Jemma Ostenfeld Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Growing up gardening with her grandmother sowed the original seed for heritage seed collector and grower Jemma Ostenfeld.
Originally from Australia's Gold Coast, she's been in New Zealand five years and after learning the ropes of seed collecting in Hawke's Bay, she now collects and sows heritage varieties on a patch of borrowed land at Poroporo in eastern Bay of Plenty.
She grows the seedlings and heritage crops and sells her produce at farmers' markets in the region.
"I try for over 100 years old - they hold the memory of all the times that they've been grown before, so they have more resistance to pests and disease and any environmental conditions like drought," she told Country Life.
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It takes Jemma a good few hours to sow each batch of seeds Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Heritage seeds are from a plant that has reproduced naturally through "open pollination" and been passed down through the generations.
They are "true-to-type", Ostenfeld explained, meaning the plant that grows from them is genetically identical.
They can be traced back to early seed catalogues and in the case of traditional Māori vegetables - kamokamo and beans for example - can go back centuries.
When Country Life visited she was in her hand-built greenhouse sowing a heritage lettuce variety from a trusted collector in Northland.
"Every time a seed is grown, it will take on those environmental conditions from that season.
"If it's grown in a different soil type, it will become adapted to that soil type, plus all the different soil types that it's been grown in before, so by diversifying the environment that the seeds are grown in, it's going to take on more qualities of pest resistance, of resistance to harsh environmental conditions, so it gets stronger and stronger year after year."
Jemma grows out her seedlings too Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Jemma considers herself a large-scale home gardener Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
She found her passion for seed collecting on her initial travels around New Zealand, connecting with growers and others in the small seed collecting community.
"A lot of the seeds that have come into New Zealand have been smuggled in by like people in the war, sneaking them in their socks, or a lot came over with the Dalmatian gum diggers as well. So they originate in other countries, and then they come here, and they've got these amazing stories."
Ostenfeld has been passed on a few different varieties and been approached to take on a whole seed collection by someone who wants to ensure his seeds are well looked after.
"Sometimes it gets to a point where families can't necessarily look after those lines anymore, but they still want to keep that seed alive, because it means so much to them.
"It's one of those things that's it's hard to ask for, I think they come to you when the time is right."
Jemma sources her heritage seeds from trusted suppliers, grows them out and collects her own Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Ostenfeld leads an off-grid life at present in the remote valley, sowing weekly in the spring and watering by hand, heading to farmers' markets with her certified organic produce at the weekend.
She's also an educator.
"I'm kind of turning into a mini garden centre trying to provide the average home gardener with the tools to be able to grow healthy food in their garden, as well as education and engagement through workshops."
She must abide by international seed-saving rules, ensuring strict germination rates, adjusting her growing routines to ensure the best outcome.
She also ensures she can pass on the history of the seeds.
Labelled seedlings at The East Field Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
"Before I sell them, I make sure that I go into a deep dive of where they originate from. It might be a plant breeder in the 1800s."
Seed libraries should be sprinkled around the country, she believes, to ensure seed security in case of major events like Cyclone Gabrielle and Covid which disrupted distribution, she said.
"When we were all locked down, there was such a high demand for seeds that those people almost sold out of a lot of their ranges.
"I think the more people that are growing and saving heritage seeds and distributing them out across the country creates a more secure food system for us."
Ostenfeld is on the look out for a new patch of land to lease or collaborate on in the Bay of Plenty which has ideal growing conditions, she said.
Learn more:
- Find our more about Jemma Ostenfeld here
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