Toward a GE Free Comox Valley on March 1 offers something for everyone interested in gardening, growing food, saving seeds, building soil and having fun.
The Community Seed Exchange and Horticultural Trade Show starts at 10 a.m. at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay.
More than 45 vendors and exhibitors will have what you need to stop dreaming about the garden and really get your hands dirty. Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers will have thousands of locally grown and saved open-pollinated seeds to trade and buy.
Keynote speakers at 1:30 p.m. are Dirk Becker and Nicole Shaw, well-known for their urban farming battle to grow food in Lantzville and for creating the successful Bowen Road Farmers' Market in Nanaimo.
They also published Synergy Magazine for 10 years and hosted a radio program — both of which were dedicated to living more consciously.
They turned what was essentially a gravel pit into an oasis teeming with plant and animal life.
Other speakers will offer their tips and travails and expert information on Growing to Save Seeds (Ellen Rainwalker); Urban Permaculture (Elaine Codling); The Co-evolution of Flowering Plants & Bees (Gordon Hutchings); Growing Food & Growing Community (Diane McLean – Dawn to Dawn Community Gardens); A Young Farmer Panel featuring Moss Dance of Merville Organics, Jay Baker-French of The Birds & The Beans and Roderick Lane of Forbidden Fruit Farm.
Other attractions include the Seedy Café and the Children’s Activity Area with crafts and childminding.
Friday night, in the Lower Native Sons Hall in Courtenay, Coun. Harold Steves of Richmond will present his personal and professional story at 7 p.m. The event is supported by LUSH Valley, GE Watch Comox Valley and Eatmore Sprouts.
Harold will speak about his participation in the creation of Richmond as a GE-Free Zone — the challenges, the steps and the accrued benefits to the city and her farmers and residents.
The admission fee for Friday night includes Seedy Saturday the next day.
Seedy Saturday is CVGSS’ primary fundraiser for the year so they can offer ongoing education and information to the community.
The event takes place with the generous support of Coastal Community Credit Union, Downtown Courtenay BIA, Eatmore Sprouts, Edible Island, Sea Soil, Quality Foods, LUSH Valley, GE Watch Comox Valley and 100 wonderful volunteers.
Visit www.cvgss.org for a full list of speakers, vendors & exhibitors, and activities.
— Seedy Saturday