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Seedy Saturdays and Speaker Series

Seedy Saturdays & Sundays are back! We are excited and energized by the news that these much beloved events are officially back in person (for the most part).

Take a look at this excerpt from our Seedy Saturday article this time last year: 

When you hear the words “Seedy Saturday”, what comes to mind? Prior to the pandemic, those words would likely have conjured images of people gathered around tables chatting about gardening while admiring and swapping packets of seeds. Now? Not so much, perhaps. Canada is a large and diverse country, so it’s impossible for me to generalize the experiences of everyone, nor would I want to make those kinds of assumptions. What I do know is that the traditional, longstanding Seedy Saturday format of bustling, lively venues remains an infeasible dream in many parts of the country. 

It seems that way of things is no longer the norm. Almost every single event we’ve heard about will be either fully or partially in person, meaning you can find an event in your community or region and see other people, face-to-face, to exchange seeds and learn about food and gardening. 

What’s also very exciting is the number of new events popping up across the country; so far, for 2023, we’ve been in touch with 11 new organizers starting up brand new events. Some are in communities with existing Seedy Saturdays, and some are in communities that have never had one before! We anticipate there could be up to 180 events from coast to coast these days, though it’s also likely that some didn’t survive the last two to three years. This means that some communities that previously had a Seedy Saturday/Sunday event may be without one for 2023.

See the current list of Seedy Saturday events on our new events page

The good news: It’s easier than ever to start up a Seedy Saturday or Sunday event in your community! Over the last few months, we’ve updated our online resources and have committed to offering seed packets, promotions, virtual planning sessions, kids’ resources and movie suggestions, and seed company information each and every year. 

Our virtual planning sessions this season focused on topics like: 

• Fundraising strategies 

• How to run a seed exchange 

• Drawing in the broader community 

• Sourcing vendors and speakers 

Are you interested in starting up a Seedy Saturday in your community but aren’t sure where to begin? Get in touch! seedysaturdays@seeds.ca 

Finally, let’s touch on one other thing we’ve been doing the last couple of years to support these events…. 

Seedy Saturday Speaker Series 

While we are ecstatic to know that Seedy Saturdays and Seedy Sundays are able to run in person again, we also recognize that the move to virtual programming during COVID allowed some folks to attend who aren’t otherwise able to for a variety of reasons - accessibility challenges at venues, lack of transportation, lack of events nearby, etc. 

In light of this, we’ll be continuing with our online Seedy Saturday Speaker Series each year, even if the value for Seedy Saturday organizers is diminishing. The original intention of these presentations was to supplement events’ virtual programming, seeing as most events operate on a shoestring budget. But there’s other value to these, too, isn’t there? For all of you, at home, looking for some interesting, educational content to inspire this year’s gardening and seed saving adventures. 

So, what are you waiting for? There are already 14 presentations available right here and we’ll be adding four more in May - pollinators, organic seeds, regenerative agriculture, and how to start a seed library.

Back to January 2023 Newsletter