Ron Thuma began saving his family’s heirloom seeds in the 1970s; decades later, he had shared more than 275 varieties with other gardeners

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. 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.According to Seed Savers Exchange, he has listed more than 275 varieties in the Exchange and stewarded even more in his own garden. Thuma became one of the organisation’s first Lifetime Members in 1984. 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.How Ron Thuma turned family seeds into 275 varietiesRon 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.Thuma later discovered Seed Savers Exchange through an article in Organic Gardening magazine and began taking part in its work. 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. His seed work continued alongside his job in Kansas, as he shared the varieties he grew with other gardeners through the Exchange.Why has Thuma’s garden become a local tradition in HartfordGardening 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. Josh said his two-year-old daughter enjoys the sweet peppers and eats them whole like an apple. Thuma’s garden has also become a part of Hartford, Kansas. Jack Bohannan, a project leader at the wildlife refuge, described the garden as a local legend and said Thuma still works in it.How has Thuma tracked his varieties over the yearsThuma 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. 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. 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 combined gardening with community serviceThuma’s gardening work is part of a wider life of service in Hartford and at the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge. He taught in a small Kansas public school before spending 36 years as a maintenance supervisor at the 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.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.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.