A huge array of seeds are planned for this fall along with several new releases of species never offered before. The seeds will be available as usual on line only and at this website. American persimmon will be collected and processed and in bulk this year along with different species of pears and chestnuts.
The goal is to always bring new seed selections forward to see what generational attributes and characteristics they contain in the progeny. The Ecos selections represent the tried and true types of woody plant seeds many with over 40 years of selection behind the bark.
SEEDS: WOODY PLANT SEEDS AND THE MARKET FOR NEW SPECIES
Initially I was trying to sell to other seed dealers or nurseries that produce seedling trees and shrubs. This was not successful for a number of reasons. Historically the prices of seeds is so low with wild collected species that it is not possible to compete within the same species category. If you cultivate a particular plant, then it costs more than wild collected seeds on plants in public areas or seeds that someone will let you harvest off their lawn. If you have a different hybrid or cross of a particular plant then it may not fit someone’s current inventory and selection. Nurseries in general are top heavy in selections and only the tried and true are produced. It is difficult to experiment in an industry that is focused on what people want versus what people may be inspired by or what could potentially be a new crop plant in some way.
Today you will notice some of the seeds imported are now North American species collected from other countries. This is because of the very low cost of labor and ease of obtaining bulk seeds very inexpensively. If you bottom line so to speak, few people want to do collection anymore. It’s a lot of work and physical labor and is particularly rough on your knees and back. Some people climb trees adding to the physicality of it all. It is a type of outdoor activity with little financial incentive for the collector. Usually, a person did it as a source of extra income, was retired. out of work or just for fun. It was rarely an occupation by itself. To further compound the problem some state- run nurseries continue to operate out of their states to sell very inexpensive plants grown by these same inexpensive seeds. They ship their trees everywhere yet are part of their state government. They say they break even, but I would love to see those books. I kind of doubt that. But maybe it is true. I have no idea. This does hamper others who may want to grow certain plants for profit or make a go at acorns or some other nut or fruit crop in a profitable way. You cannot compete with the government or a non-profit who grows plants and sells them on an open market. They have huge resources that most of us individuals do not have. I remember once someone from one of these entities told me that they were not competing with me, yet they continued to produce many of the same plants I did. I could never figure that out.
WHAT IS OUT THERE AND WHY:
Customers always share with me the results of seeds purchased online or at larger seed companies. It is highly likely they are improperly processed and dried out completely to the point the embryo is toast. One pointed out a ten percent germination rate with American persimmon from one source. I am sure they are not all like that, but it certainly does make you wonder. Where will we be able to obtain all these new trees needed for the future of tree crops and agroforestry not to mention new crop development? More than ever, we need good seeds, good parentage and selective seed strains that can grow beyond the plants native range putting it in cultivation. We really need seed orchards of great diversity and size established just for this one purpose encompassing the worlds flora used for food production. It can’t be locked in a vault only accessible by the mega companies. It can’t be just native. It has to be the food we eat now on a regular basis. Those are the wild crops we need in huge abundance. No one is going to breed those for us. I’m tooting my horn here but the small producer is likely to do a better job at creating and maintaining germplasm and then releasing it to the public than the old land grant colleges or federal breeding programs. Big is not bad, it just misses the mark with too many cooks in the kitchen. Everyone has an agenda. Without this massive uncontrolled diversity, we are ignoring a huge opportunity as well as diminishing success with these tree crops. They will end up as a foot note.
NEW SEEDS: ANNUAL,ANCIENT CROPS,WILD SPECIES
I hope to offer some of my new annual and perennial crops this year to a limited degree. This will include teosinte types, potato, chufa, hog peanut and other unique crop plants. Stay tuned through this website which will have all the updated crops in the 2024-25 season shortly after the harvest is in. New seeds will often get mentioned on the front of the website as I finish processing, and the seeds are ready to go. Shipping is usually done within a few days of your order so you can get them started with their dormancy. Some may take longer if a portion is finishing up in production.
WHERE TO GET SEEDS AND WHERE NOT TO:
I only sell seeds online and in package sizes listed on this website. I do not have an alternative retail store. I also do not sell direct from my farm nor is it possible to pick up seeds direct at the farm. To visit the farm outside of a tour or questions about a specific seed or plant use the contact form on the front of the website. This is the only way to contact me. The phone is no longer operational. I no longer sell internationally including Canada. I do not produce plants and have no nursery.
THE DIVERSITY CONTINUES:
The farm continues and is in transition to a full repository accessible by your purchases directly. This is my “Pay the Bills” tour of the Oikos Tree Crops band. Thank you very much for your help. Please see biologicalenrichment.com for my writings and new discoveries. This current website as of August of 2024 will change in the coming months highlighting material published on biologicalenrichment.com. New crops will be posted here at the website with the behind the scenes and experiences I encounter in my farming life.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW:
One of the questions I still get more often than anything else is where I can purchase the varieties of something you used to have. Is there a nursery or a place that has them? As far as I can tell there isn’t just one place if any. I have no clue. Some show up on Google once in a while. I noticed some sunchokes made it and some look already mislabeled and mistaken identity. I kind of expected that. It is not something that is profitable commercially to do for the most part and takes a period of time to establish. So, the nursery closed in 2021 and ran since the early 1980’s. If there is any of my selections used to any degree, it would be a decade before you would see them is my guess. I also wonder if the selections are relegated to the ‘it’s not that good or useful’ category of edible food plants. That category is quite large and has members going in and out constantly!
AHEAD:
no more social media accounts for now, no more newsletter:
I am no longer going to be publishing a newsletter. The current newsletter you have been getting will be discontinued. This newsletter has been with me for over twenty years and it is time for it to go. It is no longer as important as it once was. However, that being said I plan to change the format to other more productive and enjoyable media including music and video. The newsletter is now biologicalenrich.com and will soon be published on the new website. Currently 4-5 articles are produced every week. Each article takes 4-7 minutes to read and are a synopsis of something I enjoy sharing with other like-minded individuals.
As of August 1st, all the social media accounts of Oikos Tree Crops are now completely dissolved. Instagram was the last to go. They took up too much time. I did enjoy them for the wonderful things I learned from so many nice people in the world. My focus continues always searching for a diverse plant and planetary life of a global nature using new plants from around the world to create better health and wellbeing.
NEW WEBSITE: OIKOSTREECROPS.COM
This is in the works now (August 2024) and will contain new content from my writing, new crops and experiences I have had in farming during the production of nursery stock and seeds along with the varieties and strains i have created. The Oikos Tree Crops channel has been changed in name. The previous videos have been removed. YouTube is now the new focus and will contain both farm and music created by images captured at the farm along with the inspiration I get from growing new plants.
TOURS of THE FARM AND PLANTINGS:
The new website will allow you to choose tours of the farm. You will be able to purchase a ticket and choose from a time and date. Tours will contain taste testing of different fruit, learning about new food plants and harvesting some fruit to take home to make something delicious to share with others. Currently this is being worked on (8-2024) and will be done by the web developers and company I have been using for the last twenty years. They always come through! For now there is an option to purchase a tour for $20.00. I am trying work into the different crops and ripening this year. The times are not set yet only because of my own schedule since retirement. It’s a two-hour walking tour in all.
My Great Grandparents-Farmers in Michigan-Great grandfather started in the sugar beet fields of the thumb area near the town of Sebewaing, Michigan. 1911 arrival from Russia. Became citizens of the U.S.A. in 1947.
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