Dan is the Seed Saving Network Coordinator at OmVed Gardens. He has worked in gardens since he was small and always had a huge love of nature and food. After studying the archaeology of agriculture he retrained in organic farming. Working in orchards, market gardens and educational farms, Omved eventually led him to find his passion for working with seeds and he moved to London last year to continue this with the Seed Saving Network. When he's not in the Seed Library, he enjoys spending time with friends, food and festivals, he's also an avid fermenter, hiker and lover of live music. He loves to be around people who are working to improve things, take action and come up with new ideas.
What inspired you to start saving seeds, and how did your journey begin?
I studied archaeology and food heritage before going into organic farming and market gardening - after a few years I interned with Irish Seed Savers Association and discovered seed saving as a way to keep working on the land while engaging in social, cultural and conservation work. It blends my passion for human cultures with my love of ecology and nature - allowing me to dive deep into botany and science while exploring society rather than experiencing the isolation, or disconnection from culture, that modern farming can bring about.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned from nature?
Nature is constantly changing and showing me that no matter how chaotic or strange things currently are, they will eventually settle into systems and patterns. In that way I’ve learned to not be too controlling and to trust in processes around me - and enjoy all the positive side of the changes - rather than expect life to always be straight forward. I think nature is a great teacher of how to handle changing times.
Why is seed saving an act of rebellion?
Unfortunately there are serious efforts in recent generations to control, commodify and reduce access to seed. When human communities dependent on farmed food no longer have sovereign seed access we are vulnerable and easily manipulated by corporations and groups who focus on profit and control rather than human rights and sustainability. Every time we save seeds we are taking a step towards independence from industry and capitalism - this first step makes foundations for us to be free to make radical social, political and environmental change.
How does nature influence your work?
Every heirloom plant we work with has natural origins and everything from how we manage the soil in our gardens to how we choose the packaging for our seeds is carefully considered with nature's best interests. Though the plants we work with at the SSN are mostly human bred food crops, they are ones which work with nature rather than against it and offer a beautiful way for us to practically engage in the outdoors and ecology. My work is hopefully offering pathways for people to engage with nature through their food.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start saving seeds but feels overwhelmed?
We’re not meant to do any of this alone! Though today we’re very individualistic, everything is less intimidating when you join community gardens, allotments and share your passions. I’d also suggest to go slowly and make sure you’re enjoying the plants as food, not just as a way to get seed. Don’t feel pressure to do the whole thing yourself either - maybe you’re not composting, growing seed-to-seed, doing everything perfectly etc. Maybe you’re sowing heirloom seeds to then share as plants, maybe you’re just saving seed from a plant you already have growing.
Outside of seed saving, what else are you passionate about?
I love arts and music, the outdoors and food more than anything. All of these I enjoy the most with company and I’m passionate about community spaces - to me food and ecology are ways to connect people to each other and to the non-human world. I love festivals and live music and can probably be found at my happiest camping, cooking or at live gigs.
The Seed Saving Network is a community of growers, sharing seed, tips and data from organic and heritage varieties. Initiated at OmVed Gardens in 2020, the Seed Saving Network is a diverse and open community of growers across London and the United Kingdom, saving and sharing seed, tips, and growing data from organic and heritage varieties. Learn more here.