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‘A labor of love’
The belated Robert Lobitz made a lasting share to seed diversity by collecting , education , saving , and share heirloom seeds . Here longtime Exchange lister Jim Tjepkema share insight into Robert ’s germ - redeem and seed - sharing passion .
Robert Lobitz — onceone of the most alive members of Seed Savers Exchange — had many listing in theYearbookfrom 1984 up to 2006 , when he passed away . Some of his itemization were heirloom ; others were varieties he developed through his own try ; and still others were from his grow out of seeds he obtain from the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) assemblage . He discovered the ‘ Golden Sweet ’ C pea , for example , buried in the USDA collection and proceeded to grow it out . This pea plant , which bears brilliantly colored fuel pod and flowers , is now being offered by many seed company , as are some of the potpourri from his raising program , include the ‘ Red Swan ’ snap bean .
Robert described himself as a truck farmer who raised and sold vegetables with his father on their farm in Paynesville , Minnesota , where he turn up . He was not a commercial seed breeder or a commercial manufacturer of seeds . His very extensive piece of work with seeds was a “ labor of love ” done as a individual individual all on his own . Much of what I know about him derive from parallelism during seminal fluid exchanges with him ; an interview by Kent Whealy , SSE co - founder , first publish in 1982 and also included in the 1986 pamphlet that recapitulate the first 10 old age of Seed Savers Exchange;and an clause write by Tim King published in 1994 inThe Landmagazine . Mike Dunton , beginner of Victory Seeds , also let in Robert ’s obituary in his online“Seedsmen Hall of Fame”as part of his efforts to document the employment of well - acknowledge the great unwashed require in cum breeding and growth . The online entry number some of the most notable seed Robert made available to the public , including eight beans , two soybeans , and a potato .
Robert Lobitz is pictured in a 1982 SSE publication.
The articles by Kent Whealy and Tim King cover Robert ’s employment with Irish potato in the 1980s and other 1990s . During this clock time , he keep at least 300 form of potatoes that he had hold from various sources , include other source savers , seminal fluid companies , and the USDA collection . Some were rare unity that he mean were in peril of being lost . Kent reported that Robert sent 54 murphy varieties to him for a program that SSE was putting in plaza to preserve source . I expect that some ( or perhaps even all ) of those varieties are now in the collection at Heritage Farm .
detail on Robert ’s white potato - breeding method are found in Kent ’s and Tim ’s article . Robert did much of his variety maturation by gather and growing out seed from bloom white potato vine works ; he selected and identify the best of the plants rise from the seed . ‘ Cranberry Red , ’ also screw as ‘ All ruby , ’ is one outstanding multifariousness he develop that is currently commercially available . Some of Robert ’s other varieties were picked up by a seed company that is no longer control ; it is unknown if these form are still being sell by any other ejaculate companionship .
By the other nineties , Robert no longer offer any potatoes in his SSE seed listing and instead began offer a gravid number of edible bean , include many that were new motley from his own breeding plan . He account , in a input included with one of his itemisation , that bee cross pollinated bean plant life for him . bean are ego - fecundate and do not cross pollinate ; plant breeders cross pollinate them by bridge player to develop new varieties . However , bees will sometimes demote into noggin flowers that have n’t yet open and pick up some pollen which they will spread to other bean flowers that have n’t yet opened . Robert looked for noodle that occur from crosses made by bees , maturate out this seed , selected the right beans from these grow outs , bring up them , and offered them to the public .
Robert Lobitz is pictured in a 1982 SSE publication.
Robert is no longer with us , but a peachy many of the seed from his collections and fosterage program are still found in the SSEYearbookand on the online Exchange . Some SSE Lister have made a concerted effort to garner various come that were bid by Robert and make them available to others through the Exchange andYearbook . aside from beans and potatoes , he also had a large collection of soybeans , some of which can be found in theYearbook , along with a number of other offering of various vegetables and grains .
( In 2025 , the Exchange show listings for 87 varieties trace to Robert Lobitz . )
Jim Tjepkema of Minneapolis has lean seeds in theYearbook / on the Exchange for more than 40 age . In 2025 , he is heel 38 varieties .
Blog author Jim Tjepkema holds a copy of the 50th-anniversary edition of the SSE Yearbook at a seed swap in Minneapolis.
To fete Seed Savers Exchange ’s 50th anniversary , we are boast the work and brainchild of Exchange lister plow in the " Hope and Practice " serial .
Try one of Robert’s varieties!
‘ Golden Sweet ’ C pea
Tall , 6′ works bear beautiful , bicolored purple flowers and bright maize - yellow pods that make an splendid improver to stir - fries .
Try one of Jim’s varieties!
‘ Byrd ’ mustard
This heirloom mixed bag ’s leave have the classic spice and sharpness of a standout mustard green .
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