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Antoine D'Avignon was a ancient vegetable lover. A pioneer in Quebec for heirloom seed saving, he grew, harvested and shared the seeds of numerous varieties that would have otherwise been forgotten by now. Notably, Louis-Marie's Crotte d'ours potato, Suzanne Bourgeois's Ice Grow tomato, Huron wheat, and... this corn.
In an interview in the late 1990s he reached out for help to the public: the Quebec corn that our grandmas used to cultivate has disappeared. Nobody is growing flour corn anymore. After the interview, a lady called the radio station claiming that she did have seeds of a flour corn that had been grown by her family for ages.
This is how she came into contact with Antoine and shared with him her precious treasure. Then, during that summer, Antoine ends up mentioning the corn to a friend, Mrs. France Bouffard. She is really interested and ask for a couple seeds. Reluctant as he as only a few, he ends up giving her 6 seeds. She grew those and multiplied them, enough to make flour for her pancakes. The story could have ended there. Sadly it did not as Antoine died still young and took with him the corn story.
More recently, Mrs. Bouffard reached out to me while I was working for Seeds of Diversity. We chatted, and she ended up mentioning the corn. She then sent me some seeds by the mail. We had a good first harvest from those seeds and, thanks to that, we can now share this variety with you. Luckily, Antoine has also gifted a few to another one of his friends, René Paquet, who has since carefully kept the envelope. On it, a name:
Anita Fournier, from Nicolet.
We are looking for this lady (probably deceased by now) or her offsprings. Please let us know if you know her.
Please note that some of the seeds have been sent to Seeds of Diversity for preservation. With the hopes that you might also contribute to writing a chapter of this story.
For more information, please visit (in French): Antoine d'Avignon (1948-2003), jardinier de la dernière chance"
Please send us pictures of your crops and harvests! We will share them!
Package: 40 seeds
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3,55 $
While sorting the beans, Geneviève slipped and spilled them all! We are now happy to introduce you our best climbing bean varieties, of all colors and tastes: Skunk, True Red Cranberry, Kahnawake Mohawk, Turkey craw, Goose, Mennonite, Mayflower, and Grand-mère.
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This very ancient variety was supposedly brought to the U.S. on the Mayflower boat in 1620. The boat was carrying English religious dissidents, the Pilgrim fathers, and other European people seeking a land where they could fully enjoy religious freedom. This variety was widely grown in the Carolinas region.
Despite this nice story, and considering most beans are originally from America, it is more likely that the colonizers 'borrowed' this variety from First Nations and named it after their boat. Perhaps.
Their pods are small, and contain squarish beans, sprinkled with pink and white marks. Can be eaten as green beans when still young, or as dry beans when they reach maturity after 85 days. Mayflower beans are part of the SlowFood USA's Ark of Taste.
Package: 30 seeds
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At a Seedy Saturday in 2016, a lady came up to me and told me that her mother-in-law had a tomato variety called Mon Plaisir that stopped being available in seed catalogues for ages, but that she keeps growing year after year. We chat a bit and exchange contact informations. I end up forgetting about it until, a few months later, I receive a letter in the mail. Inside, a beautiful card containing a paper on which a dozen seeds were attached. The seeds of the lost Mon Plaisir tomato. This is what Mrs. Frappier told me when I reached out to her, after receiving her letter:
"We use to order our seeds through the WHPerron catalogue, and another company. I think it was called Norseco. We were growing tomatoes in greenhouses in Abitibi, in Matamic close to Lasarre. It was the Frappier greenhouses (serres Frappier) in 1976. We grow a couple seedlings to sell, but it was mostly for vegetable production. I really like those tomatoes, they would make nice long cherry tomato trusses. We stopped producing in the early 2000s, and I had already been saving my own seeds for about 20 to 25 years because we couldn't find the variety in catalogues anymore. I really couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was replaced by either Sweet 100 or Sweet mignonne. I did taste it, but I definitely prefer Mon Plaisir." (Free translation)
It is now our turn to share this discovery with you. A huge thanks to the Frappier family for preserving this variety.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,70 $
The roots have a very sweet taste, reminiscent of parsnip, and should be cooked. Savoured even at the royal table until the 17th Century, skirret then gradually fell out of favor. This decrease in popularity was probably due to the huge success of both carrots and beets, for which breeding brought spectacular improvements. Regardless, for permaculture gardens, skirrets remain a must. Easy to grow, its roots' soft white flesh will surely make it popular again.
Package: 30 seeds
* Must go through stratification in the fridge, please see the details below
Here's recipe from 1460:
"Take skirrets, parsnips and apples, and parboil them. Make a batter of flour and eggs. Cast ale, saffron and salt into it. Wet them in the batter and fry them in oil or in grease. Pour on almond milk and serve it forth."
— From John Russell, Boke of Nurture, c. 1460
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This herb is commonly used in Acadian traditional cooking. It should therefore not be a surprised that, through time, they developed their own summer savory variety.
The first records of 'Ancienne d'Acadie' summer savory go back to Mr. Jean Prudent Robichaud in Burnt Churchill, Nouveau-Brunswick, at the end of the 19th Century. He received the seeds from a local indigenous woman. His family then grew the plant over several generations.
Given that this variety has had to adapt to the harsh and windy Eastern Canadian climate, it became stockier and hardier than common summer savory. The flavor is also more distinct.
For the full story please visit the Potager d'Antan website (in French) : https://potagersdantan.com/2017/01/31/curiosite-au-potager-la-sarriette-ancienne-dacadie/
Package: 25-30 seeds
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This rare corn variety was shared with us by Steve McCumber, founder of the Haudenosaunee seed saving group. It comes from the Winnebago nation, who has been cultivating it for generations on their land, now known as Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Winnebago corn is a flour variety. The kernels are creamy white, sprinkled with blue spots. You can try to eat it fresh if you wish, but the taste won't be as sweet and the texture will be more fibrous than the corn cobs you usually find at summer corn stalls. It will however be best used to cook cornbreads, polenta or hominy.
Ancient and rare variety, please share!
Package: 40 seeds
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Perennial herb with sturdy little green leaves that resemble large needles. Also grows small pink or white flowers which are very popular among pollinators. Winter savory's taste is slightly milder than summer savory, but can handle being cooked better than its summer counterpart. Its flavor has a hint of pepper, making it great to enhance almost any meal. Can be used fresh or dried. If planning to to dry the leaves, harvest them right before flowering to ensure a stronger taste.
Package: 25-30 seeds
Photo Credit: https://jardinage.ooreka.fr/plante/voir/65/sarriette
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This tomato dates back to 1869 according to some sources. It is an Italian tomato with a very soft taste and only little juice. Large productive plants, bearing 4 to 5 fruits per truss. The tomatoes themselves have a funny shape and a light yellow color, with just a dash pink blush. Ideal for tomato paste, sauces and canning.
Package: 30 seeds
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Ancient variety of cherry tomato, vigorous and productive. It has a nice little pear shape, 3 cm tall. Very polyvalent with a only little acidity, it can be thrown into salads, cherry tomato mixes, and used as a snack for your little ones!
Package: 30 seeds
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3,55 $
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The farmer got confused and messed up, but in the process created this mix of different varieties of tomatoes grown on our farm. Includes: Mémé de Beauce, Oncle Tom, Petit Moineau, Sun Drop, Téton de Vénus, Poil Blanc, Savignac, Plourde, Black Cherry and Black Ruffle. For diversity fans.
Package: 35 seeds
3,55 $
Back in the 60s, Mr. Réginald Lefebvre owned a farm in St-Rémi, QC. On some day, a couple Spaniards ask him if they can use some of his land to grow their tomatoes. He accepts, and quickly discovers the potential of one of their variety. So much that he begins growing it himself. In 1981, there is no successor to take over and the farm has to be sold. A sad end, but not for the tomato which made history!
Package: 35 seeds
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