Small Farm News - Oregon Small Farms - Oregon State University

Pinning Maps Protect Vegetable Seed Quality inthe Willamette ValleyBy: Ted Hake, Universal Seed CompanyThe Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Association(WVSSA) was formed in 1980 by companiesinvolved in producing vegetable seeds and otherspecialty crop seeds. With the assistance of OregonState University Extension Service, this group wascreated to promote quality seed production.One of its major activities is to maintain maps wherefields are marked and recorded to ensure adequateisolation distances between genetically compatiblecrops. WVSSA isolation guidelines help guaranteethe seed you purchase for your farm or garden is trueto type. This quality control gives seed buyers of theworld confidence in vegetable seed crops grown andharvested in the Willamette Valley.In conjunction with OSU Extension Service,WVSSA maintains a map in Marion County forthe north valley and a map in Linn County forthe southern portion of the Willamette Valley.Membership in the association is required toparticipate in mapping, and may include growers.WVSSA also provides the opportunity for seedsavers to pin their crops with the assistance of aWVSSA member.The Willamette Valley is one of only five areas inthe world where vegetable seed can be successfullyproduced. The unique growing characteristics, suchas weather and climate, contribute to the successof its specialty seed production. Because of theseimportant characteristics seed production must beprotected so growers can continue to provide highquality seeds for the United States and the rest of theworld.For more information, visit the website at http://www.thewvssa.org/. To learn more about theWVSSA, its purpose, isolation guidelines andpinning procedures contact any of the officersat http://www.thewvssa.org/documents/Board-Members.pdf.The Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Association (WVSSA) Website provides informationabout seed production, pinning map rules and membership information for boththe WVSSA and the Specialty Seed Growers of Western Oregon Association.Welcome New Oregon Small FarmsProgram Member Amy GarrettAmy Garrett started working with OSU Small Farms Programin February serving Benton, Linn, Lane counties. Amy grewup in Indianapolis and has studied and worked in the field ofhorticulture for fifteen years. She has experience rangingfrom landscape design, installation and maintenance to farmmanagement, teaching and research. Amy completed herM.S. degree in horticulture at OSU in 2009, and then movedto Lummi Island, Washington to manage a diverse three-acrefarm providing farm fresh produce, meat and eggs for theWillow’s Inn and the Lummi Island Farmer’s Market. Shehas a special interest in Permaculture design and recentlycompleted a PermacultureDesign Certificate coursewith Bill Mollison andGeoff Lawton in Istanbul,Turkey. As a Small FarmsInstructor, she is devotedto learning and teachingothers about ways toimprove the economicand environmentalsustainability of our foodproduction systems.Oregon Small Farm News Vol. VI No. 2 Page 10