Beet Seeds

McKenzie Seeds, 2020

Paper, plant materials

11 x 8 cm

Purchased from Plantation Products, 2020

Collection of Nicholas Hanson

The beet seeds represent the potentiality of the future. In these seeds, there is a potential for growth, food, and essentially life itself. While the packaging represents only a part of the effort that went into sharing these seeds, the importance here lies in the seeds themselves. And while the actual seeds are characteristic of a near future, the potential for more seeds and more harvests is born from the work that will be put into the cultivation and harvest of the fruits of these seeds. The potential for these seeds to become living plants with the capacity to feed other living things, and to then be able to produce again really is how we view the future. The potential of what is to come is what is exciting about the future, just as one is excited when they plant a garden. While the literal fruits of their labours are still unknown, that potential is what drives us. These beet seeds represent a driving force: hope.

When we look at the world today, one where trips out of the house should be minimal, and food can become scarce at the drop of a hat, these objects become essential. Not only for giving us the ability to grow and harvest our own food, but for the opportunity to connect with nature in a hands-on way, especially in a world that is pushing towards the virtual. For many people, myself included, gardening has become a hobby. But as stress increases daily, the ability to work on projects that I know are productive is therapeutic. Especially at a time when leaving the house is supposed to happen infrequently, having a hobby that connects me with nature is a lifeline. The value of these seeds is far beyond the $1.89 of their retail value because they provide much more than a mere plant: nutrition, exercise, and an accomplished mindset that feels hard to come by in this locked-down world.

When we think about the concept of a seed, these ideas of birth, life, and possibilities are often at the forefront, but the hope that is embedded in those ideas is a driving point in our everyday lives. Without hope, there is not much to live for. Without the hope that those seeds plant in your mind, there is not much of a future to look forward to regardless.

Kayleigh Arsenault