Growing Seeds

Available for over a year

'Real Seeds' have been producing and selling seeds since the 1990s. Driven by a strong belief in the importance of seed that’s bred for localised conditions, Kate McEvoy and Ben Gabel now run the business from Newport, Pembrokeshire, where they grow a fantastic range of seeds on just two and a half acres. They show Verity Sharp around the site, from their organic fields that sit above Newport’s estuary, to the seed drying and packing rooms down in the town. Their aim is to supply reliable and interesting vegetable seeds to small-scale growers and gardeners. Unlike growing crops for food, tending vegetables for seed production brings with it a range of different considerations, such as acute attention to hygiene, the staking of plants (even lettuces!) and rigorous stock-labelling. At a time when the availability of seed is under considerable pressure, Kate and Ben talk about how they’ve coped with the huge surge in demand during the pandemic and their predictions for seed supplies in the future. They also discuss the importance of disseminating knowledge, so that everyone feels empowered to collect their own seed year after year. Produced and presented by Verity Sharp