>> Margaret Roach, The New York Times Published: 19 Dec 2020 05:45 PM BdST Updated: 19 Dec 2020 05:45 PM BdST Roasted pumpkin seeds, Oct 15, 2019. Food stylist: Barrett Washbourne. David Malosh/The New York Times Resilience: It’s a buzzword in the vegetable-seed industry, and a mission — to breed genetically resilient varieties that stand up to pests, diseases and the rigors of a shifting climate. "); } Each resilient variety becomes a tiny, critical ingredient in a resilient seed system that supports agriculture, the foundation of a resilient food system. And in the tumultuous 2020 seed-catalogue season, resilience proved a valuable human trait as well, for seed company staff and their customers. Insights gleaned from that chaotic year of record sales can smooth the ground for the 2021 garden season, which officially begins this month, as new catalogues start appearing in mailboxes and online.