Seed saving and swapping can be intimidating for novice homesteaders, but Josephine Alexander of Tubby Creek Farm is taking away the mystery.
Alexander is organizing a seed swap for February 16 at the Cooper Young Community Farmers Market that will include swapping and a demonstration on how to start seeds at home. Experienced growers and local farmers will also share their expertise. Here’s how the swap will work:
- Label your seeds by name and date harvested. Also include information on your experiences growing the seeds.
- If possible, drop seeds off at the market this Saturday so organizers can re-package them. If not, just bring them to the swap the following week.
- Gardeners who don’t have seeds to swap can still participate by purchasing swap tickets for a nominal fee.
- Leftover seeds will be donated to school, church and community garden projects in Memphis.
I’m particularly excited about the swap because I inadvertently saved lima and pole bean seeds from my fledgling garden last fall that I can now trade. I filled a couple of colorful Pyrex bowls with seed pods and let them sit on my kitchen table all winter. Now I can shell my lovely table art and participate.
Local farmers who sell at the market also are contributing extra seed stash, so the preliminary list of seed varieties already is enticing. Look at these lovely and inspiring seed names:
Cheese Pumpkin Winter Squash Butternut Winter Squash Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash Johnny's All-Star Lettuce Mix Bronze Mignonette Lettuce Pickling Cucumbers Golden Bush Scallop Summer Squash Sparkler Radish Royal Burgundy Snap Beans Hales Best Jumbo Cantaloupe Sugar Baby Watermelon Bouquet Dill Apple Pimento Peppers Dwarf Siberian Kale Detroit Dark Red Beets Dragon Tongue Bush Beans Baby Pam Pumpkin
If you need more information on the seed swap, contact Josephine@TubbyCreekFarm.com.
