Seed-UP Saturday Educational Event

 

In this 3-hour online event, you will have the opportunity to ask seed experts your questions, stock up on seeds, plus learn from a series of short classes to teach you how to save seeds.

Here's what you need to know:

WHEN: Saturday, February 27th from 2pm-5pm Mountain Time

WHERE: On Zoom.
Click HERE to reserve your spot at Seed Up Saturday (it’s free)

Please note: The above link is a ZOOM link. You will need to download zoom to your device before you can attend the webinar. Please do so at http://zoom.us/download.

Classes will include:

• Seed Saving Myths with Bill McDorman
• Basic Seed Saving with Belle Starr
• Seed Starting with Kari Spencer
• Seed Storage with Bill McDorman
• Pollinators for the Garden with Kari Spencer

Seed - The Untold Story

Seed and Gardening Friends,

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Sedona showing of SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY last night. What a stunning masterpiece! I couldn't think of a way John and Taggart could make the film better. It was informative, entertaining, and gorgeous. And what a timely topic! If ever you've been wanting to know more about the loss of genetic diversity on the planet, the impacts of seed extinction, how rare seeds are discovered all over the world, or what GMO really means, this is the movie for you. It's told with truth all while maintaining an optimistic outlook for the future.

We have a chance to view it here in Flagstaff at Harkins if we can get about 40 more people to order advanced tickets. There are only four days left to do so! You can order them here: 

https://gathr.us/screening/17768

View the movie trailer here for a teaser:  http://www.seedthemovie.com/trailer

I'll be at the event, should we get enough people, with information about our own seed library and a list of seeds available at our location. I can also answer any questions you might have after the showing. 

Lastly and not unrelated, please, Please, PLEASE bring the seeds from your end-of-season harvest back to the seed library. So far I've only had one person return a few seeds. It's important that we do this both to keep the library going but also for the preservation of our local diversity.

Happy Friday,

Jackee Alston

Organic Seed Alliance Seed Internship Program

New Seed Internship Program Announced!

Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) recently launched a new Seed Internship Program -- the first of its kind in the U.S. The program matches individuals who want to learn about seed production with experienced growers. The six-month farm trainings combine hands-on education, farm-based independent study, and classroom and online learning.

Will you help us train more seed producers by sharing this announcement with your farming members, colleagues, and friends?

Seed Plant and Tool Catalogs 2016

Each year I update the list of Seed Plant & Tool Catalogs. I finished it during this slow week between holidays. The changes are minor. but it has become six pages long if you are interested in printing. Some of the changes are phone numbers, a few companies have dropped out, and two merged.  I am including a LINK with this article but after January it will appear on the blog under References and Resources in the right hand column called Pages . Please take a look at the list and send me any additions or changes you are aware of. I will revise by Jan. 15 but you can send new information at any time.

Here are two that I found interesting that you might not be aware of:
1.   Lily Garden - some of the most beautiful lilies I have seen are in their new catalog. I love lilies! They are so easy to care for. I grew some Asiatic lilies at Olivia Whtie Hospice in one of our sensory pots (aroma). They came back year after year and were so admired by residents and staff (smell and beauty). You can find them on the list under Bulb, Tuber and Rhizomes.
2.   Grononics - they have some of the most clever containers I have seen. They are a bit pricy, but you may get some ideas about making your own from just looking at them. They can be found under Tool Resources.

Don't forget you can ignore this list completely, save your own seeds, or come to the Grow Flagstaff Seed Library at the Coconino County Extension. At the seed library you can get free seeds and next year bring back some of your own. The best part is that each packet has the growers story and they are local. Thanks go to master gardener Jackee Alston and other volunteers for making this happen in Flagstaff. Check out several articles on the blog for more details, including a link to an article that appeared in the AZ Daily Sun. If you are interested in helping you can volunteer each month (4th Thur.) beginning in January. At the extension from 10am-2pm you can help stuff seed packets.

Email me with any questions or comments (cnslds@q.com).

Ideas for Seeds and Seed Saving

From Kitchen Gardens International

Pelleted Seed
Have you ever planted carrots. It is always hard to separate the seed so that you don't need to thin later. I have always had difficulty with carrots because I don't thin enough I get a poor crop. Pelletted seeds mitght be the answer and they might also be great for those with arthritis or other conditions that limit hand dexterity. Here is an article about pelleted seed on the Kitchen Garden site. Check it out. http://kgi.org/blog/roger-doiron/pelleted-seeds-and-why-i-love-them.
I found carrot and lettuce seeds available in High Mowing (all organic) catalogs. Johnny's seed has lettuce, carrots, beets, celery, onion basil, parsnip and chard. They also have some flower - digitalis, lisienthu, danthus, dusty miller.There are probably more sources.

Saving Tomato Seed
As you are harvesting the last of those vegetables and spent flowers keep in mind that on November 7 the new Seed Library will begin at the Coconino County Extension. I have attached U-Tube video from the Seed Saver Exchange on saving tomato seeds. I looked at many of these videos in preparation for our July lecture this year. This is the best of many that I looked at. It makes tomato seed saving easy. Take a look -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEkVep0PnLo&utm_source=Seed+Savers+Exchange+Newsletter&utm_campaign=169877fa5c-September2015_Newsletter_members&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_530267ed05-169877fa5c-91534418&mc_cid=169877fa5c&mc_eid=3ecbf3b76b

U-tube has many other videos about saving other seeds. If you have any questions about the Seed Library or saving seeds contact Jackee Alston (jackeealston@gmail.com). Watch the blog for more details about the Nov. 7 events.