Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
OUR WORK
In 2018 Chris Smith grew out 76 different varieties of okra as a research project to support a book he was working on, The Whole Okra. That trial was funded by a successful Kick Starter Campaign and the generous sponsorship of Sow True Seed. Variety observations and trial notes from the 2018 Trial can be seen here. In Many ways that project provided the proof of concept for The Utopian Seed Project to get off the ground.
In 2019 The Utopian Seed Project is planning another large okra variety trial with a whole new set of okra varieties, further exploring and celebrating the diversity of okra.
Peter Taylor aka PTPIX
Peter Taylor is an award winning photographer and friend of the Utopian Seed Project. In 2018 he took a series of ‘beauty shots’ of many of the okra varieties we grew. See more of his work here and follow him on Instagram here.
Last year @lovesomegreen was here in North Carolina helping to hand cross all our high oilseed okra varieties. This year we're growing out the F1 populations to start the process of developing a higher oil content variety. Here's one of the crosses growing in Arizona, where Jordan has an indoor growing operation and was able to get a big headstart. It's exciting to have collaboration across the country!
Here's a selection of edible summer greens growing at the #experimentalfarm right now. Even though you may never have tried (or maybe heard) of some of these, they are not new. We did not discover them. They belong to cultures older and wiser, ancestral work done to create many of the food crops that exist today, both known and forgotten.
A few shots from the #experimentalfarm today @frannysfarm
Abelmoschus manihot flowers are beautiful ❤️ we're growing a few different Abelmoschus manihot varieties this year and none of them are flowering yet, but this Korean Silk Flower is a variety that we've been growing for many years and is a reliable heavy producer. The flowers can be dried for tea and the leaves are edible and the plants are stunning!
This is what 121 varieties of okra look like in the back of a truck! Just wait until they all grow up 💚
We're growing at a few different locations this year (mainly to isolate okra varieties).
Chef TT (@chefttlivinandlovin) came out to our Puerto Rico Evergreen okra grow out at Two Sided Farm in Mars Hill. She tasted an okra pod of every single plant and left a pink landscaping flag next to the varieties that really stood out to her. It was very exciting to hear her talk about the flavor differences between the different plants - everything from sweet pea like to spicy to citrusy sour to nutty, there was only one plant with really off flavors but all of the others were producing tasty pods so I'm excited to save seeds from this planting and share widely next year.
Our collaboration with @wellseasonedtable is a great example of the mutually beneficial network we are working towards. Part of our mission is exploring new uses for traditional crops. In 2018 we worked with Well Seasoned Table, a local business willing to experiment, on okra seed sea salt.
I met Michael Carter @carterfarmsva at the @vabfarming conference this year and instantly loved his energy for farming and food. These are the okra seeds he shared with me. He's growing some of our taro and celebrates the Ghanian tradition of eating the leaves. Michael farms organically on his Virginia Century family farm, specializing in crops of the African diaspora. We're honored to know him.
#Okra #oilseed #plantbreeding #tuspokra #oilseedokra #farming
We support eating and exploring these crops, and there is resilience in a diversified food system that will be much needed as climate change continues. But climate justice and climate work goes hand in hand with social justice and social work, so respecting those who came before (the work, the culture, the traditons, the people) is critical to our journey.
This picture shows a world of possibilities, but it also shows the world.
Top Row, Left to Right
1. Permelon (Cucurbita maxima)
2. Butternut (Cucurbita moschata)
3-4. Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)
5 (top). Southern Pea (Vigna unguiculata)
5 (bottom). African Basil (Ocimum gratissimum)
6. Moringa (Moringa oleifera)
Bottom Row, Left to Right
1. Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius)
2. Sunset Hibiscus (Abelmoschus manihot)
3-4. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
5. Abelmoschus tetraphyllus
6 (top). Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
6 (bottom). Chayote (Sechium edule)
#summergreens #diversefood #chayote #chaya #taro #moringa #hibiscus #okra #southernpeas #basil #squash #sweetpotato #eatyourgreens #leafygreens #greens #notallgreensarered
1. Pigeon Peas aka Gandules from @brujobrandon
2. Red Turkish Okra from sustaining sponsor, @twoseedsinapod
3. Taro
4. Moringa
5. Chaya
6. True Potato Seed grown potatoes from @cultivariable
7. Yacon in the foreground and some Japanese beetle chewed Achira aka Canna edulis in the background.
#growyourownfood #experimentalroots #chaya #yacon #achira #pigeonpea #gandules #moringa #tps
Abelmoschus manihot has a number of subspecies, including Abelmoschus manihot subspecies tetraphyllus var. tetraphyllus (aka. A. tetraphyllus). We're growing two of these assessions from the USDA with an oil seed content of 23%, which is the highest we know of in any Abelmoschus species. They also produce pink flowers which can be harvested easily after pollination, so I'm considering the triple crop potential of A. tetraphyllus, with a leaf harvest, a dried flower harvest and an oil seed harvest.
Photo Credit @foodordeath_ (note: while these flowers look bigger than my head they are actually about 6 in across, there's some camera trickery going on!)
#Okra #Abelmoschusmanihot #seedoil #experimentalfarm #tuspokra
#okra #tuspokra #farming #okratrials #varietytrials
Thanks to @southernexposureseed for sponsoring @lovesomegreen to come grow okra with us for a season (with support from @row7seeds and the @nellnewman Foundation).
This is 3x 50ft rows of Puerto Rican Evergreen okra growing at Mark Dempsey's (who we know through @carolinafarms) microfarm in Swannanoa.
The seed originally came from the USDA and had some diversity in our 2018 planting.
Today we made some strong selections for a specific phenotype within this diverse population (red stem, red blushed pods, round pods, velvety pods, low level of branching).
We also rogued a number of bristly podded plants to eliminate those genetics as we're going to save seed from the general population as well as the specific phenotype. Bodie enjoyed eating the plants we culled...!
This okra tastes great, looks great, feels great, and is early and productive. Sounds like a pretty perfect okra to me :-)
#okra
If you're a chef in the Asheville area and you have an hour or two to spare and you want to come and taste the row of okra - about 100 plants - then I'd love to get more input so we can make the best seed saving selections for flavor possible! Get in touch!
#Okra #seedselection #tuspokra #culinaryevaluation #farm #farming
In 2020 the okra seed sea salt is a regular and popular item in their product line. They source locally (okra farmers take note), and are offering 10% of all okra seed sea salt sales to our non-profit for ALL of 2020 as a thank you!
Model: non profit experiments and explores crops and foods, works with local businesses to build demand, creates new opportunities for farmers, gets support from local businesses to continue their work. That sounds like a healthy ecosystem :-)
If you want to help out and join the community you can become a patron via the link in our profile (multiple Patreon levels).
#okra #non-profit #philanthropy #patreon #patron #communitysupported #communitylove
📷 @wellseasonedtable
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