PC: Seed Savers Exchange
Ron Thuma began saving seeds from his family’s heirloom plants in the 1970s and went on to share more than 275 varieties through Seed Savers Exchange. He has listed more than 275 varieties in the Exchange and stewarded even more in his own garden, according to Seed Savers Exchange. Thuma became one of the organisation’s first Lifetime Members in 1984. Over the years, he listed more than 275 varieties in the Exchange while also caring for many more in his own garden. In 1984, he became one of Seed Savers Exchange’s first Lifetime Members. The 3-by-5-inch index cards record the purity and characteristics of each variety from one year to the next. Together, the records provide a nearly 30-year account of Thuma’s gardening successes and failures. He taught in a small Kansas public school before spending 36 years as a maintenance supervisor at the refuge. Thuma also served as a volunteer firefighter in Hartford for 35 years and as the city’s mayor. The United States Department of the Interior recognised him with the 2009 Interior Environmental Achievement Award for implementing the refuge recycling programme.
Josh said his two-year-old daughter enjoys the sweet peppers and eats them whole like an apple. Jack Bohannan, a project leader at the wildlife refuge, described the garden as a local legend and said Thuma still works in it. His collection grew after he joined John Withee’s Wanigan Associates. Thuma later learned about Seed Savers Exchange through an article in Organic Gardening magazine and began taking part in its work. After retiring, he continued gardening with his son, Josh, and kept detailed records of the varieties they grew and how they changed from season to season. Ron Thuma first learned gardening from his father, and he began saving seeds in the 1970s. He started with a handful of Thuma family heirloom varieties and gradually expanded his collection. His interest grew after he joined John Withee’s Wanigan Associates. His seed work continued alongside his job in Kansas, as he shared the varieties he grew with other gardeners through the Exchange. PC: Seed Savers Exchange, Gardening remained closely tied to Thuma’s family life. After retiring, he continues to pass on his love of gardening to his grandchildren. One of the family’s favourites is the ‘Apple’ pepper, which Thuma first acquired in the early 1990s as a trial variety sent to loyal customers by Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Maine. The pepper became a Thuma family favourite, and both Ron and Josh still grow it in their gardens. Thuma’s garden has also become a part of Hartford, Kansas. Thuma and his son, Josh, keep detailed records of the varieties they grow in their garden. During each growing season, Thuma notes the yield, plant performance, weather, and harvest dates in a working notebook. Once the season ends, he transfers the information to an archival binder. He also keeps a card file with separate notes for each variety. They also document the plants he continues to grow and steward. This careful record-keeping allows Thuma to track individual varieties over many years and keep a detailed history of his work with them. Thuma’s gardening work is part of a wider life of service in Hartford and at the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge. There, he worked in many roles and placed a strong emphasis on teaching young people. He implemented the Youth Conservation Corps programme, which gave high school students summer employment through projects including trail building and invasive plant control. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
