Seed Swap Update

It's all falling into place behind the scenes for the Heritage Apple Festival & Community Seed Swap. We've been sorting through the boxes of seeds available and packaging up extra seed for the swap.

We encourage people to bring heirloom and open-pollinated varieties, and seeds you have saved yourself and that you know grow well in the local area. 

Seed swapping is the sharing of seeds - and your ideas and knowledge - with your local community. The benefits of swapping locally-grown seeds are many:

• you save money,
• connect with your community,
• find rare and locally adapted seeds,
• preserve bio-diversity and seed genetics,
• learn from experienced gardeners and increase the resilience of local varieties,
• and all this whilst making sure that species of plant varieties are preserved and passed on.
• What’s more, seed swaps have the added benefit of connecting like-minded gardeners - both new and experienced seed savers.

A whole lot of benefits.

Seed saving, sowing and sharing are a crucial part of a much wider sustainability and self-reliance agenda, where 'small is beautiful' and where we must think globally and act locally.

Since back in the day when humankind evolved from being hunter-gatherers to farmers, communities have had a vested interest in making sure the quality and security of their food supplies is kept intact. This included the saving, storing, and sowing of the most reliable and productive varieties of crops. It was a matter of survival.

We hope that the up and coming seed swap will allow you to explore the vast array of genetic diversity in seeds that is out there. What better way to do that than sharing seeds at a community seed swap and enjoying the home baking delights of the Heritage Apple Festival.

This years event is at the Community Garden's new location of lower Humphreys Street in Lockyer, Albany.