Seeds

Scientists using radiocarbon dating have confirmed that an ancient Judean date palm seed among those found in the ruins of Masada in present-day Israel and planted three years ago is 2,000 years old -- the oldest seed ever to germinate. The seed has grown into a healthy, 4-foot-tall seedling, surpassing the previous record for oldest germinated seed -- a 1,300-year-old Chinese lotus, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science.

Steve Cull, vice president for operations of Petoseed (pronounced "PEET-o-seed") Co., almost went bonkers a few years ago when his daughter asked him how many vegetable seeds were stored in the firm's large warehouses in Saticoy, east of Ventura.

High above the icy fjord, the vault is almost complete. Inside a frozen mountain not far from the North Pole, workers are building three concrete chambers to withstand global warming, floods and fires, wars and nuclear holocaust.

You can't miss the Moon and Stars watermelon growing next to the big red barn at the Seed Savers Exchange farm, even through the mist of a gray autumn afternoon.

'BLACK Cherry' tomatoes -- dark juicy morsels with a tart-sweet essence and glistening maroon color that stands out in a salad or frittata. 'Anellino' beans -- curled like green and gold pigs' tails with buttery Romano-like flavor and texture.

The United Nations world food body reached a landmark agreement Sunday to try to preserve the world's diversity of agricultural crops, officials said.