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Old October 19, 2017   #28
ddsack
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3
Posts: 3,218
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Carolyn, I think you are taking too broadly the term participate for non-members when it come to the Exchange. I read the Heritage Harvest edition online pdf version, and what you are talking about was on page 23 under Changes to the Exchange. In the third paragraph they say is they are "… opening the Exchange to non-members. " They continue … "While this is a break from tradition, it is our hope to welcome in more people so that seed stewardship does not become a bygone practice."

By opening the exchange, they only mean opening the viewing of the available seed information, because in the old online version of the yearbook, non-members could not view it. I agree that it is a move to attract new members, and a logical one for them.
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Then I saw that the seed exchange was a community swap,swap to me means I give you this and you give me that in exchange, viz, a trade.
No, you pay the lister for seeds just like the yearbook, because the online Exchange is the same as the Yearbook -- just in a more complete, current and fluctuating state.

The most concise info on using the SSExchange is at their Getting Started page https://exchange.seedsavers.org/page/about

I have lifted quotes that answer two points you questioned -

"Anyone can browse the Seed Exchange, but you must have an Exchange account to request or list seeds." (and to get an account you have to pay to become a member!)

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Then I saw it was only for heirloom seeds. In the few pages I read I seem to recall not all were heirloom ones.Dee, for sure you've read many more pages than I did,probably several hundreds and did you see any that were not heirloom ones,as in ones bred by others,etc.
From the Getting Started link above :

"Seed Exchange community members offer thousands of homegrown, heirloom and open-pollinated seeds to other Exchange members. Homegrown simply means the seeds were not grown by a commercial operation. We define "heirloom" as a seed that has been passed down from generation to generation within communities and families.
All of the seeds offered by our members are open-pollinated and non-hybrid "


Just out of curiosity I did a quick search for some recently popular OP tomatoes - Rebel Yell had one entry. I did not find anything for Girl Girl's Weird Thing. I bet it will be there soon.


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In the current 2017 Yearbook there are 18 listing Cherokee Purple, but you won't see that many listings for it in the exchange since not all who list it would chose to participate in the Exchange

There were 9 in the Yearbook who listed Eva Purple Ball, again, I doubt you'll see that many listing in the exchange.
As far as numbers of listers of varieties, the Exchange has more than the numbers you mentioned in the current yearbook. If you use their SSE website search box and type in Cherokee Purple, you get 27 entries (the last two in the list are actually Cherokee Purple Heart and Cherokee Purple, Potato Leaf.)

When you do a search for Eva Purple Ball, you get 11 entities.
This is to be expected as people add listings from the current growing season, and maybe there will be some that drop their listings to bring the numbers down by the time the next yearbook is printed. As I said above, the online Exchange is the same as the Yearbook -- just in a more complete, current and fluctuating state.
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