, the life-cycle of the plant up to the harvest, sorting, extraction and conservation of its seeds. On this page you will find all the seed production tutorial videos.

Our project to spread knowledge on the production of free seeds needs your support!

The films were made in France, in many gardens of seed producers, but all the indications given can be adapted to many other environments and climates. A voice-over accompanies the images in order to give all the explanations needed to understand. You can download the voice-over texts in PDF format, to help you when you start to put the explanations into practice in your garden.

This site is the natural extension of the films. The sale of the DVDs is used to finance the uploading, hosting of the site and videos, the translations and the further development of the project. Our goal is simple, obvious and ambitious: to enable everyone, in all countries of the world, to learn how to produce seeds from local open-pollinated varieties, to guarantee a healthy diet and maintain the biodiversity of vegetable crops.

The site is still under construction: we upload the films in each language over time. Many translations are already available on the site. Many more languages are planned. Some are already underway, while others will begin if the necessary funding is found. Support us by sending a donation, buying the DVD or offering to help with the translation work.

And of course we hope that you will produce beautiful seeds to spread around you!