It was -23°C in Saskatoon, but the smiles were warm at our Annual General Meeting and Friendraiser on November 9.
Michelle Smith, all the way from Cape Breton Island, and local seed growers Jim Ternier and his daughter Rachelle started the afternoon with a Basic Seed Saving presentation to a packed room of eager gardeners and farmers. Michelle is a seed grower and representative of the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. Her experience growing seeds, and guiding new seed growers through the challenges of producing and selling quality seeds has given her a lucid and sensible way of explaining even the more complex principles behind our craft. Jim and Rachelle operate Prairie Garden Seeds, and delighted everyone with samples of many-coloured heritage tomatoes, beans, lettuce seeds, and a few unusual seeds that even the experts didn't recognize.
The discussion continued, as everyone assembled in the large hall at Station 20 West, Saskatoon's innovative centre for healthy food. Our Annual General Meeting was held for members, all of whom will receive our 2013 Annual Report in the next edition of Seeds of Diversity magazine.
No Seeds of Diversity meeting is complete without good food, and Root Down Cooperative Catering did not disappoint! Our Friendraising dinner was an excellent way to greet new members, meet old friends, and talk about... what else - gardens. Even at 23 degrees below, gardeners keep talking like it's summer.
After food and friends, Bob Wildfong finished the evening with a presentation on Advanced Seed Saving. Population sizes, isolation distances, storage conditions, pollination, and all the gritty details of seed cleaning techniques. We never said you'd get dinner without having to learn something!
Thank you to everyone who attended our Saskatoon AGM and Friendraiser, and especially to the volunteers who did a wonderful job of organizing it.