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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 $
Climbing green beans, gives 6 to 7 very small beans per pod. They are a nice pink, and are delicious as dry beans. Just as delicious as green beans, and produces a lot.
This bean was given during a Seedy Saturday to René Paquet, then volunteer representative at the Canada Seeds of Diversity booth, by Marie-Jeanne Disant, from Quebec City. René then shared a couple with me, and it didn't take long before charmed by their high-yields and color!
Marie-Jeanne Disant: "I am so glad to find other enthusiasts for my grandma's bean. I have been saving them since the 70s, sharing them with whomever wants them, telling myself how important it is to save this heritage!"
"I did indeed get those beans from my grandma. She was living in France and had never left her Ile-de-France community, unlike these beans which have crossed the ocean! She had received them from her Swiss neighbor, who made her this gift between the two wars. How did the bean initially get to Europe, and Switzerland, I have no idea! But when I moved to Quebec in the 90s, I brought some in my shoes. I thought I wasn't infringing on the law that much, since I was simply bringing them back to their original continent. [...] One more thing, they can eaten as green beans even when the small seeds are forming inside, since they are so tender."
We later on learned that Mrs. Disant carried the beans in the shoes in her suitcase, not the ones she was wearing.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
The 42 days tomato has a very suiting name: it is indeed ready in 42 days! Mid-sized with a very red color and a very round shape, this tomato grows well in colder climates and nordic latitudes. Its taste is well-balanced, it does not crack and offers abundant harvests. Its origins have not be retraced, but it is considered very rare amongst seed producers.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
This slightly oval shaped Italian tomato was once grown by the Amish community. It was discovered in Wisconsin, United States. It is commonly used for cooking, although it is delicious eaten fresh. Meaty, with few seeds, it is quite productive.
Envelope: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
Beefsteak or "cuor di bue" is the name of several tomato cultivars of Italian origin. The original Beefsteak is a variety of large tomato whose shape reminiscent of a bovine heart. Can reach a weight of 500 to 600 grams.
Envelope: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
This variety produces abundant red fruits in clusters, almost perfectly round in shape of approximatively 120 to 170 grams. Their red flesh is juicy and savory with a well-balanced taste.
Impervious to cracking and diseases, it's fruit keep well after harvest. Originally from Switzerland and cultivated in Sissoch since the 1930s by Walter and Marie Muller-Linder, its seeds were brought all the way to British Columbia by the family in 1952. Grown in greenhouses for a long time, the daughter, Christine Wieber shared some seeds with François Lebel whom in turn, made them available in the Semence du Patrimoine catalog. Having tried them, we were positively surprised. Up to you to give them a try at home!
Package: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
Spice up movie night with your own homegrown popcorn! This variety is crunchy and has a rich taste, making it ideal for a healthy snack as well.
The seeds are lustrous and black, and pop into appetizing white popcorns.
This variety was developed by the Prairie Road Organic Seed Farm in North Dakota, to our taste buds' greatest pleasure!
Adapted to colder climates and easy to grow, unless you have some hungry birds roaming around your garden! (in which case we recommend using nets)
Package: Around 35 seeds
If you struggle getting your corn to pop: https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/why-popcorn-sometimes-doesnt-pop/
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3,78 $
Ancient cherry tomato. Very hardy and productive. The fruits are oval-shaped, 4-5 cm by 2 cm. The skin is black, and the flesh dark red. It is used for making dried tomatoes, sauces, or simply in salads.
Originally from a russian seed saver, Marina Danilenko. It was first introduced to Seed Savers (U.S.), and then made its way to Quebec.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,78 $
Broomcorn is grown mainly in Africa and Asia for its edible grains, as a cereal. This variety grows shiny grains of varied hues, going from beiges to browns, reds, and blacks, making it a great plant for ornamental purposes. On top of that, once the grains have been harvested, the remaining stems can be combined to form a compostable broom.
Variety obtained from Balais de Sorcière.
For more informations, visit: https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/broomcorn.html
Package: 100 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 $
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Elongated paste tomato that is creamy white to pale yellow in color. The sweet flavor should be a hit with gourmet chefs. Determinated and quite productive. Perfect for sauce.
Envelope: 30 seeds
3,78 $
Quebec garlic is in, but everyone is growing the same variety! Don't put all your garlic in the same basket, and choose biodiversity instead! This package contains 6 different varieties, which will promptly adapt to your garden and your growing conditions, and will prove hardier to nature's challenges.
For more information on garlic culture, please visit (in French) : http://terrepromise.ca/culture-bulbilles-dail/
Package: Between 75-100 bulbils
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