We’re excited to share our first initiative in the Future Food 2100 project with Keith Hartwig, Jessica Yurkofsky, and Matthew Battles. To build on the distribution efforts of Eastie Farm, both the flower giveaways orchestrated by Jackie and the numerous produce and meal deliveries both past and ongoing, we’ve put together seed packets to canvas the neighborhood. As the need for local produce increases, we hope to inspire the community to grow at home with our help. In doing so, we want to demonstrate the ease with which home grown food can be produced with the proper direction and care. We’ve created groupings of seeds that grow well together, known as guilds, and in these guilds you’ll find mostly edible but all useful plants. We would like to thank the Belle Isle Rotary Club and the Trustees for donating some seeds.
We understand that community gatherings are increasingly difficult to arrange at this time but, as we’ve found, that doesn’t mean that acting as a community is a thing of the past. That is why we invite each of you to the community planting of the seeds in the beds at Eastie Farm. Seeds usually take 3 or 4 weeks to become viable outdoors, so by the end of May we plan on scheduling times for families or individuals to stop by and plant their seedlings in our community owned space. However, if you have the space to transplant and would like to keep your seedlings we can help with that as well. This time of social distancing feels like a “new normal”, when so much we counted on seems lost or up for grabs. Growing these seeds together while we’re apart, we can imagine a “next normal”, where food, health, and justice are things we tend together.
Below are the guilds and the specialization of each plant. We’ve also explained the terms found next to each so you can refer to this and know how the plants are helping each other.
Nitrogen fixing plants refer not to the plants so much as the bacteria that live on the roots. These microorganisms extract nitrogen from the air and “fix” it into a food source for the plant. This addition helps all plants around the fixer as nitrogen is possibly the most essential soil element for plant growth.
Dynamic accumulators gather and concentrate plant nutrients from the earth. After they’re grown, they can be mulched to improve garden soil.
Pest deterrents work in different ways and deter different pests. For instance, it is believed that the harsh smell given off by plants in the allium family (think onions and garlic) ward off rats.
Pollinators also vary in their target audience. The idea of these is to invite bees, birds, butterflies, and other pollinators into the gardens so they can feed themselves and pollinate the next round of area plants.
Edible ground cover acts as an edible alternative to the weeds that would grow in between the larger plants. By including these, they act as a living mulch that we can enjoy when they mature.
Herbs are known for a myriad of things including medicinal uses, their fragrances, and of course for use in cooking.
Roots help with soil cohesion and prevent erosion (think rebar in concrete). They also allow for plants growing adjacent to them to take the vertical air space while they grow underground, making for more efficient use of space.
The packets were a collaborative effort among the Future Food artists. All three worked on the design together, with Keith creating the structure and folding pattern, Matthew writing the text, and Jessica working on the sketches and illustrations.
Guild #1
| Plant | Type | Specialization |
| Cucumber | Muncher | Great for Pickling! |
| Bean | Tiger’s Eye | Nitrogen Fixer |
| Borage | Common | Dynamic Accumulator |
| Radish | Sora | Pest Deterrent |
| Sunflower | Soraya | Pollinator |
| Nasturtium | Trailing Single Blend | Edible Ground Cover |
Guild #2
| Plant | Type | Specialization |
| Tomato | Brandywine Pink | Great on Sammiches! |
| Basil | Genovese | Pest Deterrent |
| Nasturtium | Trailing Single Blend | Edible Ground Cover |
| Borage | Common | Dynamic Accumulator |
| Chives | Common | Root |
| Bee Balm | Common | Pollinator |
Guild #3
| Plant | Type | Specialization |
| Squash | Early Yellow Straightneck | Edible Groundcover |
| Bean | Stringless Green Pod | Nitrogen Fixing |
| Yarrow | Common | Dynamic Accumulator |
| Sunflower | Soraya | Pollinator |
| Habanero Pepper | Common | Being Spicy |
| Radish | Sora | Pest Deterrent/ Root |
Guild #4
| Plant | Type | Specialization |
| Bean | Big Kahuna | Nitrogen Fixing |
| Lettuce | Grand Rapids Leaf | Edible Groundcover |
| Onion | White Lisbon Bunching | Root |
| Anise Hyssop | Common | Pest Deterrent/ Herb |
| Yarrow | Common | Dynamic Accumulator |
| Sunflower | Soraya | Pollinator |
Guild #5
| Plant | Type | Specialization |
| Tomato | Roma | Pasta Sauce |
| Basil | Genovese | Pest Deterrent |
| Parsley | Dark Moss Curled | Edible Groundcover/ Herb |
| Onion | White Lisbon Bunching | Root |
| Marigold | Queen Sophia | Pollinator |
| Borage | Common | Dynamic Accumulator |
