#RockportME - 2nd Annual SEED FEST

April 11 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

"The #RockportPublicLibrary will host its second annual SEED FEST on Saturday, April 11. This free, family-friendly event will take place on the upper and lower levels of the library. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., visitors can browse educational exhibits and activities covering #SeedStarting, #pollinators, #SoilHealth, #Composting, #NativePlants, #HeirloomVegetables, growing #rice and #grains in #Maine, #Wabanaki #FoodSovereignty, and much more!

"At 12:30 p.m., Petra Page-Mann of #FruitionSeeds will deliver an interactive keynote presentation. Page-Mann and her nonprofit seed company are strong advocates of 'gift culture,' which involves giving away seeds to promote food cultivation and community building. This ethos aligns perfectly with the theme of SEED FEST.

"The event is generously sponsored by the Rockport Library Foundation and is organized in partnership with several organizations, listed alphabetically: Herbal Hummingbird Hub, Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, Maine Grains and Maine Grain Alliance, Maine Heirloom Seed Network, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association [#MOFGA], #MaineRiceProject at Ararat Farms, #MerryspringNatureCenter, #Niweskok: From the Stars to Seeds, Roots n Shoots, #UMaineCooperativeExtension, and #WildSeedProject.

"The exhibiting partners will provide valuable information, hands-on activities, items for sale, and an abundance of free seeds and seedlings. Additionally, #midcoast artist Katharine Cartwright’s beautiful #BotanicalPaintings will be showcased in the library’s lower level for a month-long exhibition titled 'In My Garden.' "

FMI:
https://www.rockportlibrary.net/event/2nd-annual-seed-fest/

#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity #GrowYourOwnFood #GYO #IndigenousFoodSovereignty #FoodSovereignty #LibrariesRule #SeedFest #WabanakiFoodSovereignty #SoilIsLife

“A major #organic #seed company has surprised its supporters by announcing it will end sales and give hundreds of varieties away, declaring “we can no longer commodify our beloved kin, these seeds, or ourselves.”
…the couple who run #FruitionSeeds in upstate New York, said they’re letting go workers, stopping sales on Aug. 27 and relying on public goodwill — donations of money, talent and effort — to grow and distribute seeds on a $76,000 budget.”
https://apnews.com/article/gardening-fruition-seeds-new-york-organic-3244acb8a2930c8981ff878af150cfde
Seeds are gifts from nature, one organic producer says. It's ending sales and giving them away

An organic seed company with national reach has surprised its supporters by announcing it will end sales this month and give hundreds of varieties away. The owners of Fruition Seeds in upstate New York say seeds are a gift from nature and they don't want to commodify them. Instead, they envision giving seeds away and relying on public goodwill to keep things running. They hope those who support their idea will donate money, talent and effort. It's an experiment that has inspired some and bewildered others among Fruition's friends, family, customers and neighbors.

AP News