Second annual seed fair event successful

The second Annual Free the Seeds! Seed and Start Fair, held again at Flathead Valley Community College on March 4 and sponsored by college's Integrated Agriculture & Food Systems Program, was a rousing success. The majority of the 1,900 people attending this year live within Flathead County. That's 2 percent of our county's population — ready to come together to teach and learn about local food access and community resilience.

From last year's event grew: “Flathead Grows!” seed library at ImagineIf libraries, Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild 2017 Sept Convergence in Hot Springs, Farmhands-Nourish the Flathead expanding its Farm Map and Beginning Farmer Resources programs.

This year the diverse workshops and conversations all focused on moving towards a more sustainable Flathead. Talks included a formative discussion around Kalispell's new “core and rail” park and exploring a community food forest there.

Over 80 volunteers participated, many from local youth groups. Visit freetheseedsmt.com for the full list, our generous sponsors, photos, and to help plan Free the Seeds! 2018. Find workshop materials there too.

If all 93,000 of us in Flathead County start garden planning now and spend $10 per week on local produce, seeds or bedding plants for a year, we keep $48,360,000 here in our community. That's community-powered!

Michael Blend, Plant-Wise Flathead

Brooke Bohannon, Wicked Good Farm

Gretchen Boyer, Farm Hands Nourish the Flathead

Maddy Halverson & Mary Rochelle, MT Food Corps

Robin Kelson, The Good Seed Company

Pamela Lund, Planet B Harvest

Hailey Moore, The Center for Native Plants

Tawnya Rourke-Kelly, Heartstead Home & Garden Services, LLC

“Free the Seeds! 2017” Planning Committee