Ah Spring! The Sun the sleet the hail and the snow of it all! As the days lengthen and the seed selling season intersects with Spring planting season I am picking up my tempo in a big way. I need to live in the present and keep getting seeds out to those who want and need them while simultaneously living in the future as I plant baby lettuce, spinach, marigolds, poppies, snap peas and many more seed crops that will be harvested this fall. I am learning the rhythms of being not only a seed grower but a seed business. Some days I feel in synch and other days I’m just doing my best to find the beat!
I am also finding my way towards other aspects of my Wild Dream for the farm by planning on-farm workshops this Summer. My goal as a seed business has never been to grow into a large scale seed distributor that mails seeds all over the globe. My dream is to empower more people to save seed and offer opportunities to fall in love with seeds, deepen folks' connection to the living world through their gardens and come together to feel seen and powerful in our communities.
In a world with so much wrong happening everywhere every day, I truly believe that planting, tending and harvesting seeds in home gardens and small farms is a beautiful act of rebellion against the systems and structures that seek to keep us isolated, disconnected, and in fear of one another. I also see seed saving as a necessary cultural survival skill that has been severed from farmers and growers of all kinds. We need to be able to feed ourselves and our communities in order to survive both now and in an uncertain future. Control over our community seed is fundamental to this vision.
With this intention, I will offer three classes with different hands-on elements of the seed saving process throughout the growing season. These are intended for beginners and for those with some seed saving experience. You can take all three or just one depending on your time and interest. I am keeping the cost of these workshops low because I believe that this knowledge and practice should be available to anyone who wishes to access the information. Here is a summary fo the offerings. Find more information and register on the workshops and events page.
Saturday May 14th- Plan to Save Seed this Season- This workshop is a deep dive into the botany of seed saving and what to do now to ensure a seed harvest this Summer.
Sunday August 7th- How to Harvest your Seed Crops- What to look for and how to know when a seed is ready to harvest. We will harvest flower seeds in the field as well as harvest, and begin to ferment tomato seeds for you to take home!
Saturday September 10th- How to thresh, clean and store your seeds- we will thresh and clean a variety of different flower and vegetable seeds with a demonstration on home scale cleaning techniques with screens, fans as well as a demonstration with the Winnow Wizard!
In addition to the seed workshops, I am grateful to have talented friends who have agreed to offer their skills to folks here at the farm! These include a Household Herbalism series with Rachel Sursely of Deerfern Herbals, a Botanical Dye class with Monica Wilson, and a chance to Blacksmith a Garden tool with artist Hannan Hirsekorn. Please read the full course descriptions and register on the website under the workshops and events page. Purchase Tickets soon as the spots are filling quickly!
I hope to see some of you at the farm this summer as we learn, connect and grow together. Please reach out with any questions and take good care.
xoxo Jen
