Seedy Sunday sprouts up March 8

Enthusiasm is sprouting for the sixth annual Seedy Sunday event.

The Sudbury Horticultural Society and its partners invite gardeners and farmers to attend Seedy Sunday, which will provide an opportunity for the community to swap the seeds they’ve saved from their garden.

“No seeds? No problem. Seed vendors will also be on site selling many different varieties,” said a news release.

Seedy Sunday takes place March 8 at the Parkside Older Adult Centre, 140 Durham St. starting at 10 a.m. Doors will close at 3 p.m.

Seedy Sunday is celebrated around the world and is an event that encourages people to partake in the age old traditions of seed saving and seed trading (or swapping). These events are typically a good place to pick up open pollinated, heirloom or heritage seeds. Although the Sudbury Seedy Sunday event has emphasized food varieties of seeds, flowers are also plentiful.

A number of seed vendors, retail vendors and other organizations will be on site displaying their products and programs. Several free presentations (10:30 a.m. - Susan Crook – Vegetable Gardening with Heirlooms; 11:30 a.m. - Ron Lewis - From Seed to Shiny Seed; 12:30 p.m. - Aabir Dey - Creating a Seed Library; and 1:30 p.m. - Andy Fyon - The Geological Journey of Plants and Seeds) will also take place over the course of the day and the Horticultural Society and master gardeners will be on site to answer all your gardening questions.

“Delicious locally prepared food with local ingredients will be available, as well as Kids Garden Activities to keep the little ones busy.”

New this year are two seed saving workshops specific to Northern Ontario, offered in partnership with Farm Start. Seed Saving in Northern Ontario – The Fundamentals is a 90-minute workshop for anyone interested in collecting their own seeds. Farm-scale Seed Production, a four-hour workshop, is geared to growing high-quality vegetable seed for farmers in Northern Ontario.

Aabir Dey, Ontario co-ordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, and Michelle Smith of Northwind Farm will be the presenters for these workshops. There is a fee to attend either of the two above mentioned seed-saving workshops.

Visit sudburyseedysunday.ca for more information.