Inside the World’s Largest Seed Vault
Off and on for the past four years, I’ve been telling you about the world’s largest seed vault, located in Norway, and providing you with updates about it. Today I want to let you know a few additional fascinating factoids about the vault.
First, though, a quick reminder about this incredible project and its purpose.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located approximately 600 miles from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Spitsberger. It was built in 2008 to store duplicates of millions of different seed samples stored around the world.
Should a regional or global catastrophe occur, up to 4.5 million different seed samples (2 billion seeds) would be available for starting over.
There are plenty of reasons why we might need to access seeds from the vault, such as gene banks losing their samples of seeds as a result of equipment failures, funding issues, war or mismanagement.
The vault – an underground cavern blasted out of the permafrost and designed for a virtually endless lifetime – has been called “Noah’s Ark for securing biological diversity for future generations.”
They say the vault will survive everything from an earthquake to a nuclear strike. The constant inside temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit, which combined with limited access to oxygen ensures low metabolic activity. This delays seed aging.
The vault could preserve seeds from most major food crops for hundreds of years. Some of the seeds, including those of important grains, could survive for much longer, possibly thousands of years.
Now for those factoids:
- This global repository consists of three separate 32 feet by 88 feet underground chambers with walls made of thick, steel-reinforced concrete.
- There are two airlocks and two blast-proof doors.
- If the electricity ever fails, the surrounding permafrost will keep the temperature below freezing.
- At 430 feet above sea level, the site will remain dry even if the icecaps were to melt.
- The seeds within the vault are packaged in four-ply packets stored in plastic tote containers on blue and orange metal shelving racks. This heat-sealing is done to exclude moisture.
- The vault is unlocked only for deposits, which occur three to four times a year.
- Once inside, one still has to go through five doors, each with a coded lock, to reach the seeds.
- An added level of security outside the vault are polar bears, which outnumber humans on the island.
Well Norway isn’t the only country that has a seed vault. The USA also has one but it isn’t what you think it is. The United States of America’s seed vault is for a SHTF scenario. Oh sure there are botanist there that are experimenting on plants and seeds to better sustain life as we know it. However, their overall goal is to ensure that the survivors of a pandemic catastrophe will survive. As to who these survivors may be? Well if you have to ask then rest assure it will not be you or your family. The USA has already predetermine who will and who will not receive. In short, you and I will be left out in the cold to survive by any means as we can.
There are three different locations within the USA that has these special facilities. But you know what? I prefer to get my own seed bank from Frank Bates’ http://www.Survivalseed4patroits.com. No matter what zone you live in you will find over 21 different non-GMO seeds that you can grow in your garden to help supplement your fresh vegetables. That is close to 4000 seeds that you will receive. That is nothing compared to the price you would save had you purchase these seeds from your local nursery, Home Depot or Lowes. Each packet of seeds is a sealed mylar packet to ensure freshness and protection of your survival seeds. Then all theses seeds are placed in a seed vault and sent to your home address. This seed vault is added protection from insects, animals that would eat your non GMO seeds, and a place where all your seeds can be found in one place. (I often have a problem remembering where I had placed my seed packets after I had purchased them. I put them down but then my wife or kids will move them somewhere else.)
Look, I realize that this sounds like a info commercial for Frank’s “Survival seeds 4 Patriots” but when you find something that is so right for you and your friends then what kind of friend would you think of me if I didn’t turn you on to a good deal like this? The government isn’t going to help you. The commercial conglomerates like Monsanto want you to purchase their gene modified plants and seeds, that will not have seeds that you can use to grow for next season, forcing you to come back as a repeat buyer/customer. If they can remove the freedom that you would have from growing your own fruit and vegetables from the seeds you would collect and save from your own garden, then so much the better for their bottom line.
So why worry about seed banks in this country or any other when you can get your own from Frank at http://www.survivalseeds4patriots.com and grow your own food.
Sorry for the typo. this sentence should read: The USA has already predetermine who will and who will not survive.