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Cliven Bundy played an integral part in saving crookneck
Posted on: January 16, 2020 at 11:51:33 CT
JeffB MU
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watermelons.
It looks like he isn't only known (by some) as an eco-terrorist.
https://www.rareseeds.com/blog/post/art-combes-amazing-ancient-watermelon
https://www.rareseeds.com/assets/1/7/MainFCKEditorDimension/bundy.JPG
...Passionate seed saver Cliven Bundy played an integral part in saving crookneck watermelons.
Cliven Bundy was one of Art’s old gardening pals and had received the seeds from Art in the 1970s. Art entrusted Cliven with a few precious seeds poured directly from the vessel. These were seeds for the handled watermelon, not the large round melon that Art had been selectively breeding since the 1930s. Cliven’s reputation as an expert melon farmer reassured Art that he would continue to keep the seeds in production. Bundy shared seeds of the ancient watermelon with countless local gardeners, some of whom liked the handled trait and selectively bred for watermelons with handles.
Bundy is better known for his involvement in a nationally publicized dispute over paying to graze cattle on public land. He had passed these seeds along with his other precious heirloom melon varieties to our Southwest gardener friend, just a few hours before Bundy’s fellow protester Levoy Finicum was shot at the infamous Oregon wildlife refuge occupation. Shortly after the shooting, Bundy was taken into custody and has been held without bail since. The last known steward of the ancient watermelon, Bundy, is Federally incarcerated at a prison outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.
With this news, the Baker Creek team hit the road for the Nevada Southern Detention Center for an interview with the famous, or infamous, cattle rancher and melon ace. Although he was a far cry from his home garden in Bunkerville, NV, Cliven recounted his lifelong passion for melon growing and breeding with enthusiasm that transported us from the within prison walls, right to his beloved melon patch.
Bundy lit up as he recounted his lifetime of breeding melons. His personal collection of unique melons range from one casaba melon called Buffet that he had been breeding as the perfect melon for serving at the Las Vegas Casinos, to an historic local variety that he describes as having Gila Monster skin patterns. Art and Cliven shared an infectious appetite for breeding and seed saving. Art considered Bundy a safe steward of the ancient watermelon, given his passion for watermelons and seed saving.
Ancient crookneck watermelon seeds display a beautiful reddish hue!
Bundy faithfully grew these seeds out for over 30 years. He considers this variety one of the very best tasting, and he expressed deep gratitude to the Native Americans who carefully selected and saved the seeds for future generations.
He also explained his unique dry farming technique. Bundy and his wife Carol were famous locally for their incredibly sweet melons and watermelons. Bundy was the only known “commercial” (small scale) grower and seed saver of the ancient handled watermelon, and the fate of the Ancient Handled Watermelon would be in jeopardy had he not passed seeds along to other seed savers.
Baker Creek seed sleuth Shannon McCabe holds a crookneck watermelon!
These special handled melons have been grown out at the Baker Creek gardens with much anticipation, and a small quantity has been made available for the 2018 catalog season. The handled watermelon is often grown using a dry irrigation technique. It is incredibly drought and heat tolerant, a superior desert watermelon with juicy red flesh and bright red seeds. The unique gourd shaped handle makes for easier transport. We hope that those seed savers who grow the ancient watermelon will enjoy this fascinating piece of living history and continue to save the seeds year after year. We owe very special thanks to the Ancient Southwest Native Americans who tended this incredible variety and saved the seeds...
It looks like he isn't only known (by some) as an eco-terrorist.
https://www.rareseeds.com/blog/post/art-combes-amazing-ancient-watermelon
https://www.rareseeds.com/assets/1/7/MainFCKEditorDimension/bundy.JPG
...Passionate seed saver Cliven Bundy played an integral part in saving crookneck watermelons.
Cliven Bundy was one of Art’s old gardening pals and had received the seeds from Art in the 1970s. Art entrusted Cliven with a few precious seeds poured directly from the vessel. These were seeds for the handled watermelon, not the large round melon that Art had been selectively breeding since the 1930s. Cliven’s reputation as an expert melon farmer reassured Art that he would continue to keep the seeds in production. Bundy shared seeds of the ancient watermelon with countless local gardeners, some of whom liked the handled trait and selectively bred for watermelons with handles.
Bundy is better known for his involvement in a nationally publicized dispute over paying to graze cattle on public land. He had passed these seeds along with his other precious heirloom melon varieties to our Southwest gardener friend, just a few hours before Bundy’s fellow protester Levoy Finicum was shot at the infamous Oregon wildlife refuge occupation. Shortly after the shooting, Bundy was taken into custody and has been held without bail since. The last known steward of the ancient watermelon, Bundy, is Federally incarcerated at a prison outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.
With this news, the Baker Creek team hit the road for the Nevada Southern Detention Center for an interview with the famous, or infamous, cattle rancher and melon ace. Although he was a far cry from his home garden in Bunkerville, NV, Cliven recounted his lifelong passion for melon growing and breeding with enthusiasm that transported us from the within prison walls, right to his beloved melon patch.
Bundy lit up as he recounted his lifetime of breeding melons. His personal collection of unique melons range from one casaba melon called Buffet that he had been breeding as the perfect melon for serving at the Las Vegas Casinos, to an historic local variety that he describes as having Gila Monster skin patterns. Art and Cliven shared an infectious appetite for breeding and seed saving. Art considered Bundy a safe steward of the ancient watermelon, given his passion for watermelons and seed saving.
Ancient crookneck watermelon seeds display a beautiful reddish hue!
Bundy faithfully grew these seeds out for over 30 years. He considers this variety one of the very best tasting, and he expressed deep gratitude to the Native Americans who carefully selected and saved the seeds for future generations.
He also explained his unique dry farming technique. Bundy and his wife Carol were famous locally for their incredibly sweet melons and watermelons. Bundy was the only known “commercial” (small scale) grower and seed saver of the ancient handled watermelon, and the fate of the Ancient Handled Watermelon would be in jeopardy had he not passed seeds along to other seed savers.
Baker Creek seed sleuth Shannon McCabe holds a crookneck watermelon!
These special handled melons have been grown out at the Baker Creek gardens with much anticipation, and a small quantity has been made available for the 2018 catalog season. The handled watermelon is often grown using a dry irrigation technique. It is incredibly drought and heat tolerant, a superior desert watermelon with juicy red flesh and bright red seeds. The unique gourd shaped handle makes for easier transport. We hope that those seed savers who grow the ancient watermelon will enjoy this fascinating piece of living history and continue to save the seeds year after year. We owe very special thanks to the Ancient Southwest Native Americans who tended this incredible variety and saved the seeds...
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Cliven Bundy played an integral part in saving crookneck - JeffB MU - 1/16 11:51:33