Education 2022: Seed Saving & Seed Libraries
(see also the Co-op’s 2023 similar event):
OCTOBER 4-6, 2022: Gulf Islands Food Co-op was pleased to offer another 3 days of super hands-on learning plus seed cleaning and seed saving. This was thanks to Highgrove Farm on Pender Island as our community work site, seed saving equipment provided by FarmFolk CityFolk, and 2022 funding from a CRD Grant-in-Aid.
This CRD grant has also enabled the Co-op to continue its support for the Galiano, Mayne, and Pender Island Seed Libraries. See the links below for more about this essential work to save non-GMO heritage seeds, which are adapted to grow food best in our island conditions:
OCTOBER 5, 2021: poster for our Oct 5 Seed Cleaning & Seed Saving Workshop (a super hands-on event, using seed saving equipment provided by Farm Folk City Folk)
Plus two new videos of the workshop from Kenta Kikuchi!
Highlights: https://youtu.be/B5wM1gHhRv4
Longer version: https://youtu.be/lc-yh7250o0
Thanks so much to FarmFolk/CityFolk for their presenters and equipment,
and to Vancity Credit Union for their essential project support!
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MAY, 2021: see Cedar Lopatecki’s INTRODUCTORY VIDEO to learn more about how the Pender Seed Library will work! News flash – now Saturna is the 4th island starting community seed saving, plus there is a new Southern Gulf Islands Seed Library Instragram account for sharing developments: sgiseedlibraries
SPRING, 2021: We are happy to announce that the Gulf Islands Food Co-op has begun supporting Seed Saving Education and Seed Library development on Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna! This is with thanks for initial funding support from the Vancity EnviroFund, Island Savings, and other fine organizations and volunteers (see poster below).
PENDER SEED LIBRARY LAUNCH
Pender is about to have a new Seed Library, hosted by the Public Library in partnership with the Gulf Islands Food Co-op and the SGI Community Resource Centre.
The Launch will be in two parts:
Saturday, February 20, 2021 – Winter Market at the Hall – free seeds will be handed out; a few Dan Jason books for sale; seed donations (self-pollinated varieties) accepted to build the library supply.
Saturday, February 27 – FOR ALL ISLANDERS – Zoom presentation from the Pender Library to show how the Seed Library works, how to use it – plus a PRESENTATION ON THE BASICS OF SAVING SEEDS (by Karin Campbell)
*******PLEASE REGISTER for the February 27 presentation by emailing karin@mycampbell.net to request the zoom link. You can also see this detailed Seed Saving Guide
“One lesson that plants teach us, is that a culture of abundance is a sustainable culture. This is what the seed library is – we learn from the plants to give out seeds with the understanding that they will be planted and cared for, and new seeds will be brought back to replenish the library – in this way we always have enough. The element that makes it work is reciprocity. The seed library is our chance to participate in a working culture of abundance and we invite you to join us.” By Karin Campbell, inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass”.
The Gulf Islands Food Co-op is also helping to support Seed Library Initiatives on Galiano and Mayne Island (see Mayne’s Miraculous seed poster!). We invite you to contact Roz Kempe (Co-op President) if this interests you, at rk@gulfislandsfoodco-op.org
Thanks to all our supporters (see poster below) for this important initiative to preserve adapted, resilient, local island seeds and foods!
