by Christopher Kelly-Bisson

Seedy Saturday will take place on Saturday, Mar. 7 (10am – 3pm) at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre in Britannia, Ottawa. In Canada’s increasingly corporatised food system, Seedy Saturday offers growers an opportunity to celebrate access to commonly-owned heritage seeds. Organic gardeners, farmers, and seed producers have met every March for the past 22 years to swap seeds and plant knowledge.

This year’s event will feature local seed producers, including some selling organic seeds. Food justice organizations such as Just Food, Canadian Organic Growers, and USC Canada will also be on hand to share information about food sovereignty and efforts to make seeds accessible for all growers. There will also be workshops: Daniel Brisebois of Ferm Coopérative Tournesol will be there to answer questions on horticulture and Canadian Organic Growers will host a workshop by Aster Lane Edibles on edible perennial gardens.

Similar events take place across Canada every year. Botanist Sharon Remple began the tradition in Vancouver in 1990. Seedy Saturday is organized primarily by Greta Kryger through Seeds of Diversity. Kryger said the event has been so successful in the past few years due to recent interest in local food systems.  Last year’s event recorded its greatest ever turnout with over 1,000 participants. There was also a record of 50 vendors – 15 of whom were local seed producers selling organic seeds. Kryger anticipates this year will be an even greater success.