First School Visit to the “Lemnian Seed Bank”
The first visit of students from the second grade of the Agricultural and Food sector of the Vocational Senior High School of Moudros took place at the "Lemnian Seed Bank", on Lemnos, under the supervision of their teacher, Ms. Maria Dervisi. The students were welcomed by Danae Sfakianou, Agronomist at MedINA and the responsible person for the Seed Bank.
During their visit, the students had the opportunity to explore terms such as "Agro-biodiversity" and "Local Varieties," and learn about the importance of preserving and spreading the rich genetic material of the island, as well as agricultural practices that contribute to the overall preservation of biodiversity.
They learned about the seeds of 35 local varieties stored in the Seed Bank, and with great enthusiasm, they participated in the packaging process, contributing to the preparation for the upcoming event marking the completion of LEMRACE project. Additionally, they observed fruits from various tomato varieties and learned how the technical sheet for a variety is completed, in order to include it in the National List of Cultivated Plants. Finally, they used the Seed Bank’s equipment to understand in practice how seeds are cleaned and dried before storage.
The preservation of Lemnos' phytogenetic wealth and the protection of its agricultural genetic heritage concerns not only the current generations but also those of the future!
The creation of the “Lemnian Seed Bank” is part of the MedINA project “LEMRACE – Conservation of the plant genetic wealth of Lemnos: local varieties for sustainable development of the Lemnian agrifood system”, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Greek Gene Bank / Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DEMETER and is funded by the Green Fund.
All the taste of Lemnos on your plate!
Food is more than nutrition; it is culture and history. A history that is passed down from generation to generation. On the island of Lemnos, the land whispers its own stories through the flavours of its traditional varieties, cultivated with care for centuries.
Through the LEMRACE project we support traditional flavours, promoting the agrifood heritage of Lemnos! United through the message “From seed to plate”, Lemnian farmers come together with local chefs who are using local seed varieties, incorporating them into authentic culinary dishes. The aim is to promote the use of seeds in modern cuisine, while promoting their conservation and their inscription to the national register of crop varieties.
Aspromytiko bean and afkos, unique varieties of Lemnos, are utilised in restaurants and are promoted through delicious recipes, thus acquiring added value!
To further promote these crops, a promotional brochure on the agrifood heritage of Lemnos was created and placed in three local restaurants, which host recipes with local varieties in their menus. The brochure accompanies the menus of the restaurants Ennoia poch’s in the village of Lychna, I palia mas geitonia in the village of Sardes and Flomari in Gomati beach.
You can see the brochure here.
By embracing these local varieties and flavours, the community of Lemnos contributes to their revival and ensures that they remain a vital part of the food heritage of the island.
The project “LEMRACE – Conservation of the crop genetic wealth of Lemnos: local varieties for sustainable development of the Lemnian food system”, with a budget of €49,750.00, is implemented by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos and the Greek Gene Bank / Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DIMITRA, in the framework of the funding programme “NATURAL ENVIRONMENT & INNOVATIVE ACTIONS 2023”, Priority Axis 4: “INNOVATIVE ACTIONS WITH CITIZENS”. The project belongs to the thematic field “A.4. Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity” and is funded by the Green Fund.
The landraces of Lemnos become a game at the Bovoleteio Kindergarten of Myrina
“In the very old days, around 10,000 BC, as people were gathering their food, they started learning when plants grew and bore fruit, and so they started to select the seeds and cultivate them.
So, people gradually began to domesticate the plants and went from being gatherers to farmers. Over the years, as farmers selected the best plants and with the help of nature, a great variety of fruits, cereals and vegetables was created!
So, we find ourselves today with the traditional varieties of Lemnos that we need to safeguard and utilize”.
The children at the Bovoleteio kindergarten in Myrina had the opportunity, through a short story, to learn from MedINA’s agronomist Danae Sfakianou, when people first began to cultivate the land and select seeds from the best plants for their next sowings, how we arrived at the current form of wheat from Aegilops, and how today these traditional varieties are in danger of extinction, due to the use of modern, commercial varieties. However, the characteristic flavour of the local varieties, their resilience and all their valuable genetic material is being lost. Furthermore, some modern varieties do not give seeds for the following year, or their seeds have no germination capacity.
The children understood how valuable the traditional varieties of our land are by observing the seeds of each of them. Through the game, they learned about the agricultural cycle of landraces, placing them on the map of Lemnos depending on the season and the area where they are cultivated, while they chose their own seeds to plant at home.
They also listened with keen attention to MedINA’s folklorist, Rafael Giannelis, learning about local customs related to the landraces performed by the farmers to honour the land and its gifts.
This very special activity concluded the educational part of the LEMRACE project.
We would like to thank the school principal, Ms. Marina Rallis, and the kindergarten teachers for their excellent collaboration, their contribution and hospitality.
The project “LEMRACE – Conservation of the crop genetic wealth of Lemnos: local varieties for sustainable development of the Lemnian food system” is implemented by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA) and the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of ELGO-DEMETER, and is funded by the Green Fund.