By Eating well and doing your bit for a sustainable future go hand-in-hand with our SOW STUDY SUSTAIN initiative. We want our Growth 4 Health home growers to cultivate nutrient-packed fruit and veg, not only to nourish themselves but also to contribute to a thriving seed bank for Lincolnshire.
Your growing skills may start out by growing at home, but as people grow in confidence they can share views and good practice as a non official stakeholder in our whole circular economy health and wellness intervention. We leave no one behind bridging the generations and inequality gaps irrespective of existing physical or mental challenges. Health food builds healthy hearts, bodies and minds. You can currently join the fun, by growing at home and together through the LOL Ecolearn initiatives in East Lindsey around Louth and Mablethorpe.
Here are some top picks for nutrition and seed-saving potential, perfect for growing in your garden:
Fruits:
- Strawberries: Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, strawberries are easy to grow and readily produce runners for propagation.
- Raspberries: Another brilliant source of vitamin C and fibre, raspberries are prolific and their seeds can be easily extracted for saving.
- Apples: Rich in fibre and vitamin C, apples offer diverse varieties suited to Lincolnshire’s climate. Save seeds from your favourite apples to experiment with growing unique trees.
- Blueberries: Loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, blueberries thrive in acidic soil, which can be achieved in Lincolnshire with the right soil amendments.
Vegetables:
- Kale: A nutritional powerhouse brimming with vitamins K, A, and C, kale is a hardy crop that produces abundant seeds for saving.
- Spinach: A top source of iron, folate, and vitamins, spinach is easy to grow and produces a plentiful supply of seeds.
- Tomatoes: Rich in vitamin C and lycopene, tomatoes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Save seeds from your tastiest tomatoes to keep those unique flavours going.
- Runner Beans: These legumes are packed with protein and fibre. Allow some pods to mature fully on the plant to harvest seeds for future planting.
- Peas: Another fantastic source of protein and fibre, peas are easy to grow and produce plenty of seeds for saving.
Tips for Seed Saving:
- Select healthy, mature fruit and veg for seed saving for next year or to share
- Extract seeds carefully and allow them to dry completely.
- Store seeds in a cool, dark, and dry place.
- Label seeds with the variety and date of harvest.
- Share your saved seeds with our Sow Study Sustain Lincolnshire seed bank to help create a diverse and resilient local food system at our community growing centres and micro farms.
By growing these nutritious crops and sharing your saved seeds, you’ll be doing your bit for your health, your community, and a more sustainable future for the Lincolnshire wider community.
Remember: Always choose open-pollinated varieties for seed saving to ensure that the next generation of plants will retain the characteristics of the parent plant. Hybrid varieties don’t breed true to type.
Happy growing – Sow Study Sustain!
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