Nick Routledge@AgrarianSharing

Call it a vernacular liturgy, but mid-April is Cucurbit-sowing season hereabouts. Today, then, a beautiful day among sun-splashed nursery tables, celebrating #EarthDay2023 #ASNSeedIncreaseInitiative

Photo of seed packet of Mideast Peace cucumber. A selection of a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean type cucumber – bright green skin, smooth, mild flavor – with amazing sweet flavor, texture, productivity and appearance, developed by the legendary independent plant breeder, Dr. Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds in Corvallis, Oregon.
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Photo of seed packet of Mideast Peace cucumber. A selection of a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean type cucumber – bright green skin, smooth, mild flavor – with amazing sweet flavor, texture, productivity and appearance, developed by the legendary independent plant breeder, Dr. Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds in Corvallis, Oregon.

Photo of seed packet of Small Jadu'i' Watermelon. According to the woman who introduced us to this plant, our dear friend Vivien Sansour of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, this watermelon is of deep importance to many Palestinian people. "Known for its disease resistance and adaptation to the microclimate," Vivien writes, "Jadu’i watermelon fields were symbolic of Palestinian farmers’ lived experiences: Palestinian women gave birth in the melon fields; many sought refuge in the fields during the war; and many more remember the times when the watermelons were stored under beds to eat during the winter. This watermelon has stayed carved in peoples’ memories until this day. There is no one from Jenin who would not have a story to share from their parents or their own experience of a once loved and enjoyed melon that shaped much of the culture at some point.”
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Photo of seed packet of Small Jadu'i' Watermelon. According to the woman who introduced us to this plant, our dear friend Vivien Sansour of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, this watermelon is of deep importance to many Palestinian people. "Known for its disease resistance and adaptation to the microclimate," Vivien writes, "Jadu’i watermelon fields were symbolic of Palestinian farmers’ lived experiences: Palestinian women gave birth in the melon fields; many sought refuge in the fields during the war; and many more remember the times when the watermelons were stored under beds to eat during the winter. This watermelon has stayed carved in peoples’ memories until this day. There is no one from Jenin who would not have a story to share from their parents or their own experience of a once loved and enjoyed melon that shaped much of the culture at some point.”

Photo of seed packet of the Israeli kibbutz heirloom cucumber, Beit Alpha, named after the Beit Alpha kibbutz in the Northern District of Israel, founded in 1922 by immigrants from Poland. Between 1931 and 1936 a kibbutz member Hanka Lazarson developed a breed of cucumbers that came to be known as the "Beit Alpha Cucumber" (or "Beth Alpha Cucumber"). The breed became highly popular worldwide due to its excellent taste and high yield.
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Photo of seed packet of the Israeli kibbutz heirloom cucumber, Beit Alpha, named after the Beit Alpha kibbutz in the Northern District of Israel, founded in 1922 by immigrants from Poland. Between 1931 and 1936 a kibbutz member Hanka Lazarson developed a breed of cucumbers that came to be known as the "Beit Alpha Cucumber" (or "Beth Alpha Cucumber"). The breed became highly popular worldwide due to its excellent taste and high yield.

Photo of the seed packet of the Syrian 'La Fontie' cucumber. "This variety passed through many hands on its way to us, including those of Syrian refugees farming in a camp in Lebanon."
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Photo of the seed packet of the Syrian 'La Fontie' cucumber. "This variety passed through many hands on its way to us, including those of Syrian refugees farming in a camp in Lebanon."