Biennials produce seeds in their second year of growth, so saving seeds from them can be challenging.

We would be happy if you grow the open-pollinated seeds for these biennial varieties from the KASSI Living Seed Commons for food to eat and share.

Varieties that are available for 2021 include:

Beet: The Bull’s Heart variety has striking red-purple leaves are an excellent addition to salads. Its roots have a rich sweet flavour and are tasty and tender when harvested as small (2-3”) roots, but they are also delicious when they are larger. This variety is tolerant of heat and cold.

Kale (Brassica napus): The Russian Hunger Gap variety is extremely rare and very hardy. As the name suggests, bolting in the spring occurs weeks later than other kales, filling the hunger gap of May with excellent tasty greens. 

Rutabaga (Brassica napus): The Famille Fortin variety is rare and produces large purple roots with yellow flesh that is resistant to disease and insects. It’s excellent for winter storage. It was bred by the Fortin family from Cap Saint-Ignace in Quebec.