In spite of the snow on the ground and the cold air that surrounds it, spring will soon be here. Before a shovel can be put to soil or a seed can be planted in the ground, gardeners in the area need to get ready for the planting season. Seedy Saturday, held at Dr. Brass Elementary School, was a way for local gardeners to find seed, soil, plants and advice to help their garden grow in the upcoming season.
Organizer Stacey Tress wanted a wide variety to get people interested in the gardening season, whether that meant information and seeds to plant the garden itself, or examples of what to do with the plants after harvest is complete. The goal was to have a day that encouraged people to get their garden growing.
“It gets super charged for the gardening season.”
For Tress, it’s about more than simply gardening, it’s about food security. She wants people to know where their food comes from, what goes into it, and she wants people to be able to get their own locally produced food to stay healthy. She believes gardening is about more than food, but about building community, and events like Seedy Saturday build a gardening community in the city.
“We want to keep our local food producers here, we want to be able to support them. We want to be able to support our local seed savers, all the people who are doing things here.”
One of the centerpieces of the Seedy Saturday event is the seed swap table, where people can donate seed to others or pick up new seed to try for their own gardens. Tress’ own garden contributed, as she donated some Ukrainian dill.
“It would be great to seed bomb the whole area.”
The event is family focused, and many children were in attendance, whether taking advantage of the kids area or planning gardens of their own. Tress wants the younger generation to start gardening with their family and eventually make it a life-long passion. She says that in her own home, her daughters help with their garden, and she believes that everyone wants to know where their food comes from.
“If we can catch kids when they’re young and get them inspired in seeds and gardening, that’s really great.”
While a busy weekend, Tress says that Seedy Saturday can only work if the community is part of the process. They are always looking for volunteers, and anyone interested in helping with future Seedy Saturday events can contact Tress at 306-641-4239 or [email protected].
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