Westport, CT – On Thursday, March 9, the Westport Farmers’ Market will celebrate its best season to date by hosting their annual seed exchange.
“Collecting, sharing, and growing seeds saved by our very own shoppers, farmers, and vendors – especially heirloom varieties – involves the community personally in the promotion of local food and flora,” said Lori Cochran-Dougall, executive director of the WFM. “This year more than ever we want to seed the year with love and health.”
WFM values education. To support WFM's understanding of seed saving and the utmost importance this effort creates, WFM will have Dina Brewster from Eco59 speaking on the topic throughout the farmers’ market. Eco59 is a farmer-led seed collective from Connecticut. “An important part of the Eco59 mission is to heal a broken landscape. The systematic displacement of people, the destruction of the environment, and the consequent loss of abundance is a direct result of not honoring our relationship with the land around us. I view our work, growing ecotypic seed to restore native plants in the northeast, as a reminder of all that has been lost and all that we must work to restore," said Dina Brewster, Eco59 farmer.
The public is invited to bring seeds they have saved from their own gardens or simply take home a few saved by others. WFM farmers will donate seeds from their favorite crops for the community to try at home. All seeds, except those of invasive species*, are welcome, however, the market is requesting people to bring and take home heirloom or organic varieties.
“Heirloom seeds are critical to reclaiming of our food system,” continued Cochran-Dougall. “These are open-pollinated plants that have been passed down from generation to generation without human intervention or manipulation. They taste better, are more nutritious, and help protect plant diversity.”
The seed exchange will run from 10 to 2 (or until all seeds are shared) Thursday, March 9 at Gilbertie’s, 7 Sylvan Avenue, Westport. Experts will be on hand to informally discuss the importance of seed saving.
* For a list of plants considered invasive in Connecticut, please visit the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group at UConn here: https://cipwg.uconn.edu/invasive_plant_list/#
For more information, visit www.westportfarmersmarket.com, email director@westportfarmersmarket.com, and follow @westportfarmersmarket on FB, Instagram, and Twitter.