From the survey, the “Seeds for Life” Committee was formed and it continues to grow. If you would like to receive news from the group, don’t hesitate to contact the GDDPC.
In addition, the survey allowed us to develop an inventory of seeds that are available to share in the region. If you would like to offer or receive some seeds, please contact the GDDPC who will put you in contact with the various producers.
Two documentaries were produced in collaboration with two families that have been saving their seeds for many years. The video launch was held on November 18th, 2015, in Cocagne. You can watch the documentaries here
On January 23rd, 2016, a workshop on saving seeds and wild edible plants was presented. Presenters Gilberte Doelle from Wild Rose Farm and Silvana Castillo and Dottie Alt from La Finquita were excellent and many questions were asked by the participants. You can find their presentations and other documents here:
- Seed Saving
- Foraging for Food and Medicines in the Wild
- Seeds from Wild Plants
- The Value of Wild Edibles
The “Seeds for Life” project was also presented to the Cocagne Municipal Council. We wish to collaborate at the level of the municipal emergency plan because we are persuaded that it is essential for survival that we foresee a food depot and seed bank.
Once a year, on the first Thursday in March, a seed exchange takes place in collaboration with Transition Cocagne and the “In Giardino” garden club from Grande-Digue.
All activities are being made possible thanks to volunteers and Seed Committee partners. Thank you so much for your amazing commitment!
Do you plan to save your seeds next season?
As our reference, we have used “How to save your own seeds” (available at GDDPC, 15$), because it’s really nicely made for both beginners and more advanced seed savers. Explanations, distance requirements and instructions are included to guide you in this rewarding activity. You will help preserve biodiversity, control your food supply, exchange your seeds with others and save money on your future orders of seeds!
To be able to successfully save seeds, you have to follow some simple rules. To save “pure” seeds means that those will produce exactly the same fruit or vegetable as their parents and they were not pollinated by others varieties for 50 years or more. They are designated as Heirloom or Heritage seeds. Look for packages of seeds that mention they are “Heirloom” seeds. Heirloom seeds are also available from companies that specialize in saving them.
It's important to respect a distance between varieties, for example, if you plant tomatoes, you need to have 15 meters (50 feet) between varieties.
We have made cards to start your “production” of seeds. You can start seed saving with one or two vegetables and as you get more comfortable, you could add more the next year. These cards are just a brief overview of the more detailed explanations in “How to save your own seeds” compiled and published by Seeds of Diversity Canada.
In addition, we have a library of seed tools and you can borrow these tools for a fee of $5 and a $20 deposit that will be returned to you when you return the equipment:
- One set of sieves (8 sizes)
- A wind column air separator that can be borrowed to clean seeds from our gardens and farms
