Ultracrosses and tropical perennials grown as annuals are just two of the many innovative breeding strategies being used by Chris Smith and the Utopian Seed Project to help make local food systems more resilient in the face of climate change. Based in western North Carolina, they are pioneering unusual breeding strategies that can be used by farmers and breeders anywhere to help develop varieties that can adapt to our changing climate.
Underlying their work is the fact that many vegetable varieties are bred for specific regions, and need a high level of inputs for them to succeed. “The Utopian Seed Project is anticipating a less than utopian future as climate changes threaten crops and growing environments,” as Growing for Market Magazine writer Jane Tanner put it in her story about USP, which is linked below in the show notes. Learn how they are using these unusual breeding strategies, along with classical breeding and selection, and how you can access some of their varieties and use their strategies on your own farm in this fascinating episode.
Here's a link to an article from the Nov/Dec 2023 Growing for Market Magazine about Chris Smith and The Utopian Seed Project
https://growingformarket.com/articles/the-utopian-seed-project
Connect With Guest:
Website: theutopianseedproject.org
Instagram: @utopianseedproject
Facebook: The Utopian Seed Project
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