[I highly recommend checking this out at as there is some really amazing seeds that can be purchased that are perfect for the Calgary climate! Plus with these seeds and a bit of saving you can reuse them unlike those crappy ones you buy at the store]
Mark it on your calendar and don’t miss out!
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007, from 10 am to 3 pm
Location: Montgomery Community Centre – 5003 16th Ave NW (Hwy 1 and Home Road)
Admission $2.00 – We accept Calgary Dollars
Come together with prairie gardeners and seed savers to buy, sell, or trade seeds and gardening know-how. This family event will have displays by local seed savers, prairie seed companies, native plant collectors, conservation groups, community gardeners, organic growers; as well as, a seed exchange table, refreshments, presenters, entertainment, and a kids corner. Come get open-pollinated seeds and talk with local farmers and gardeners. Set yourself up for a terrific gardening season!
Let’s keep the skill of growing from seed to seed alive in Calgary. As large commercial seed companies consolidate and only offer more hybrids and patented varieties, we increasingly lose the regionally adapted collections that have developed for our unique prairie climate. Help maintain this irreplaceable genetic diversity by growing non-hybridized, open-pollinated varieties. Discover the superior taste of heirloom varieties of vegetables. Learn to save seeds and share them with your neighbour. As you grow them season after season they will adapt and grow that much healthier!
If you don’t do it, who will?
Check out http://www.uofc-garden.ca for more deets or contact Lindsay at 244-9606 for more info.
This event is hosted by the U of C Campus Community Garden and Calgary Dollars.
4 comments
Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 23:42 pm
alison
Hi Shane
I am about to start trying to grow some veges, but know nothing. And am in Australia not Calgary. Can you tell us more about what’s wrong with store bought seeds or a site where I can learn more?
Love your blog- just discovered it.
Alison
Monday, March 19, 2007 at 14:08 pm
Shane Bill
Alison – Yeah to growing your own veggies that is so freakin important! See growing is pretty easy especially considering you live in OZ (where I am right now). One friend I had actually planted pumpkin seeds in her boulevard where they weren’t using the space for anything. After a good month it has turned into a huge HUGE plant. It’s great cause the soil is ideal there and really moist.
Ok. To answer your question. Store bought seeds are good bought harvested seeds are better. The reason being that the store bought seeds now a days are generaly GMO even the ones labelled organic. They are setup to not produce fruit bearing (read: you can’t use the seeds another year to produce another years worth of food or known as terminator seeds).
To find local seed savers just contact someone at a local community garden (this might be a good start). They should know about Seedy Saturdays or where you can get some seeds to use at home. Deets on seed saving can be found here.
Now being that I’ve made two gardens in the past it’s good to do a little research. Like flowers that you can plant near your food to encourage little critters like dragon flies and butterflies to come eat bad insects. But don’t stress to much about it. It’s tonnes of fun and some things are ubber easy to make like pumpkin, squash (you call it pumpkin), potatoes, carrots, herbs, … But when you get hooked up with a community garden they should be able to give you the FYI on what is good to plant during this season.
YEAH to producing your own food Alison! Do it up! Thanks for the props on my website I appreciate that heaps. Let me know if you need more.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 10:47 am
Jackson (from SMART)
Just want to drop a note and say hi!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 11:14 am
Shane Bill
woot woot Hey Jackson it’s nice to hear from you! Hope life is treating you well man!
Peace
Shane