Free Seed Swap Event for Farmers and Backyard Growers
Now more than ever, the saving of seeds is critical to our rapidly changing world. We have lost over 5000 varieties of apples so far, according to Michele Evans who will speak at Paradise Permaculture Institute’s 6th Annual Seed Swap for farmers and backyard growers. PPI is pleased to partner with the Livingston-Park County Library again this year for this free event, to be held at the library, 228 W. Callender Street, Saturday, January 25, 1:00 to 3:30pm.
Featured speakers will include author Cheryl Moore-Gough, and Evans, a PPI board member and bio-intensive farming instructor. Everyone is invited to bring seeds to swap and envelopes or containers to hold them. PPI will have some seeds on hand, potentially chard, scarlet runner beans, buckwheat, tomato, melon, basil, sunflowers, radish, flowers, cilantro, corn, and more. There will also be a Children’s Corner with fun learning activities for young gardeners.
“If you grow only 10% of your diet and save your seeds year after year and share them, it could be the most important work you have ever done.” – Michele Evans
Speakers
“What is your criteria for choosing your food? Take an apple. Is it color, taste, nutrition?” asks Michele Evans, who will provide practical information for growing seed, and bring real growing examples for her “The Simple Art of Seed Saving” presentation. “Think about the genetic diversity, the hundreds of years humans have taken to produce the apple of today,” she explains. “Remember, that lettuce you purchased in the store, that red pepper, everything comes from seed. If we all take some responsibility for the food system we can stem the tide of extinction. If you grow only 10% of your diet and save your seeds year after year and share them, it could be the most important work you have ever done.” Evans is a Montana Master Gardener Level 3 and a bio-intensive instructor working with Ecology Action, a non-profit working in 145 countries teaching nutrition intervention by showing people how to grow all their own food and soil. She has been growing food in the Gallatin Valley since 1978, and currently has a research garden in the Bangtail Mountains at 7,300 feet.
Cheryl Moore-Gough, M.S. Plant Sciences, returns to the 2020 Seed Swap with a new presentation, “Seed Saving,” which all Montana gardeners will find informative and useful. Moore-Gough is a well-known speaker throughout the western United States on a wide variety of yard and garden subjects, including seed saving, vegetable production, and many more seasonally appropriate topics. She is an accomplished author of seven books including The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds, Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening Guide, and The Montana Gardeners Companion. She has published numerous magazine articles, and is currently updating MSU Extension’s Yard and Garden MontGuide publications.
“Once you find a tasty tomato or crispy sweet spinach picked minutes ago, it is hard to settle for food trucked a distance to Livingston to eat!” – Mona Lewis
“Paradise Permaculture Institute is dedicated to supporting seed saving and growing healthy produce in our community,” says Mona Lewis, PPI President. “All of us at PPI love hosting this event to support others in saving viable seed to encourage food independence, save money, promote plant diversity for healthier and better tasting plants. Once you find a tasty tomato or crispy sweet spinach picked minutes ago, it is hard to settle for food trucked a distance to Livingston to eat!”
Schedule
1:00 Seed Library, Tool Library, Suzie Catharine, Livingston-Park County Library
1-2:30 Children’s Corner Seed activities
1:15 Seed Saving (live stream via computer), Cheryl Moore-Gough
2:30 The Simple Art of Seed Saving with Michele Evans
Seed Exchange (along with coffee, tea and seed snacks
Feel free to stay and browse the library’s gardening resources.
For more information, please call 406-222-9999.
