Our annual seed saver courses have come to a close! This year, we saw an enthusiastic turnout with 47 participants, including our dedicated ambassadors. Of those, 15 individuals successfully completed the entire course and earned a certificate of achievement.
To celebrate and foster community, we wrapped up the courses with our beloved seed exchange. Held on January 27th at the Ādaži Library, it was a vibrant event brimming with gardening inspiration. Attendees left feeling energized and equipped to share their knowledge, while our seed ambassadors gained momentum to organize future seed exchanges and establish local seed-exchange hubs.
Event Schedule
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Arrival, seed arrangement, and morning tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM: Opening remarks, seed exchange principles, creating and maintaining a seed exchange point, database of heirloom crops, and label printing - Sandra Stabinge
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Heirloom potatoes: search and continuation - Ilze Dimante (AREI)
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Seed exchange - growers share stories about their cherished or heirloom plants (plant history, characteristics, etc.)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Seed exchange - growers share stories about their cherished or heirloom plants (plant history, characteristics, etc.)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Closing circle and songs
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Cleaning up the room
After the event, participants shared what they gained in the seed exchange.
Our dedicated seed saver Magone is excited about the novelties in her collection:
I got Elsholtzia ciliata from Ruta - a fantastic herb. With good spices, you can eat anything, as long as you know how to use them. From Sandra, I got an Asian cucumber that I call 'dinosaur'. I wonder if it will cross-pollinate with my Sikkim cucumber from Cēsis Castle? I'll be testing Daukšte's beans, keeping only the best and most productive ones, as Ruta gave them a great recommendation. My leaf cabbage from Vivi will need protection from the deer, and my garden orache will need to be guarded from my child, who tends to eat everything in sight! I have also ordered white salsify and three different types of groundcherry from a collector. I am ready for spring!!
Ija, our seed ambassador, is delighted with the outcome of the seed swap. It was a win-win for both her personal collection and the community seed library:
The seed haul from the event was so massive that it would take ages to describe everything. We also shared some seeds and received many interesting varieties in return (Sikkim cucumber, field tomato, lettuce, peas, dill, hemp, and several types of beans), both for ourselves and for the seed exchange spot. Now we have to package everything up, write descriptions, and wait for the seed exchange hub to reopen in the spring. The most unexpected find for me was the Tibetan kefir grain. No one else took it, so I realized I'd have to become its caretaker and share it, something I'd been thinking about for a while. Thank you, Magone, for bringing it at just the right time! Thanks to everyone who organized the event - it was a wonderful gathering with lots of great information from the presentations and conversations. Here's to an inspired, productive year!
Daina, who helped to organize the event, adds what other seeds could be exchanged:
The list of treasures also included wild caraway from Smiltene and marigold seeds!
Sandra Stabinge, the initiator of the seed exchange movement and organizer of the educational courses, is grateful for the diversity of seeds and enthusiasm of seed savers:
Really irresistible offer this time! A big thank you to everyone who came and shared their stories and seeds. Special thanks to Rūta Abaja for her amazing collection and for helping us design the labels. Now, let's get our local seed savers and exchange points active!
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