Care to share a bit about yourself?

If you have seeds to trade or even just to offer, list them here.

Eye-catching squash found in the countryside near Port Mont, in Chile. The locals just call it "squash" so we named it after Alicia, our SeedZoo explorer who was 17 at the time. In Michigan seeds from the original squash produced highly uniform fruit confirming that this is an old landrace as claimed by the locals. The meat is very tender, thick and almost completely fiberless. A beautiful and delicious variety for anyone who enjoys cooking or looking at squash.

The story of Altrei coffee is an amazing one. For centuries the villagers of Altrei in Northern Italy raised this lupine for making a hot beverage remarkably similar to coffee. In the 1980s the tradition had dwindled to only a couple families, and had it not been for the resurgence of interest in local traditions, Altrei coffee may have passed into oblivion. Thanks to the efforts of a couple of German scientists interested in the biodiversity of European food plants there is a renewed interest in this old tradition. And now slowly but surely the villagers of Altrei are once again proudly raising this ancient crop. We have our seeds thanks to the great generosity of Mr. Otto Werth who believes that the best way to preserve traditions is to share them with others. The "beans" are roasted, rough ground, and then percolated like regular coffee. Excellent and caffeine free! Thrives in rich non-alkaline soils.

What a find this was! Our plant explorer, Joseph Simcox, recounts the story how he got this squash; "In the Armenian village of Areni an old farmer had this squash sitting out in front of his stand. When we started negotiations to buy it his price was two to three times that of other squash we had purchased in the area. At first I just thought he was just trying to take advantage of us tourists. We walked away feigning disinterest, had lunch, drove away and then drove back offering him our last price, Finally somewhere between too high and too low we agreed on a price. Later back at the hotel in our makeshift seed collecting shed we discovered why the old man was so staunch on his price. This was one of the most amazing squash varieties that we had collected in Armenia: very thick flesh, very dark orange and, according to our Armenian taste panel, sweet and perfect! We are very proud of this discovery!"

Bambara beans are a staple of many parts of Africa. Hardy and drought-tolerant, they require a long warm growing season like peanuts. Two accessions, one from Madagascar and another from West Africa were introduced in the SeedZoo program.

In Armenia the "pepo" group of squashes is represented by forms that mostly look like the "Lady Godiva" seedless types of Austria. This squash was collected in the village of Haghartsin in the north of Armenia. The locals use it in stews and porridge which form the basis of hearty cooking for the cold winter months. A local woman demonstrated how to prepare this squash: she cut it into strips using a very big, sharp knife,and with amazing dexterity, managed to skin the strips without skinning herself.

Vegetable of Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Japan little known in the West. It has a celery-like favour and is added fresh to soups and salads. In Japan the roots are cooked as a vegetable. In Japan it is one of the seven herbs of spring traditionally served in a rice dish made with the greens. Thrives in fertile wet soils, even in ditches and shallow ponds. Seeds are started in cold frames and then transplanted out in spring. Can be increased by division when plants are established.

This cute watermelon was collected in Limbang, a town located on a river in the Sarawak rainforests of Borneo. The fruit weighs about 400 grams, a perfect melon for one serving.

A modest fava beam collected in the town of Surami, in the Georgian Republic. It is light tan in colour, and is most likely used as a soup and stew bean. At the time when our plant explorers visited Surami, in November, they did not find as many fava beans as they expected. Fava beans seem to be a cool spring weather crop in this area.

A beautiful kidney bean from the Bantu-speaking region of western Uganda. The bean is black with yellow and tan mottling. Excellent for cooking, soups, and stews.

In Armenia, we found an old farmer at the side of the highway, his old tractor pulling a rickety old cart loaded with giant melons. When we asked where the melons came from he said the seeds were from Uzbekistan. From what we could tell, they are "winter melons" -- melons renowned for their shelf life. In Uzbekistan there are varieties which will last even up to a year, ensuring a year round supply of delicious melons.

This fava bean was offered for sale by a country woman at a market in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. She had an impressive display of squash, traditional dried vegetables bound in woven knots, spices, herbs, seeds, and even dried green beans. These large fat dark purplish fava beans were grown on the outskirts of Yerevan. Fava beans are very cold resistant and in Armenia they are planted very early in the spring, one of the first crops to be planted. Locally fava beans are used in many ways, from hearty soups to tasty side dishes boiled and salted and served in oil.

This little pumpkin was offered by a woman at the market in Gori, Georgia. She had them propped up on a little wooden chair next to a few quinces and apples that she had brought for the market. The hard working country people have in their daily lives preserved traditions that have lasted centuries. The rapid changes in many areas of the former Soviet Republics means that traditional ways of life are in danger and thus so are the seeds of the crops of these traditional varieties. Planting and sharing seeds with your friends is one way to continue the bond between humans and the bounties of our planet.

This is a very nice pastel yellow fluted squash that was sold to us by a very pretty woman from the village of Zeghdulet, in the Central Asian Republic of Georgia. In Georgia there is a great diversity of squash varieties, of different shapes, colours and textures which is a direct consequence of the popularity of squash among the people. It is a pity that we in North America have not have the same appreciation for squash that we once had. Squash is very rich in nutrients and fibre, and many varieties, like this one, will store well through the long winter months.