Ep. 8: Lettuce Amongst the Stars: Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed

Ep. 8: Lettuce Amongst the Stars: Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed

Author: Seeds And Their People May 19, 2022 Duration: 55:13
Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed in Philomath, Oregon visited our Truelove Seeds farm during a cross-country road trip in July, 2019. Frank began in the early 1980s as a salad grower providing greens for grocery stores throughout the country. As you will hear in this episode, an accidental hybrid between two of his lettuces sparked a deep passion for breeding new varieties, and he has been doing so ever since, now with varieties in many seed catalogs, and even in space.  Frank has been a invaluable mentor for so many people in the organic and small regional seed company world. We are so grateful for the wisdom he shares.    SEED STORIES TOLD IN THIS EPISODE: Outredgeous Lettuce Lava Dome Lettuce Wild Garden Kale Mix Chickweed Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled Cress White Russian Kale   MORE INFO FROM THIS EPISODE: Interviewee: Frank Morton Wild Garden Seed: website Wild Garden Seed on Instagram: @wild_garden_seed Dr. Alan Kapuler and Peace Seeds Renee Shepherd and Renee's Garden John Navazio's The Organic Seed Grower Rob Johnston and Johnny's Select Seeds Luther Burbank's Wikipedia   ABOUT: Seeds And Their People is a radio show where we feature seed stories told by the people who truly love them. Hosted by Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden. trueloveseeds.com/blogs/satpradio   SUPPORT OUR PATREON! Become a monthly Patreon supporter! This will better allow us to take the time to record, edit, and share seed stories like these.   FIND OWEN HERE: Truelove Seeds Facebook  |  Tumblr  |  Instagram  |  Twitter   FIND CHRIS HERE: Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden   THANKS TO: Frank Morton Chris Keeve Jonah Hudson Maebh Aguilar Sara Taylor

There’s a whole world of history, culture, and personal connection tucked inside every seed packet, and that’s the world Seeds And Their People explores. This isn’t just a gardening show; it’s a series of conversations that dig into the rich soil of human experience. Hosts Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden sit down with growers, seed savers, and community elders to hear the stories that these living heirlooms carry with them. Each episode feels like a quiet chat on a back porch or in a garden row, where the talk inevitably turns to the seeds that have been passed down through families and communities. You’ll hear about the journey of a particular bean variety, the memories tied to a specific tomato, and the profound cultural resilience that keeping these seeds alive represents. The podcast moves beyond simple horticulture to touch on food sovereignty, ancestral knowledge, and the simple, powerful act of planting something with a story. It’s for anyone curious about where their food really comes from, not just geographically but historically and emotionally. Listening, you begin to understand that a seed is never just a seed-it’s a keeper of traditions, a spark of identity, and a quiet promise for the future, all held in the palm of your hand.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 40

Seeds And Their People
Podcast Episodes
EP. 25: Black Farming Vibes in the Delta: Three Wise Men [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:27
While visiting Greenville, Mississippi, we asked farmer and food justice elder Mama D (our mother, Ms. Demalda Newsome) to co-produce an episode about the farmers of the Delta. This is the first of multiple episodes abou…
EP. 24: Mary Menniti and the Italian Garden Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:40
Mary Menniti grew up with her Italian immigrant grandfather growing vegetables, figs, and tending sheep in her family's backyard. She created The Italian Garden Project to celebrate the joy and wisdom inherent in the tra…
EP. 23: Dr. William Woys Weaver and the Roughwood Seed Collection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:56
Dr. William Woys Weaver is an internationally known food historian and author of 22 books including: Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener’s Guide to Planting Seed Saving, and Cultural History; 100 Vegetables a…
EP. 22: Gujarati Seeds and Flavors with Nital Vadalia-Kakadia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:18
This episode features Nital Vadalia-Kakadia. Originally from the state of Gujarat in Western India, Nital has been fascinated by farming and food since she was a child on her family’s farm in India. These days, she tends…
EP. 21: Haiqal’s Garden - Indonesian vegetables in South Philly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:31
In the first week of June 2023, I finally visited Haiqal's Garden in South Philadelphia to speak with Hani White and Syarif Syaifulloh about their beloved Indonesian food plants, food culture, and life stories. We met fi…