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Tie the Knot with the Canadian Seed Library

As spring rolls in, it's time for many of us to begin planning our gardens, planting seeds and gathering varieties we don’t yet have in our collections. For some of us though, the start of the growing season is also the start of wedding season, and all the planning that comes with it.

Last summer, two Seeds of Diversity members came up with a great idea for their wedding, which may be adaptable for those of you planning your own special days this year. Mike Barer and Vanessa Partington asked their guests to donate towards adopting a variety into Seeds of Diversity’s Canadian Seed Library. Their guests’ donations meant that an heirloom variety of corn, called Amazing Early Alberta, is now fully and permanently adopted into the library.

Get in touch with us if you think this sounds like an idea you want to explore for your wedding celebration. Your contribution will help us adopt a seed variety into the library, make it available to growers across the country, and also raise awareness about heirloom seeds and the Seed Library among your family and friends. Heirloom seeds make fantastic wedding favours too!

A note from Mike and Vanessa
Vanessa and I were married Sep 27th, 2013 in Calgary. We held our evening celebration and dance party at Bonterra Restaurant. The next morning our parents were generous enough to host a relaxing brunch at the beautiful River Cafe in Calgary. On every seat in the restaurant was a small bundle of organic seed packets for each guest to take home with them... a surprise for us both and a nice touch from Diane Koyich ­– one of our family members. 

We asked guests at our wedding to donate either to one of our favorite charities or one of theirs. We suggested Seeds of Diversity Canada because of our personal interest in sustainable, organic agriculture, our support of local food, and our belief in an energy efficient, healthy lifestyle. We share a concern about the impacts of agribusiness on our environment, economy and the health of the population in general. We wanted to do something to help protect age-old varieties of plants for future generations. We checked out Seeds of Diversity online and made it one of our suggested charities. In the summer, Vanessa and I grow veggies in a very small plot at our Community Garden in South Calgary. We dream of the day when we can grow more than the small plot allows, but space is tight in Calgary! 

Our guests really liked the idea of giving to a charity and many went online to check out the work that Seeds of Diversity undertakes. They let us know that they thought the programs were really cool, desperately needed, and they hoped that their kids would one day benefit from the banking of seeds. A number of our urban-dwelling friends & family actively participate in community-supported agriculture projects and grow what little they can in their backyards and community gardens.

We are grateful for the acknowledgment Seeds of Diversity has given us. We hope our small contribution and the contributions of our friends and family help them continue the great work they do. 

Happy planting!

Mike Barer and Vanessa Partington
("The Baringtons")

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Picture from Alberta Nurseries and Bow Seeds. Find Amazing Early Alberta Corn (pictured above) and other heirloom varietes at their website.

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