On Groundhog’s Day Eve we, a group of neighbors from Un-historic East Urbana, organized a seed swap at the Common Ground Food Co-op . We wanted the swap to be open to all even if you had never saved seeds before. Kit Condell from Revolution Seeds spoke about the fine art of seed saving. There are many ins and outs if you want to save seeds to reap the same fruit the following year, Kit explained a few. Our group was excited to learn new things about growing.

We were most interested in the idea that seeds should be shared, not patented, and used to grow food every year! Once you start saving seeds and growing, then you can learn more about the ways to cross-breed and preserve varieties, but first you have to start.The 1rst annual Groundhog’s Day Eve was all about getting started. Lisa Bralts-Kelly gave a seed starting demo, complete with a giant lamp fixture, for regular flourescent bulbs-no expensive grow lights nesseccary.

About 60 people attended the event. Folks brought seeds that they had dumpstered, seeds that they had saved from purchased produce, seeds that they had saved from private gardens, seeds from collective gardens, and many more. There were seeds for edibles and non-edibles alike. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

Stay tuned to Blocksteady for upcoming events and info about local food growing and sustainability efforts.

Photo By Bonnie Fortune