Stories in Seed Breeding: Colored Cotton and Ancient Wheat

Sally Fox, longtime fiber artist and founder of Vreseis Limited, will describe the process of breeding cotton to select for natural color variations and share her story of resurrecting ancient Sonoran Wheat at the “Stories in Seed Breeding: Colored Cotton and Ancient Wheat” workshop on Sunday, October 27 at 9:30am at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on the UCSC campus.

Sally will describe the process of selecting for specific traits in cotton to produce a unique, naturally colored organic fiber. Workshop attendees will be able to view and purchase samples of her cotton fabrics. She will then describe the process of preserving ancient genetic diversity in Sonoran Wheat in response to commercial over-breeding and share the story of how this once obscure, archived heritage grain is now being produced on over 100 California farms. Attendees will sample bread made with this special wheat.

Sally will also share tips on how to grow winter wheat in your own backyard. After planting a small plot on the UCSC Farm, attendees will go home with some Sonoran Wheat seed to plant or eat, along with a few recipes.