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3,78 $
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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3,78 $
Semi-Runner/Dry. 100 days to first dry seed.
Viney plants can be grown on the ground like a bush bean, but would probably benefit from growing on some support. Very productive of 4 to 5 inch oval green pods that are lightly streaked with purple. 4 to 6 small seeds per pod.
The origin is unsure but, according to Fruitition Seeds, seeds were traded at the Common Ground Fair in Maine, USA, in 2003. We obtained them from a seed swap in Ontario.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
Ancient corn variety introduced in the U.S. during the 1890s. The plant can reach more than 2 m in height, and produces 2 to 3 cobs of 20 cm. The long and white grains are not organized in rows, but instead in a completely irregular way.
The taste is delicate and sweet. Requires a longer cooking time to fully bring the flavour out. Delicious on the BBQ.
Package: 60 seeds
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3,78 $
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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3,78 $
This tobacco variety from Havana is the one used in the famous Cuban cigars. It grows abundant and fragrant leaves that can used both for smoking and chewing. It grows well in the sun, but tolerates easily colder climates like ours. It is also appreciated for its pretty flowers, pink and elongated, that attract pollinators.
Package: 200 seeds.
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3,78 $
This type of tobacco comes from Central America, more precisely Mexico and Venezuela. It was grown during the pre-Columbian era in Mexico.
The Aztecs would dry the leaves, grind them, and mix them with Tagetes lucida. The mixture was then consumed during various rituals. This tobacco allegedly affects mental activity, which is why it was used by shamans of the Warao people in Venezuela.
In traditional medecine, this tobacco was used to fight asthma, inflammation, toothaches, headaches, and snake venom poisoning.
The delicate flowers of this plant can be very decorative.
Package: 300 seeds
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3,78 $
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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3,78 $
Rare, hardy and high-yielding variety. Once grown by Iroquoian people. The plant can reach up to 2 m in height, and has white and purple flowers. The pods can be eaten when still young as green beans.
Its name, skunk, refers to the gorgeous black and white marks characteristic of the beans. They can also, although more rarely, be entirely black. Their flat-shape is reminiscent of lima beans. Once fully ripe, they are ideal for soups. We have tried them for baked beans (fèves au lard) and they are delicious mixed with some Kahnawake Mohawk beans.
This bean was rediscovered by Chester in Vermont and saved by Gail Flagg from Fort Kent, Maine (U.S.).
Ideal for the Three Sisters, to be grown with the Canada Crookneck squash.
Package: 25 seeds
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3,78 $
This pink-flowered tobacco grows easily in any type of soil. Hardy, short, and an early producer, the plant ripens in only six weeks and offers leaves with a strong flavour.
Considered sacred, this tobacco is an important medicinal plant for First Nations, and is used in numerous rituals.
Mentions of this tobacco date back to 1807, according to the 1897 W.M Ewing & cie's catalogue. In Quebec, the Small Canadian tobacco has been grown for over a century. As early as 1884, it became commercialized by the J. O. Forest factory in Saint-Roch-de-L'Achigan.
Considered as rare.
Package: 750 seeds
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3,78 $
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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3,78 $
Maturity: 70 days
Dwarf green bean with small, delicate pods and golden brown beans. There are 5 to 6 beans per pods. Gives early and abundant yields. It is supposedly from the Nez Perce Tribe.
Maintained during generations by the Denny family in Idaho (1930), this bean will grow runners of about 3 feet that can either be tutored or left on the ground.
Can be eaten either as green or dry beans.
Endangered, please share!
Package: 25 seeds
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3,78 $
Maturity: 100 days
Climbing shelling bean. This variety comes from the Abenaki First Nations. It is part of Slow Food's Ark of Taste. The beans, once dry, are a flamboyant red which makes them resemble cranberries. White hilum. Rich Flavour.
Rare variety, rediscovered by the bean collector John Withee, who obtained it from M. Taylor of Steep Falls, Maine after 11 years of research. He had read the description in an encyclopedia dating back from the 1700s. In 1981, John Withee donated his collection of 1,186 beans to the Seed Savers Exchange organization (U.S.). This variety is found in a number of catalogues from the East of New England in the 1850s, including in one from Montreal dated from 1899. It mentioned that this variety was very popular.
Package: 20 seeds
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