Across the world, chefs, farmers, plant scientists and everyday growers are doing something extraordinary: creating new generations of fruit, vegetables and cereals that will flourish locally, taste delicious, increase diversity and contribute to a sustainable and robust food future.
In The Accidental Seed Heroes, Adam Alexander dons his seed- detective homburg to meet these twenty-first century seed heroes, who are not only championing traditional varieties but also breeding delicious new ones that will be more resilient and better-equipped to deal with the shocks of a changing climate.
Taking us around the world to meet some of the most inspiring seed heroes – from Rajasthan, India, to his own back garden in Wales, across Europe to the remote regions of southern Albania, and into Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley – Adam reminds us that Indigenous cultures and rural communities have been expertly breeding seeds for millennia.
At its heart, The Accidental Seed Heroes is a celebration of locally and sustainably grown produce, whether traditional or innovative, that is the foundation of all our food cultures. Adam shows that the ability to save and adapt seeds should be a right for all, not something to be controlled by corporations patenting seeds for profit; that everyone who grows food, whether amateur or professional, can be a seed hero – building resilience and returning fertility to our soils and biodiversity to our land.
You can order your signed copy for just £15.00 + p&p HERE
In The Seed Detective I track down rare, endangered, culturally important and above all, delicious vegetables from around the world. Sharing my adventures with the origin stories behind many of our everyday vegetable heroes, this book takes us on a journey that began when we left the life of the hunter-gatherer to become settled farmers some 12,000 years ago. I tell tales of globalisation, political intrigue, colonisation and serendipity – describing how the vegetables that are an intrinsic part of all our food cultures and cuisine are history on a plate.
Unfortunately the hardback edition is sold out but you can purchase a softback copy from any high street book seller as well as Amazon and other on-line retailers.
The covers may be different but the content is the same.
Takes [the] readers on a journey around the world and through time …written with such enthusiasm it will make you want to become a seed saver – Dan Saladino book of the year The Food Programme BBC Radio4
Possibly the most important and inspirational book about gardening that you’ll ever read – Lynne Allbutt, Western Mail
The writing is rich, demonstrating his deep integration into the world of seed seekers… a clarion call to think about our food in new ways and to carefully consider where it comes from – Chris Stokel-Walker New Scientist
He’s an entertaining storyteller, full of quirky encounters… Alexander’s descriptions just make you want to try them yourself … towering Luang Prabang mangetouts, Lamon beans and dauntingly named ‘Bloody Warrior’ lettuces. It’s down to people like Alexander that I can still get hold of seeds. I’m profoundly grateful. Sally Nex, Gardens Illustrated
Live in the UK and would like a signed or personalised copy of The Accidental Seed Heroes for £17.00 plus £3.95 p&p (total £20.95) or a copy of The Seed Detective for £9.99 plus £3.95 p&p (total £13.94), you can buy my book directly here
You can also pre-order from Amazon.co.uk, Waterstones.com or Bookshop.org
Or do think of supporting your local bookshop who will gladly take an order from you.
Live in the U.S.A. or Canada? You can pre-order from Amazon.com
If you live outside the UK or North America you can order from the book depository
If you live in the EU and would like a personalised copy please email me for further information?
