Community seed swap a success

In early January 2016, a group of us gathered to talk about hosting a community seed swap. Ten weeks later, we produced the first annual “Free The Seeds!” Seed Fair at FVCC on March 19. In addition to a traditional seed swap, the fair hosted 19 skill-sharing workshops, 33 informational booths from local producers and gardening resources, and two roundtable discussions on topics key to supporting local food access: enhancing local farmer resources and building a local seed library.

We anticipated 400 to 500 people might show up. Instead, more than 1,600 people attended — that’s 1.7 percent of Flathead County’s population! We are so grateful to everyone for coming — from Flathead Valley to Cut Bank, Libby, Seeley Lake, Missoula, and Roosville, B.C. Thank you all! Your attendance confirms what we thought: there is a strong desire and need for more local food access, and together we have the resources to build that access for everyone.

We envision the second annual “Free the Seeds!” Seed Fair becoming a catalyst for additional programs and resources on local food access. If you want to be involved in next year’s Seed Fair planning or participation, please contact us through the website www.freetheseedsmt.com. You can also download workshop handouts there and, shortly, event videos.

In the meantime, get your garden growing and/or find your local farmer/producer. You can reach out to the gardening resources and farmer/producers represented at the fair through the website. And remember: Your local farmers markets start soon!

One last fact to chew on: if we can get Flathead County (93,000 residents) to spend $12.50/week annually on locally grown food and food growing resources instead of on food produced elsewhere, $60.5 million will stay in the Flathead.

Thanks again from the 2016 “Free the Seeds!” Planning Committee.

— Robin Kelson, Whitefish