Seed symposium at Suffolk CC

Billed as the “Woodstock” for seed savers, gardeners and local farmers the fifth annual Long Island Regional Seed Consortium will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2019,  10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Suffolk County Community College’s Eastern Campus, 121 Speonk-Riverhead Road, Riverhead. The event is sponsored by the college’s Eastern Campus Office of Student Activities. Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring one or more seed packets – full or partial — for the general seed swap tables.

Thousands of varieties of garden vegetables, grains and flowers have been lost and seed swaps and exchanges celebrate the seed keepers and gardeners who help to prevent such losses.

Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about how to properly to save seeds, starting plants from seeds and other gardening inquiries.

Special guests include:

  • Eli Rogosa  — author of  Restoring Heritage Grains.  Eli will exhibit her collection of ancient wheats and be available to sign books.  Eli has traveled to former Soviet Georgia and the Mid East to work with peasant farmers and record their techniques of growing wheat and baking bread and collect near-extinct wheat seed varieties that are now sought by artisan bakers because of their unique properties
  • Scott Chaskey —  poet, farmer and educator on Long Island’s East End. Author of Seedtime and  This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm. Scott will be exhibiting seeds and signing his books.

Gardeners are invited to bring packets of seed or leftover seed to share and swap and more experienced seed savers will have a special area to share seed from their garden heirlooms or rare seed varieties. The area is typically where containers of seed are divided up into small packets and cultural information and seed histories are shared and discussed.

The annual event attracts several hundred gardeners, farmers and seed savers and will feature:

  • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. –  a farmers market featuring locally produced seed, plants and other seasonal products as well as a display area for related environmental non-profit organizations
  • 11 a.m. – 12 noon in Shinnecock Building, Room S-101 campus auditorium – panel discussion – why and how to save seeds
  • 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Peconic Building- Seed swap

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