Mohawk Seedkeeper, Stephen Silverbear McComber

Stephen Silverbear McComber is a seedkeeper and a recently elected chief on the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke whose portfolio is sustainable development. Silverbear tells us about the seeds that different people shared with him while visiting different First Nations communities within the Confederacy. He tells us how he has taken care of these seeds and a generation later, he has been able to return some of these seeds to the families of the folks who shared them with him, and the joy and connection that this brings. Silverbear explains how he plants by the phases of the moon, and what crops he plants during different periods, how the spring has been starting later than it used to and the autumn is also ending later and the challenges that creates for growing food. Silverbear explains how it is important to select corn and other crops to adapt to this changing environment and to your bioregion. We then do a deep dive into growing squash for seed and hand pollination techniques. Mentioned in the show... Steve's Garden Tips Facebook Page Follow Dan on Instagram, get his newsletter, & follow Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm PRE-ORDER Dan's new book, The Seed Farmer, from notillgrowers.com to further support our work! Folks who support The Seed Farmer Podcast The goal of the Culinary Breeding Network is to improve communication between plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, produce buyers and others to improve quality in vegetables, fruits and grains. Learn more and check out upcoming events! Are you a farmer looking for educational resources in Canada? Check out Young Agrarians! They are a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic, and regenerative farmers. This February, join thousands of farmers like you from across the U.S. for three days of community building and farmer-led learning at the 36th annual Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Truelove Seeds is a farm-based seed company offering culturally important and open pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Check out their podcast, Seeds & Their People, wherever you're listening to The Seed Farmer Podcast!