New! Seed! Catalog!

[gryphynshadow.livejournal.com]

I got my copy of the 2009 Seeds Of Change (http://www.seedsofchange.com/) seed catalog today, and boy oh boy is it ever cool! I've already found two things from it that we're so getting and growing: oca and yacon!

What are those, you say?

Well. I decided, having read a bunch of stuff on sustainability and good gardening, that we were going to avoid monocropping. That means, not growing only one version or variety of anything. Anything I want to grow, I can take the time to grow two varieties of. :P

I also decided that we were going to look into finding as many alternative crop plants as possible, and trying to grow them here. Especially any that thrived in more... mediterranean ecosystems, or warmer climate, drought resistant, or 'neat' plants.

Enter, oca and yacon. Allow me to quote from the catalog:

Oca: Oxalis tuberosa Native to the Andean region of South America, this colorful and nutritious tuber has been cultivated as a staple food for centuries, dating back at least to the Inca Empire. Almost entirely unknown in North America, oca holds the potential to be a significant food crop throughout the world, exhibiting tolerance to drought and a wide range of soils, while containing similar nutritional value to potatoes. Crisp and sweet/sour when eaten raw, steaming brings out a distinctive tartness with raw nutty overtones. While much is to be learned about its cultivation across a wide range of bioregions, we are happy to offer this for the first time for intrepid gardeners.

Yacon: Polymnia sonchifolia A staple of Andean peoples for centuries, but rarely seen in the North. Unique tubers are delightfully sweet and crunchy, reminiscent of jicama or water chestnut. A majestic relative of the sunflower and dahlia families, the plant itself is a star in the garden. Yacon ha fuzzy broad leaves that are resistant to most pests and produces 1 in. bright orange flowers in 4-5 months. The tubers are excellent raw, shredded into a salad, or lightly steamed or sauteed. Grows vigorously wherever sunflowers thrive. An early sellout every year...

See? See? That's why I want them, precious... Yes, yes. Biodiversity, alternative food crops, they'd do well here, and they're neat! Oh, and on oca, the edible part is the tuber. mmm, potato replacements. Actually, I'll still have a couple of varieties of potato, cause, I love potatoes. Blue spuds! Fingerlings! Reds! Yellows! Yay!

And now, I shall go read the rest of the catalog, and try not to drool all over them. 'Cause if I drool on the pages, they get stuck together, and then I can't read them. :P