posted 4 years ago
I will probably be in the minority here, but for me, it’s not worth it. My reasons are:
1. Why do something poorly, when I could instead support someone who does an amazing job at seed saving/plant breeding? In my region there is no shortage of amazing small farmers selling open-pollinated, regionally adapted, unique varieties.
2. By not saving seeds I am able to produce a lot more food in a much smaller area. For example, in one year from a single 3x8 ft plot I will harvest a variety of overwintered brassicas, followed by fresh fava beans, followed by sweet corn, followed by hardy greens. Requiring plants to grow to maturity limits your ability to succession plant.
And finally, 3. I just really, really love buying seeds. Maybe it’s materialistic of me, but pouring through catalogues is what gets me through the winter!
That said, I do think it’s important to be aware of seed saving and to have some knowledge about it. If one particular plant does exceptionally well, I’ll often save the seeds. If my circumstances change and I end up with a lot more space, or if I move somewhere that regionally adapted varieties are hard to come by, maybe I’ll do more seed saving, but for now it’s not for me.