Legendary seedsman Bill McDorman, President of Seeds Trust will be presenting a unique and innovative lecture on seed saving. In this passionate presentation Bill focuses on how to address diversity, regional adaptability, and food security by saving seeds. It is also a compendium on basic seed saving techniques.
In 1989, Bill traveled behind the Iron Curtain on a horticultural and botanical garden tour.  At the time, Seeds Trust was incorporated as High Altitude Gardens and was based out of Hailey, Idaho.  With the globalization of the seed market and virtually no area left untouched by hybrid American seeds, Bill’s hope was to find some remarkable open-pollinated, cold-tolerant varieties in Russia and he did. 
The stories from Siberia are rich and engaging. Bill was personally handed the seeds to many treasures.  Some gardeners graciously provided him seeds under severe penalty.  All who gifted him with these heirloom beauties accompanied their offerings with words of peace. It was a profound experience and provided the world with tomatoes never before seen or tasted.  This year marks the 20-year anniversary.
Since that time, Bill has been singing the praises of the Russian people, their glorious seeds and the seed saving rituals that accompanied them. The seeds themselves have gone on to become famous. In the 90’s Bill received an ad from a paper in Tanzania, advertising the world’s best tomato for $5 a seed! It was Sasha’s Altai, personally carried back to the states by Bill in 1989.

On Friday, August 13th, from 6:00 -8:00 pm, at Rock Bottom Ranch in Basalt, Bill will passionately share his experience from Siberia with amazing slides (powerpoint) and stories. He will also recount the early days of his non-profit in Missoula, Montana when it became clear someone needed to save the heirloom seeds rapidly disappearing.  That became the genesis for the companies Bill went on to develop.

Other topics of discussion include: the terminator gene, hybrids, heirloom seeds and the importance of diversity. This should engender an exciting repartee between Bill and attendees. Bill is one of the most knowledgeable people in the field.  He has a degree in philosophy and weaves historical and philosophical perspectives into his lectures.
In the end, Bill and others would argue food grown from seeds selected, saved and planted locally just tastes better!
“One of the greats of the seed-saving, seed-selling world.”
    Mike McGrath; host of Public Radio’s You Bet Your Garden,
Editor in Chief of Organic Gardening magazine 1991-1997