Community Seed Bank Labs – Workshop funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ project Seeds of Growth (Project ID: KA210-ADU-1727BE52)
March 2026
This workshop presentation by Frank Adams provides practical, step-by-step guidance for people who harvest their own vegetable seeds: hobby gardeners, diversity initiative members and professional market gardeners engaged in regional food projects. It covers the full seed production chain with emphasis on preserving seed quality after cultivation: timing and techniques for seed harvesting (physiological maturity, avoiding too-early or too-late harvests, use of sheets and simple tools), methods for drying (sun, air circulation, dehumidifiers, desiccants, hygrometers), cleaning procedures for different seed types (wet extraction for fleshy fruits, threshing and sieving for dry pods, sorting out damaged or empty seeds), and best practices for storage (target equilibrium relative humidity, use of silica gel, airtight containers, vacuum packing or deep-freeze for longer conservation, and stable cool temperatures around 15°C). The presentation also explains basic seed testing and germination checks (sample sizes adapted from ISTA guidance for small producers; temperature and humidity conditions for tests; troubleshooting low germination and mould), and gives advice on organising seed stocks (clear labelling with variety/year/place, annual multiplication plans and germination records). Slides include practical tips, photos of simple equipment, and references to sources such as Lehmann, ISTA and the LiveSeeding guide.
Key topics: seed quality, seed harvesting, seed drying, seed cleaning, seed storage, seed testing, on-farm seed saving
