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Swapping seeds for spring

Annual Shuswap Seed Swap and Natural Living Fair coming soon to Enderby
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The 2017 Seed Swap at the Shuswap Seed Swap and Natural Living Fair at the Splatsin Community Centre in Enderby attracted 2,000 people. This year’s is set for Saturday, March 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Photo contributed)

Despite the wintry weather, spring must be almost here as it’s seed swapping time.

The Shuswap Seed Savers are hosting their 24th annual Seed Swap and Natural Living Fair on Saturday, March 3 at the Splatsin Community Centre, 5767 Old Vernon Rd. in Enderby, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Seed Swap is a great place for consumers to learn new tips and skills which will empower them to grow their own healthy foods and help in cutting down the cost of feeding their family.

An annual attraction at the Seed Swap are the community seed swap tables. Local gardeners and seed vendors have the opportunity to share their excess seeds with others for free. This year organizers will be changing how they handle the free tables and ask for their visitors’ patience as they accept, label and repackage seeds between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and then open the tables to the public from 12 to 4 p.m.

Related link: Spring fever at the Shuswap Seed Swap

In addition to bringing your seeds on Saturday morning, you can also drop them off in advance at the Enderby Farmer’s Market held at the Splatsin Centre (Green Croft Gardens booth), on Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or during regular business hours at the Enderby Library. Label your seeds with your name, description of the seed, variety, year collected and any other useful information available.

The seeds will be repackaged to be distributed at the Seed Swap. If possible, bring your own containers (envelopes) for seeds you will be picking up at the Seed Swap. If you haven’t already done so, there is still time to check your seeds for germination rates.

This year the seed savers say they’re excited to be partnering with the Okanagan Regional Library and will be unveiling their new Enderby Seed Library to be housed at the Enderby Library.

At the fair, more than 90 vendors will be on hand, ranging from those selling plants to eggs to those with bat boxes. Parking is free.

This year’s workshops with local experts include:

10:30 - Seed Saving: Root Vegetables and Biennials with Sarah Bradshaw (Wise Woman Seeds)

11:15 - One Hundred Mile Medicine with Barb Dutot (Wild Roots Herbal Learning Centre)

12:00 - Garden Planning for Saving Seed with Sarah Bradshaw (Wise Woman Seeds)

12:45 - Seed Saving: Annuals like squash, peas, beans & lettuce with Gabriele Wesle (Green Croft Gardens)

1:30 - Why “Everything Shuswap,” an author’s talk with Jim Cooperman

2:30 - Energy From the Sun, New and Exciting Developments with Dr. Warren Bell

The doors open at 10 a.m., admission is $2 and children under 12 are free.


@SalmonArm
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