Seedy Saturday returns on Saturday, March 8, with new hours and even more to attract Powell River gardeners.
The event, sponsored by Powell River Farmers’ Institute with support from the City of Powell River, is in its ninth year. Seedy Saturdays are educational events Canada-wide that celebrate the right to save seed. They bring together communities to support a healthy food system that begins in local backyards, front yards, containers, community gardens and farms.
Besides swapping and buying locally-produced seeds and other garden supplies, Seedy Saturday has a strong educational component, with many community organizations participating, such as Powell River Garden Club and the local chapter of the Master Gardeners Association of BC.
“People socialize during the event, exchanging a huge amount of information,” said Wendy Devlin, one of the event’s coordinators. “For instance, people want to learn from other experienced local growers what works and what doesn’t work in our climate and growing conditions.”
The farmers’ institute will be signing up new members, and anyone who supports local agriculture is welcome to join. In addition, the institute will sign people up to take part in a seed-saving workshop later in the spring, funded through a grant from the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security.
Seedy Saturday 2014 takes place again in Powell River Recreation Complex, with the doors opening earlier this year at 9:30 am. Admission to the event is $2 and Powell River Dollars are welcome as payment. Children aged 12 and under get in for free. The event has activities to keep the whole family engaged for the day and ends at 2:30 pm.
“For the past nine years, the farmers’ institute has encouraged people in the region to save more seeds and to share them with other growers,” said Devlin. “Now our plans are expanding, and we hope to gather public support for a regional seed bank. The way forward is to spread know-how and practical experience and build a community of seed-savers to improve local food security.”
Education during the day is also provided by six workshops. These include: seed-saving; starting seeds and growing better seedlings; learning to cope with the threat posed by the spotted-wing drosophila (a new type of fruit fly that attacks soft fruits); building healthy soil; incorporating poultry into your garden; and what it takes to become a beekeeper.
At 1 pm, popular garden writer Carolyn Herriot presents “How to save seeds to grow local food” in the Evergreen Theatre. Herriot is the author of The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Organic Food and, most recently, The Zero-Mile Diet Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food. An avid gardener and committed seed-saver, Herriot runs her own seed company, Seeds of Victory, in Victoria, and she will be selling seeds and books during the day. Admission to the keynote presentation and to all workshops is free with admission.
More information about the event is available online and through contacting Devlin at 604.483.9268.
