Ideally, at least some seed is produced on the farm. There is meaning and much interest in producing one’s own seeds. However, this task requires skill and time, mainly during the summer season when growers are already overworked. Sometimes there is a gap between what we would like to achieve and the reality of everyday life. It seems to us desirable to remain pragmatic and not to weaken the farm by setting unattainable objectives. But over the years, we can improve consistency by making progress on all fronts. Seed production can begin with the easiest seeds (legumes, tomatoes, cucurbits,etc.)

[Since this was written, the later book Vivre avec la terre testifies that the farm now places more importance on seed production. On reviewing their risks, they realised that they could survive most disasters, but that a breakdown of the seed supply chain would leave them unable to serve customers after six months.]