Let's Get Seedy

Words heard just before entering this past weekend's much anticipated "Seedy Saturday on a Sunday" event at Toronto's Wychwood Barns.

The usual suspects were present: Urban Harvest, Greta's, The Cottage Gardener, and the like, selling their organic, rare, heirloom and mostly edible plant seeds. But there were quite a number of small seed vendors, a welcome change from last year. I bought dill seeds for my balcony from Wall Flower Studio, and 'merveille de quatre saisons lettuce' seeds from Wildsome Gardens and mache seeds from the Riverdale Meadow Community Garden for a gardener pal. I also picked up greenheaded coneflower and cup plant seeds from the seed exchange tables, for a guerilla gardening experiment. Most artful seed packet prize goes to Urban Tomato Seeds, and photography prize to the person who always forgets their camera goes to moi.

Not to be overlooked were the community and activist groups also present at the event. These organizations work with fire in their hearts and sweat on their brows to build and maintain local and global food security systems. I now know that USC Canada created an animated film called "The Story of Food" to teach the public about our food system, the Riverdale Meadow Community Garden has plots available, and Not Far From The Tree taps maple syrup in the city. Seeds for your brain.

Pay-What-You-Can was also a clear theme, making the event and its information and wares accessible to all cash-brackets.

Let's all get seedy.