Evening Talk:
"Modern Science Meets Ancient
Maize"
with Lorenz Schaller of the Kusa Seed Society
Saturday, January 25, 6:30pm-8:30pm $5 donation
Location:
Santa Barbara Central Library, Faulkner Gallery,
40 E.Anapamu St, Santa Barbara,CA
more info,
www.sbpermaculture.org
Maize was the plant-food staple of MesoAmerica and the first
American societies. Domesticated from teosinte grasses in Southern
Mexico, Maize was the staple grain of the Aztec empire. Ancient
Mayans had over three hundred Maize foods, while the Incas, an advanced
agricultural civilization that skillfully developed an amazing variety of
plants like quinoa, beans, amaranth and potatoes, prized Maize above all
others as the plant that nourished and allowed their civilization to rise
and thrive.
In his talk Lorenz Schaller will share the history and ancient secrets
of the sacred-maize tradition, "as revealed by the bright light of
modern science in the fields of human nutrition, cereal chemistry,
and holistic health & well being". Attendees of the talk
will have a chance to learn the basics of preparing whole-grain maize for
human use, including the historic and delicious cinnamon or sometimes
chocolate maize based hot drink Atole, still popular in Mexico
today. Please join us for an enlightening evening!
A longtime Ojai resident, Lorenz Schaller is a remarkable steward of his
environment. Formerly a staff member at the California Institute of
Technology (Cal-Tech), Schaller studied and taught the nutritional,
culinary, and ecological significance of bio-diverse seed crops for many
decades. Over time, his scientific knowledge merged with a deeper
spiritual connection to the life cycles of the planet. Schaller
founded the Kusa Seed Research Foundation and Kusa Seed Society in 1980,
with an intention to assure the survival of many ancient, rare, and
endangered edible seedcrop strains that were the building blocks for
human civilizations around the globe. Operating as a scholarly
think tank, the Kusa Seed Society also maintains seed archives of
precious seed stocks, with seeds and informative seed publications
available to the public. Kusa is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred
grass. Kusa Seed Society:
http://www.ancientcerealgrains.org/
Read More:
followed by
Annual Community Seed Swap:
Sunday, January 26, 2014
11 AM - 3 PM, FREE
Both events at the downtown Santa Barbara Central Library, Faulkner
Gallery
40 E. Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Continuing on Sunday, January 26, the 6th Annual Community Seed
Swap takes place, this year with a theme of plants from MesoAmerica
and the Western Hemisphere. Please come and share your examples of
plants from the Americas like squash, corn, chayote, potatoes, beans,
tomatoes, avocados, guavas, chili peppers, manioc, agave, and prickly
pear. A truly rich heritage, a gift from our skilled ancient
ancestors, may we steward their legacy with care. But as
always all seeds, especially locally grown seeds, are welcome.
Local groups will table, including the Santa Barbara Seed Saving
Guild who will share valuable seed saving techniques and encourage
local gardeners to grow out and harvest some of their best seeds for
future gardens and seed swaps, making us a truly food secure
community. Seed saving is a fun and easy way to connect to the
circle of life.
More than 400 people attended the Seed Swap last year, sharing seeds and
knowledge with other backyard gardeners, plant lovers, and farmers. Come
be a part of this seed saving movement, making sure that locally adapted
varieties of seed & plants are passed on to future generations.
Children are welcome!
Bring seeds, plants, cuttings, and garden
knowledge to swap.
Don't have these?
Then come get seeds.
Seeds to sow.
Seeds to grow.
Seeds to harvest.
Seeds to save and share next year.
Activities for all ages
Music that will have your toes tapping
Special Speakers throughout the day
A gathering of garden friends old and new.
For more information, (805) 962-2571,
margie@sbpermaculture.org,
www.sbpermaculture.org
~A community program hosted by the Santa Barbara
Permaculture Network Non-profit~
www.sbpermaculture.org
Event co-sponsors: Island Seed & Feed,
Healing Grounds Biodynamic Nursery, & the Santa Barbara Seed Saving
Guild
Santa Barbara Annual Community Seed Swap on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/632203483488117/
Seeds, they are our past, they are our future. In past times,
they were skillfully adapted to climate and location. Are we as
smart as our ancestors? In the America's, the Western Hemisphere,
amazing skill was exhibited to develop a huge array of edible plants---a
wild, bitter gourd is encouraged to become an edible and nutritious
squash; a simple and weed-like grass into corn---all done without
GMOs! Come join us as we encourage our community to save and grow
out seed specific to our own climate and place, while honoring our
ancestors gift & legacy.
-end-
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
www.sbpermaculture.org
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