This week – in the wind, rain, snow, and fires of early 2025 so far – it is good to be able to focus on SEEDs this week. Seeds remind us so tangibly of our ability to get small, to slow down into a fortified dormancy of resilience, rest, and regrowth – and the possibilities inherent in all of those states.
And this week, Cultivating Place does just that in conversation with Dan Brisebois, host of The Seed Farmer Podcast and author of newly released "The Seed Farmer: A complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Selling Your Own Seed".
Dan is a farmer and seed enthusiast on Tourne-Sol cooperative farm outside of Montreal, Canada. Along with being an avid writer, thinker and educator on seed growing, farming, and better farm management, Dan is a believer in the power of seed and seed growing as integral to happier and more prosperous farms and farmers.
Dan’s goal is to get everyone to grow, save, and know seeds.
In our conversation Dan discusses his germination story in becoming a farmer, co-founding a cooperative farm, and becoming a seed farmer educator. He also shares the importance of what he calls the First Seed Mindset. He shares his thoughts on how we as gardeners have abdicated responsibility for our seed to others and why we should be taken back that responsibility back into our own lives and gardens. To help build resilience for us and us collectively.
Listen in and ENJOY!
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All Photos courtesy of Dan Brisebois. All rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week, when guest host Abra Lee is in conversation with the remarkable Mike Gibson – an artist whose topiary is focused on sacred geometry. His work includes stewarding some of the legendary topiary of Pearl Fryar, and creating so much more of his own - with a twist – rooted in both hair styles, and sculpture. This is metagardening and creativity on so many levels. That's right here, next week.
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, it's Jennifer-
As we tend toward the end of the first month of this new year – I am really looking forward to gathering with this community of engaged and inspired gardeners in our first virtual community gathering – which we are now calling CP Communing – a sort of riff off "community" blended with the idea of communion (care and noursihment) together.
If the first gathering is a contribution to you and our community values – then we will host four more of these this calendar year in alignment with the Equinox and Solstice dates of these coming seasons. DATES to be Determined as a group.
These Communings will be a time to get to know each other better, for you to speak with all of us as hosts, for us to check in on what Cultivating Place means to each of us, how we live it and grow it, and set some intentions individually and collectively for our gardening impulses in these coming seasons. If you have not already registered over at the EventBrite link – you can find it HERE, AND in the Linktree at the top of the CP Instagram page. I am really looking forward to this time and space together. Glad so many of you are too!
See you on zoom on Tuesday the 28th at 12 noon Pacific, 3 pm Eastern. (The day before the first new moon of the new year – a perfect time to set some durable intentions for your mind, your heart, and your garden)
Dan’s description of the germination and coalescing of Tourne-Sol – which you can translate as sunflower turning toward the sun OR turning the soil – is such a shining light for me.
It is everything I dream of as possible in our world – of us as gardeners/growers/caring humans can grow in the world: vision, communal endeavor, mutual aid, and inspiring the next generation with models they can live with and grow from.
WAYS TO SUPPORT CULTIVATING PLACE
Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, a service of Cap Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.com.
The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, transcripts by Doulos Transcription, and regular guest hosting by Abra Lee and Ben Futa. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse, accompanied by Joe Craven and Sam Bevan.
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