Seedy Events and Projects

Join EYA at our annual seed exchange this Saturday (April 17th) from 10am to 1pm at the Strathcona Eco-Pavilion! Bring your favourite seeds to swap with fellow gardeners from across the city. No seed? No problem, there's lots for everyone! Check out the Facebook event! Questions? Please email info@eya.ca.


EYA is still recruiting urban seedkeepers for the 2010 growing season! To sign up, please email Georgia at georgia@eya.ca. The orientation will be held the following Saturday (April 24th) from 10am to 12pm at the Strathcona Eco-Pavilion. A blurb about the Urban Seedkeepers program:

EYA is recruiting 20 individuals or families with growing space to plant, grow and save one variety of heritage, organic seeds. Urban seedkeepers will learn how to grow crops for seed, properly collect, and store these seeds. In exchange, the seeds will be donated back to EYA for our community nursery project, where we will use them in urban greening projects and free education programs around the city to raise awareness and grow healthy food. As well as contributing to EYA’s community nursery project, this project will contribute to biodiversity and our city’s seed security in terms of varietal availability, human capacity and knowledge.

Agreement: EYA will provide all necessary training and support as well as initial seeds for approx 20 plants of one seed variety. Number of plants and variety of seed will be determined along with the seedkeeper depending on amount of space, quality of soil and existing infrastructure. (Trellis’, planter boxes etc.)

The seedkeeper will commit to planting the seeds and caring for them throughout the season in such a way to ensure purity of the strain (this will be covered in the April orientation session), troubleshooting with EYA if necessary regarding concerns around plant health. The seedkeeper will commit to growing out 1/2 of the entire harvest to seeds that will be returned to EYA as a donation. 1/2 of the crop is ear marked for the seedkeepers eating pleasure!

And, don't forget about our plant and seed exchange project! Currently, the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN) has over 60 members with more being added daily. We still need your help in generating activity and discussion, however! If you are interested in this project, please visit http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name/ where you can find out more about the network as well as view members' trading lists. Even if you don't have your own seeds or plants to offer others, we still encourage you to sign up! Direct exchanges of seeds and plants are most ideal to keep this as grass roots as possible, but monetary exchanges are certainly more than acceptable. If you have any suggestions as a member or non-member about the project (e.g., things that can be improved) please contact Amy. Happy trading!

Seedy Palooza

*Clockwise: Tessa and Jane from Children’s section and our very own Amy and Matthew from EYA.

Who knew seeds could attract such a crowd? Saturday February 27^th at Vandusen Gardens, people of all ages could attend to learn, buy and trade the secrets of seeds. Tessa and Jane were seated at the Children’s table on the outside of the floral hall where the event took place. They were given the task to educate children and give them something fun to do in the presence of a more mature audience. I asked Tessa if she could tell me some of the things she had in store for the visiting children. She laughed because I was obviously older than should be, she went on.

“I encourage them to look at a diagram of a seed and to learn what’s inside” she said. There was not only a picture for them to look at, but a small area where seeds had already grown for the children to pick out. As a parting gift she packs “Bean-Bags,” real seeds, with wetted cotton balls that allow the seed to grow for a time so that the kids have a little keepsake and reminder.

When you walk into the Hall where the main area is, you’ll find that there were booths everywhere, not only selling seeds, but also advertising vital information. Very social and outgoing, Dr Aimee Taylor was one of the participants of the many booths. She had a worm house displayed telling me “It was to attract all ages and catch eyes” to her booth, and once I found that out she told me what she did. Dr. Taylor works to set up gardening programs for seniors, disabled adults and children; it’s very inspiring that this event does incorporate every age to create a more comfortable environment for everyone.

None other than two of our very own EYA volunteers were present on Seedy Saturday. Amy and Matthew (Right) were manning the booths near the exit of the hall. They were attracting a handful of visitors the time I was there, and I finally got a chance to introduce myself as well as ask some questions to these two. Both had told me our seeds sold were specially grown in our own garden. After we had our conversation, I left learning that the EYA was also starting a much easier way for everyone to trade seeds, just like they had that day to promote seed trading. You could buy, sell, and even trade.

EYA’s knowledgeable volunteers were, as everyone else was too, very obliging to everyone met. Farming practices, seed diversity, international campaigns and gardening education were among many of the interesting tidbits at the Vandusen Gardens on Seedy Saturday. “It gives children a chance to learn at a young age,” Tessa told me. 

Saturday @ Strathcona Community Garden

New Project: EYA Online Seed Exchange Forum

*** We have relocated the VPSEN forum from http://vanseedtrade.freeforums.org to http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name - Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience and confusion! ***

On February 20th, 2010, EYA is launching the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN), an online plant and seed exchange forum!

An initiative of the Environmental Youth Alliance, the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN) aims to first and foremost connect local gardeners with an enthusiasm for plant diversity. One might ask, “Well, what gardener doesn’t appreciate having a variety of plants in his or her garden?” While it may be true that any gardener, be it someone who has a yard, a community garden plot, a small balcony, or a sidewalk strip would be interested in expanding and diversifying green spaces, cost, access to suppliers, and lack of plant and gardening knowledge all remain valid barriers. This project hopes to help alleviate these challenges.

In addition to sharing their plants and seeds, we hope that members of this network will contribute to an open and respectful dialogue on the state of food in our city, biodiversity, urban land use, and to a collective knowledge which is only too vital for sustaining a healthy community.

Think of it as the Craigslist for local plants and seeds where members can trade all year round - perfect for those of us who miss out on events like Seedy Saturday and other plant/seed sales and exchanges, and who are curious and passionate about plant diversity, connecting with local gardeners, and growing food.

Please visit http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name/ to register. Again, please note that the official launch is on February 20, 2010. The forum is still a work in a progress! However, feel free to register your username and to browse through the "How to Use the Forum" thread. And if you feel so inclined, do create your own "Exchange List" to introduce yourself to the forum! For any questions, please contact georgia@eya.ca or amytran@interchange.ubc.ca

*** We have relocated the VPSEN forum from http://vanseedtrade.freeforums.org to http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name - Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience and confusion! ***

Growing Kids 2010 Spring Season

Growing Kids Volunteer Educator

Growing Kids 2010 Spring Season

The Environmental Youth Alliance is looking for committed community members to help deliver hands on workshops in Elementary School classrooms and food gardens. Workshops will be co-facilitated by trained Volunteer Educators and the Growing Kids Program Coordinator to enable garden work to be done in small, hands on groups.

Throughout March and April we will be presenting our Indoor Seedling Workshop. Educators in this workshop will work in Grade 2-3 classrooms to teach about: food security, seed diversity, and how to grow vegetables from seed. Much of our time will be spent working in small groups planting seeds to be grown on the classroom windowsill.

Throughout May and June we will be presenting our follow up Outdoor Planting Workshop. Educators in this workshop will work with Grade 2-3 students to teach about: interdependence, stewardship and how to care for organic food gardens. Much of our time will be spent working in small groups caring for the school garden’s soil and planting a variety of useful and interesting plants into it.

Growing Kids emphasizes a learner directed education style that is non-hierarchical. Having the support of a team of Volunteer Educators enables us to work primarily in small groups of 6-7 students, ensuring that education can be adapted to fit the learners interest and ability. Through the integration of hands on work and brief interactive presentations, our workshops create a dynamic, engaging learning environment in which everyone learns from one another.

Your support in creating this environment in fundamental to the success of many school garden projects!

To get involved and be trained as a Volunteer Educator contact:

Matthew Kemshaw
matthewk@eya.ca
604 689 4446

Volunteer Educator Training Sessions will be ~2 hours long and will be held the last week of February – the first week of March.

Urban Seedkeeper Workshop and Heirloom Tasting

Join EYA this SATURDAY for an urban seedkeeper workshop and heirloom tasting!

The workshop will take place from 11am to 1pm, to be followed by an heirloom tasting and potluck lunch until 2pm.

Location:
Strathcona Community Garden Eco-Pavilion, located at the west side of the community garden which is located on the southwest corner of Hawks Ave. and Prior St.

Workshop Schedule:

11:00-11:20 - Check in on how urban seed saving went.

11:20-11:45 - Garden walk, seed identification, seed collection.

11:45-12:30 - Explanation/demonstration on seed cleaning/husking for a variety of seeds. Demo of fermenting tomato seeds. Discussion of proper seed drying and storage techniques. Discussion of germination tests.

12:30-1:00 - Husk/clean seeds together as a group.

1:00-2:00 - Heirloom tasting and potluck lunch.

Please RSVP to samantha@eya.ca

Hope to see you there!