Bert Searcy Memorial Seed Collection

[brook]

The heirloom world has lost another great friend, with the passing of Bert Searcy. Bert was an avid collector, who had several hundred tomato varieties as well as other veggie types.

Thanks to the good graces of Gary Millwood, Bert's entire collection is being given to AHSC to maintain. Plus a request had been made that any memorials be sent to AHSC to help maintain the collection.

We've already recieved the first such donation, and, hopefully, more will be on the way. It's going to take a lot of effort and money to establish and maintain this collection---starting with the clerical work just producing the accession cards, and acquiring a freezer to house the seeds.

Over the next few years we hope to grow-out the entire collection, and distribute seed to interested growers. For that we'll depend on our Living Seed Bank conservators.

Here, for anyone who missed it, is the obituary as it appeared in the Lousiville Courier Journal:

SEARCY ELBERT B. "D.B."aka "THE TOMATO MAN" JR., a Harrods Creek, Kentucky legend passed away suddenly and peacefully at his home on Thursday May 24, 2007. He retired from the USAF after serving 24 years receiving multiple decorations and awards, was a horticultural expert recognized and registered with the KY Department of Agriculture, and won many KY State Fair awards and blue ribbons. His hobbies included observations through poetry and the written word. He participated in Educational Growers Alliance Groups, was affiliated with Internet forums and was a member and ongoing supporter of the Kentucky Colonel's for over thirty years. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ella and Jack Buren; and beloved wife Sandy. He is survived by son, Michael (Mary); daughter, Debbie; grandchildren, Michael, Jeffrey, Amy, Eric and Mark; and first wife Doreen M. Searcy. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Saturday at Pearson's, 149 Breckenridge Lane with burial to follow in Calvary Cemetery. A life Celebration will be held at his home following the Funeral Service. Remembrance and Memorial contributions may be directed to the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy to support the newly established 'Elbert "Bert" Searcy Heirloom Tomato and Vegetable Memorial Seed Collection' so his rare seeds may be enjoyed by future generations. AHSC P.O. Box 519 Richmond, KY 40476 Online condolences: www.pearsonfuneralhome.com
Published in The Courier-Journal on 6/1/2007.

[redbrick]

Brook, I had mentioned this idea to Gary, and I thought I'd pass it on to you as well. Was Bert maintaining any "mystery" strains (like a "not" such-and-such tomato) that could be "re"named in his honor? Something like "Bert Searcy's Not Cherokee Purple", or similar?

[brook]

Interesting idea, Andy.

I'll have to discuss it with Gary. He's going through all the seeds and paperwork, putting the whole collection in order. Right now I have no idea what it contains, except that there are several hundred accessions.

In general I'm not big on the idea of that kind of renaming, as it contributes to the proliferation of multi-named varieties. Gary Ibsen does that sort of thing (such as with his Julia Child tomato), and I've publicly objected to the practice. So it would be hard for me to do a turn-around.

But I'll see what Gary Millwood thinks.

What's I'd druther see is for a breeder to come up with a whole new OP variety and name it for Bert.

[redbrick]

I can understand your concern about renaming an existing variety. My thought, right or wrong (probably wrong, as I'm neither plant breeder nor botanist), was that if a "not" variety had been maintained over several generations, that implied it to be a stable sport or mutation from the original, and therefore a legitimate strain of its own. Of course, I didn't consider the possibility of mislabeled seed creating the "not" results. Just gathering wool, here.