106 people took part in a local seed swap which saw hundreds of thousands of seeds shared across the whole country.
South Africa (16 July 2024) – During the middle of June 2024, a call went out to gardening enthusiasts to join a “postal” seed swap. It spread throughout the community, and what was hoped to be a small success ended up being a major one! Sharon Costello, the founder of Barefoot Life, shared that 106 people took part, meaning hundreds of thousands of seeds were shared to all corners of South Africa.
Being an avid gardener myself, I jumped at the opportunity when I saw the post on our local sustainability group. Having a large sum of particularly rare and popular seeds, I knew taking part would bring joy to the 20 people who would get my Dubla Beans (also known as Double Beans).
On many occasions, I have been asked to share these because they are such a rare treat. When we first discovered these beans in a family home in 2020, I enquired online as to what they may be and was informed that they were a type of Lima bean called Dubla Beans. They are very popular within the Indian community in KZN because they make the perfect addition to curries – the beans are plump and sweet with a mouthfeel that is smooth and creamy, and most of the commenters had asked to please be sent seeds – at the time, I didn’t know how to send so many people seeds without going bankrupt. But I digress.
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Sharon quickly started involving other garden enthusiasts who also wanted to participate. The concept was simple: send in 20 packets of seeds and get 20 packets back. If you sent more than 20, be assured you would get more in return. All I had to cover was the postage to and from Sharon’s home.
I printed up my labels, added 6 beans to each bag, and used Pudo to get my beans to Sharon’s home in time for sorting.
On return of seeds a month later, due to the sheer number of participants, I was returned 30 packets of seeds, many of which were totally rare and so enthusiastically welcomed, my neighbours must have worried!
Overjoyed by the seed swap, I reached out to Sharon to learn more about its success and how people can participate next year. It is very rare that my love of gardening and work align, but here we are with good news from the garden!
I asked Sharon what inspired her to start this seed swap, and she explained that a similar event occurred during the pandemic.
“In person seed swaps are fabulous, but they aren’t always close by, plus I teach herbal classes or present herbal talks and workshops on most Saturdays so don’t get to them. During Covid someone had organised a swap by mail which I took part in, but she never did another, so I decided to do one, hoping to get 20 people so there would be a nice mix. The final number of participants was 106!”
Being on the front line of the seed swap, I was sure Sharon had seen some incredible seeds. I myself had gotten an extremely rare seed called ‘1500 Year Old Cave Bean’ which has the most remarkable story. The bean was found in a sealed clay pot somewhere in the United States (every company that sells these beans has a different location). Carbon dating showed the pot was around 1,500 years old and the beans inside miraculously germinated when tested. And that is how they got their name.
Sharon said it was impossible to pick just one incredible seed.
“There were so many it’s impossible to pick one. One of the best parts of a seed swap is that people have varieties that are not available at the bigger retail shops. For instance there were more than 40 varieties of tomatoes, beans that I had never heard of like the 1500 year old cave bean, then there were some dragon-fruit, water chestnuts, green goddess arum lilies. There were even some blue poppy seeds, Californian white sage and peyote cactus. These are seeds that you just don’t find.”
Eager to get involved again, I asked if Sharon would be doing another seed swap, to which she answered, yes! She shared how people could get involved so if you would like to join, below are the details.
“Because of the success of this one, I am thinking of doing two a year. The next one will be in January 2025. If you sign up for my newsletter you will get all the details. Sign up at www.barefootlife.co.za. Or you can follow on Facebook“
All one needs to do is start saving seeds. Sharon’s advice for saving seeds mirrors the generosity that gardeners continue to display.
“Save everything! Even if you aren’t going to plant them all you can swap with others or donate them to charities who run their own garden. And many vegetable seeds can be used for microgreens, and beans and legumes can be sprouted.
Only pack the seeds away when they are totally dry or they may go mouldy. Preferably store them in glass jars and pop a bay leaf into every jar to keep bugs and weevils out. Oh yes, and label them….seeds look so similar when they are dried.”
Sharon, like myself, has a great passion for sharing her garden knowledge. She encourages families to start small gardens, avoid expensive supermarket options, avoid harsh chemicals, and become a little more self-sustainable. It can be as simple as growing lettuce or herbs to fully-fledged gardens that feed the entire family.
“I believe it is possible for every household to grow at least some of their vegetables. Apart from the cost saving, the health benefits are enormous. The produce we buy is full of chemicals in the form of fertilizer, pesticides and preservatives and there are constant reports on the diseases that these chemicals cause. Vegetable growing isn’t hard, and there are so many people who are more than willing to help with advice.”
Gardeners are some of the most generous people I have ever met! It fills my heart to be a part of this community and you can bet I, along with many more, are looking forward to the next seed swap in January 2025.
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