Saving our seeds, based in a cabin in Rotorua

Jemma Ostenfeld grows seedlings in her 54 square metre greenhouse. Photo / Catherine Fry

Several years ago, Australian Jemma Ostenfeld was a beauty therapist living and working in the Gold Coast suburbs. Fast forward and she’s happily living in a cabin in Rotorua, immersed in growing and saving heritage vegetable varieties for seedling production, and seed collection and saving.

After four years travelling around New Zealand, Ostenfeld fell in love with the country and realised her passion was producing fresh, organic food and seedlings for home gardeners.

“I really wanted to learn the art of regenerative agriculture and sought out market gardeners to expand my knowledge,” she said.

Gaining experience

Ostenfeld has spent time at some of New Zealand’s iconic, organic market gardens, such as Roebuck Farm in Taranaki, and Lux Organics in Rotorua.

“I also spent time at Kōanga Institute and Setha’s Seeds in Hawke’s Bay, which are the only two commercial seed savers in New Zealand.

“Here I learnt how to grow plants for their seeds, and the importance of their preservation.

“After Cyclone Gabrielle [I realised] how fragile seed security is in New Zealand.

“Caches of seed need to be kept in other regions.

“So I am dedicating my time to be another person growing and saving these precious heritage seeds in another area.”

Ostenfeld was offered the use of some land in Hamurana, Rotorua, by Janine Cotter of Brown Owl Organics, who has been her biggest supporter.

The Eastern Field (English for her surname Ostenfeld) started on her property with a 2m by 2m greenhouse.

Ostenfeld produced seedlings to support the local community in growing high-quality, nutritious vegetables in their backyards.

When she needed to expand, Ostenfeld found another like-minded land owner in Rotorua through what she describes as the “very strong organic growing community in the area”.

The Eastern Field: Ramping up production

A lettuce that has bolted means seeds soon for Jemma Ostenfeld. Photo / Catherine Fry

With about two-thirds of an acre of land and a 54-square-metre greenhouse, Ostenfeld was able to expand her production seven times in one year with the support of her family and the community.

Ostenfeld lives simply, concentrating on her growing, and networking with like-minded people.

She uses Setha’s Seeds as her first choice as they share similar values.

Heritage refers to varieties over 100 years old that have been passed on from generation to generation in a particular bioregion.

Plants grow best in the place they originated from, as they adapt to the local climatic conditions, pests, and diseases.

“Within the last one hundred years, 94 per cent of the traditional seed varieties have been lost worldwide, due to the hybridisation of many crops that are bred to suit the conditions of international trade at the expense of nutrition and flavour,” Ostenfeld said.

“As farmers became more reliant on hybrid seeds, the heritage varieties were left un-maintained and lost.”

Ostenfeld provides consultations and coaching, visiting and assessing people’s sites and helping them achieve their edible garden goals.

She offers Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) packages locally.

Growing methods

The Eastern Field's Jemma Ostenfeld surrounded by plants that have “gone to seed” which she will be able to collect. Photo / Catherine Fry

“For me, to keep genetic diversity, I need to grow up to 200 plants of a single variety, so insects and wind can transfer the genetics from plant to plant,” Ostenfeld said.

In an urban lifestyle-type setting, insects and wind can transfer pollen to plants over a wide distance which will interfere with the heritage genetics.

“At the moment, I can only grow and save seeds from self-pollinating plants if I want to keep them true to type genetically.”

Ostenfeld’s current land is certified in conversion with OrganicFarmNZ all her inputs are organic and documented.

She adds a slow-release fertiliser into the seed mix and uses liquid fish offal fertiliser blended with humate, seaweed, and biology throughout seedling growth.

Inoculating the seed mix with mycorrhizal fungi creates a symbiotic relationship with plants that helps them access nutrients and water.

A pumice floor and seedlings high up on wooden tables in the greenhouse, and occasional use of organic slug bait mitigates slug damage.

Ostenfeld uses insect mesh to prevent white butterfly and leaf miner accessing the seedlings.

Seeds are harvested once they reach their maturity on the plant.

“For dry fruits, the seeds naturally dry on the plant and are harvested, cleaned, and dried further before stored,” Ostenfield said.

“For fleshy fruits, the seeds are extracted from a ripe fruit and fermented to remove their germination inhibitor casing, cleaned, dried and then stored.”

Storing seeds in an airtight container in a freezer ensures that the seeds remain viable for up to six years, depending on the variety.

What’s next for The Eastern Field?

Ostenfeld would love to expand her business “in the middle of nowhere”, ideally in the Eastern Bay of Plenty where the growing season is longer.

“I need about two acres to achieve my goal of developing a seed garden,” she said.

“Being more remote means that I can grow more species that aren’t at risk of cross-pollination from neighbouring gardens.”

• This article was originally published in Coast & Country News