3rd Annual Seed Swap

Seed Swap Flyer 2012

The 3rd Annual Seed Swap is happening this coming Sunday February 26th, 2012 at GRUB Cooperative. Sherri Scott of GRUB and myself, via the Chico Permaculture Guild, spearheaded this annual event back in 2010 for many reasons. First to promote local seed growing and acclimation but also to celebrate the genetic diversity of seeds, to inform the local community about the potential danger of genetically modified seed and to get more people in touch with the life cycle of seeds in general.

Seeds are our future just as our children are our future. When we grow our own plants we cannot maintain genetic diversity by simply cloning or taking cuttings from them -we need their seed... their children. With each successive generation of plants the seed bore from the parent holds genes that mark its adaptation to climate, soil, color of flower, growth patterns and so much more. Hybridization of seed can potentially reduce this diversity but genetically modifying seed completely eliminates the chance for a plant to bear viable seed -thus the grower becomes reliant upon seed companies and not themselves.

As Vandana Shiva has illustrated to the world 'seeds are the ultimate symbol of food security'. When one grows (food) plants and takes the time to save that seed self reliance is born. Our goal with the Seed Swap is to encourage more people to grow their own food AND to collect the seeds from their favorite and healthiest plants and to share them with their neighbors and friends.  

We have the opportunity... or better stated we MUST protect seeds from biotechnology companies which seek to patent and take away our freedom to grow our own food and collect our own seed. It is not something to look upon lightly but something we must act upon each day. Vote with our dollars by buying local and organic food to feed ourselves and our families, by starting your own garden with seed and plants from local/heirloom/organic companies and by avoiding food which is not clearly labeled as Non-GMO. You can also help by eliminating mega-corporations from your daily consumer choices as they do not help our local economies but their own bottom line.

There are many gardening and food security choices for us in Chico, California; from getting involved in local initiatives to growing and harvesting some of your own food. Visit our websites Resources page for just a few of these organizations.  And come to the Seed Swap next Sunday... it will be an enlightening event hopefully inspiring many to join in the local food movement.

For more information about the Seed Swap read the First Annual Seed Swap article from the Chico News and Review February 25, 2010.