Tag Archives: Leslie Welch

Dan Jason on Saving Seeds

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Dan Jason from Salt Spring Seeds will be doing a lecture on seed saving. There will be a locally grown seed exchange too.

GUEST POST by Leslie Welch

This is an exciting chance to hear Dan Jason speak about the importance of saving heritage seeds. As you know, Dan is the owner-operator of Salt Spring Seeds, founder of the Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada, and the subject of two documentaries: Gardens of Destiny: A Documentary About Food Security and Tableland. There will also be a locally grown seed exchange and a seed saving demonstration as well as a question and answer period with Dan. We also have door prizes.

Kamloops Seedy Saturday 2013: Kamloops Seed Sanctuary

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Seed the roots to local food security by supporting Seedy Saturday and the NEW Kamloops Seed Sanctuary.

When: February 2 and 16, 2013 and March 2 and 16, 2013
Where: Sahali Centre Mall
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Contact: Leslie Welch 250.828.2321 or Fawn Knox 250.579.5768
Email: plants444@gmail.com or fawnfknox@gmail.com

“In our society, growing food yourself has become the most radical of acts… By the process of directly working in harmony with nature, we do the one thing most essential to change the world ? we change ourselves.”
Jules Dervaes

PRESS RELEASE: Annual Seedy Saturday alters direction to pave the way for Seed Sanctuary

Seedy Saturday Event held on the last week of February is being altered so plans towards establishing a local Seed Sanctuary can begin. The Seedy Saturday event began with the idea of providing opportunities for individuals to learn how to save and share local, organic seeds, how to grow a successful garden and how to preserve the harvest. We will continue with this in mind but one group is providing a whole new approach to our annual event while others are preparing for a local seed sanctuary.

This year the Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners will host a Veggie Garden in a Bag event during which gardening advice, information handouts on soil fertility, seed saving, and demonstrations will be offered. In addition the Master Gardeners have gathered packets of seeds into paper bags organized to contain most of the seeds needed to plant a successful garden. These bags will be handed out free to folks attending the Veggie Garden in a Bag event. The event will take place at the Visions Farmers Market at Sahali Mall commencing on February 2, 2013 from 10:00am – 2:00pm. The event will be held on February 16, March 2, and 16 at the same times.

With plans well under way for a successful alternative to the Seedy Saturday, attention is now being directed to establishing a local seed sanctuary and, as well, inviting those individuals who have saved his or her own seeds to participate in a locally grown seed exchange. Our goal is to appeal to interested individuals who appreciate the importance of preserving and promoting regionally adapted organic seeds. We will need a devoted group of people who would be committed to maintaining, evaluating and keeping records of vegetables and herbs grown in this area.

This will be a daunting task but fortunately help is not far away. Dan Jason, founder of the Salt Spring Seed and Plant Sanctuary, is willing to come to Kamloops to talk about his experiences on Salt Spring Island and to help us to ?grow our own seed bank?. Dan Jason will be here in Kamloops on Saturday April 27th to speak to those interested in this project and to those who want to participate in a locally grown seed exchange. The time and location are currently being considered and will be announced soon. The goal to establish a local seed sanctuary is closer to being realized.

Kamloops, Listen Up: Seed Saving Seminar

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When: Saturday August 20, 2011
Time: 10:00am to 12:00noon
Where: Sahali Mall
Contact: Call Fawn Knox at 250.579.5768 to reserve your space
Cost: Free

If you would like to learn about saving seeds, New Victory Gardens has invited Master Gardeners Leslie Welch and Sarah Bradshaw to guide you through the process of seed saving. We will learn“when to harvest them how to dry them and what are the best methods of storing them.” I hope to see you there!

Kamloops Seedy Saturday

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Seedy Saturdayis a local event to exchange seeds and enjoy free gardening seminars. Bring your saved seeds or leftover packaged seeds. If you do not have any seeds, don?t worry. There are plenty available for everyone!

Date: Saturday, February 26, 2011
Where: Sahali Centre Mall, ?945 Columbia Street West?, Kamloops, BC
?Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm
Contact: Leslie Welch: plants444(a)gmail.com
Cost: Free, but a donation to the Kamloops Food Bank is greatly appreciated?.

Schedule of Free Gardening Seminars:
11:10am – 11:55am
Dr Penny Powers is a market gardener and will explain preserving foods with a root cellar.
11:15am – 12:00pm
Afke Zonderland is a raw food chef for Food Alive and will explain the process of dehydrating.
12:10pm – 12:35pm
Ann Sutherland is a horticulturalist and will explain storage methods without a root cellar.
12:15pm – 1:00pm
David Wides is a sustainable agricultural specialist with Sorrento Farm and will discuss Heirloom seeds.
12:35pm-1:00pm
Kendra Bessinger is a vermiculturist and will explain worm composting. Here is a link to a Kamloops business for people interested in vericulture called All Things Organic.
1:10pm – 2:00pm
Anne Grube will explain the process of canning your produce for home storage.
1:15pm – 2:00pm
Dr Joanne Harness will explain the science behind composting and biosolids.

Updated February 23, 2011: Here is another good reason to save local seeds and grow your own food. If you haven’t heard, on January 27, 2011 the US Government has allowed Monsanto to release their GM alfalfa. Please read Scientists warn of link between dangerous new pathogen and Monsanto?s Roundup and note the letter from Dr Don Huber to Secretary Tom Vilsack of the USDA. Please note some of the possible dangers of this GM perennial being released in North America. Here is an interview with Dr Don Huber called Scientist warns of dire consequences with widespread use of glyphosate. Here is an article explaining why organic and pastured based foods will become contaminated with Monsanto’s genetically modified organisms. Please read GM alfalfa will be everywhere.
According to a paper by Geertson Seed Farms, one of the biggest potential problems is that GM alfalfa will cross pollinate with wild alfalfa, which will become the dominant weed variety because it has the Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant trait. Weedy GM alfalfa will in turn become a source of pollen and seed that will contaminate conventional and organic alfalfa fields.

Updated February 26, 2011: I hope you had a chance to get to Seedy Saturday. There was a LOT of people! If you couldn’t make it, the organizers said that videos of all the seminars will be available at some point on the Salhali Mall website.