Seeds for Success

Preservation of heirloom seeds helps to ensure future generations maintain a reliable food supply, supports financial self-reliance, preserves agricultural heritage, and reflects cultural traditions. This half-day workshop on the practice of seed saving will be led by Chris Smith from the Utopian Seed Project and Mary Thompson from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Attendees will hear an introduction to Seed Saving and how to increase income from seed sales and will experience a demonstration of Utopian Seed Project’s Mobile Seed Processing Unit. Mary Thompson will share her seed-saving experience, related pottery, and issues surrounding tribal food security and sovereignty. Presenters will also cover Technical Aspects and Considerations of Seed Saving, Implications of Climate Change on Seed Saving, and Enterprise Budget Development for Profitable Seed Saving. This half day workshop is open to any interested gardeners and farmers hoping to learn more about the significance of seed saving and how they can get involved.