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Seedy Saturday coming to New Westminster this weekend

Community members invited to share seeds and gardening supplies at Feb. 19 event
Siri Van Gruen Seedy Saturday
Siri Van Gruen, shown here at the FarmFolk CityFolks Research and Education Seed Farm, is inviting community members to attend New Westminster Seedy Saturday on Saturday, Feb. 19.

A local woman is sharing her passion, knowledge and seeds at New Westminster Seedy Saturday.

Siri Van Gruen is hosting New Westminster Seedy Saturday on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 12 to 2:30 p.m. at the Queen’s Park picnic shelter. Folks of all ages are invited to attend the free event to swap seeds, get free seeds, share seeds and plants, learn about seed saving, decorate seed packets and more.

“Come and meet fellow gardeners and seed savers,” she says. “Get interested in seed saving if you have never tried it before. Come to learn something new and come to build community and meet like-minded people.”

Van Gruen’s love of seeds began in childhood, when she spent a lot of time in the garden her father created to provide as habitat for the birds and the bees. She later attended McGill University, where she obtained a degree in agricultural and environmental sciences.

The New West resident now works as the B.C. seed security program coordinator at FarmFolk CityFolk, the oldest and largest food and agriculture charitable non-profit organization in B.C.

“I feel like there is something really fulfilling when you have taken a plant from the very start of its life, from the seed, to the very end, when you finally harvest the fruits of your labour,” she says. “It’s a cycle, and I feel that there is something really special about being part of that cycle. …They (seeds) are just this huge genetic bank of knowledge, all stored inside this tiny little thing.”

If someone hadn’t saved seeds a thousand years earlier, they wouldn’t exist today, Van Gruen adds.

“To me, it’s like you are holding something that has passed through so many generations,” she says.

Van Gruen says Seedy Saturday events have popped up in communities across Canada and the United States, and they’re all a little different.

“Our New West Seedy Saturday will be more about community building and sharing,” she says. “There will be no monetary exchange. I work at a seed farm in the summer so I have lots of free seeds to give out to folks. I am also encouraging people to bring their own seeds, that they want to share, and also any sorts of gardening materials. ... Just anything that they’d like to share for other folks to take.”

The free event will include an area where people can pick up seeds and a sharing table where people can leave or take seeds (including those old packets sitting in the garage or drawer at home) and other gardening items.

“There will be seed packages, so if anybody wants to decorate some seed packets before they take some they are welcome to do that little activity too,” Van Gruen says. “I’m hoping to encourage all ages to

come out to get kids a bit interested in seeds too. I’ve got a couple of games – matching games where you can match the plant with the flower or the seeds.”

At some point during the day, Van Gruen will be offering a more formal workshop about seed saving. At FarmFolk CityFolk, Van Gruen is involved in a variety of differing programs, including citizens’ seed trials (backyard gardeners grow a few different varieties of the same crop and compare the results).

Van Gruen says COVID-19 has highlighted some of the issues with the supply chain and the importance of local seed supply.

“There is no food security without seed security,” she says.

Van Gruen is keen on growing an interest in local seed supply and seed production and helping maintain the momentum that gardening has seen during the pandemic.

“At the very start of the pandemic most seed suppliers I know of had a 300% increase in sales the first year of the pandemic,” she notes.

Part of Van Gruen’s job with FarmFolk CityFolk includes working at a research and education seed farm in the summer, managing about an acre of organic seed production and vegetable production.

Van Gruen received funding from the Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants program to put on next weekend’s New Westminster Seedy Saturday.

“It is a cool event, and I just wanted to bring it to New Westminster because I know we have so many great gardeners, so many nice yards when I am walking around,” she says. “I figured there is probably a lot of local interest for seed swapping within our community.” For more information about New Westminster Seedy Saturdays, email plantsbysiri@gmail.com or visit www.plantsbysiri.ca.

Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus

Email tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca