Next Meeting, June 20

Hi Everyone


I trust your gardens are growing!!
Reminder that our meeting is this coming Sunday, June 20.

11:30 potluck and discussion at the Johnson's Landing Hall.

Tours of 3 very different gardens to follow.

See you then.

Kate

Tomato Pollination

Check out the great link that Mary has forwarded.

Next Meeting

Our next seed savers meeting is at 12:00, Saturday, May 15, at the Argenta Community Hall. The location changed due to prior booking of the Lardeau Hall, but is going ahead at the new time and day as we decided at the last meeting.
On the agenda is looking at nature's signs as indicators of weather/ planting times (called Phenology, a technique you may already be using), starting a data bank of varieties each of us is growing, and a seed exchange (bring seeds if you have them and containers /pens)

And, of course, our usual great potluck.

See you there

Kate

Discussion in Meadow Creek

There will be an interesting discussion which you might like to participate in on Thursday, April 8, 7 PM, Lardeau Valley Hall in Meadow Creek. Farmers/gardeners are invited to discuss climate change - what changes have been observed in the recent past; what might the future hold in terms of temperature, frost dates, water availability, etc.; what needs to happen to ensure agricultural sustainability.

Next Meeting = April 11th Argenta Hall

Hi Seed Savers/Gardeners

Each day I seem to make a different decision about whether to put my pea and lettuce seeds in the ground, and the cool days tell me I'm right on schedule - that is, slowly prepping, with nothing yet planted. I hope your garden is coming along and you are thinking about the seeds you will save come autumn.

Our next meeting is Sunday, April 11, 11:30, at the Argenta Hall with a potluck lunch. Last meeting we all agreed that one day at month for our meeting was time well spent. Soon we will spend some of our meeting touring each others' gardens.

A peek at the agenda:

AI 101 - a close look at the "perfect" flowers of the Annual Inbreeders; who they are, why they do what they do and how to save their seeds.

Brassicacae and Cucurbitaceae 202 - the why and wherefore and planning for seed saving these families

PL 303 - really good food!!

Thought-provokers:

Mary is still looking for people to trial heritage wheat seeds.

Perhaps you have some space for this carefree crop.

I have received initial funding for our group and have applied for resource money. Would you like to sit on a purchasing committee?



Happy digging

See you next week

Kate

Some good info ~ Bill C474

This is also being emailed from Kate.

Happy Spring

Thanks to all that came and helped reclaim the garden.

Kathy and Al

Fine Print

Click on this link to see what some of the fine print is saying on our seeds.  It takes a keen eye to stay ahead of companies like Monsanto.

Hello Everyone

Sunday, March 21, 11:30, Lardeau Valley Community Hall (Meadow Creek) with Potluck lunch.

Guest speaker: Roy Lake will talk about preparing the garden. Come with your questions for this long-time master gardener to help answer.

Getting down to the dirt: After Roy's discussion we will all go to Kathy and Al's garden to do some hands-on preparation of a garden bed, with Roy talking of the specifics as they are unearthed. Bring shovel, rake, gloves, etc.

Also on the agenda will be setting a new time for Lardeau Valley Seed Savers to meet, as I suspect everyone will want to use the daylight hours for working their own gardens. What time works best for you?

Kate

Seed Savings Basics

 If you would like a copy of this full 13 page guide in pdf format, email me at alan@alansmithdesign.com .

About Saving Seeds

A FOOD CHAIN RADIO RELEASE FROM METROFARM.COM


Where there were many seed companies, there are now but few. Their consolidation of the gene pool leads us to ask…

Why save the many when a few might do?

This Saturday at 9am Pacific, Michael Olson’s Food Chain Radio hosts John Torgrimson, Editor, Seed Savers Exchange, for a conversation about saving heirloom seeds.

Topics include how heritage seeds differ from hybridized and engineered seeds; why some believe it is important to save the genetics embodied in heirloom seeds; and how heirloom seeds can be saved and exchanged.

Listen on your radio, computer or IPOD: Food Chain Radio

Free Seeds

Hello Everyone

We've been talking about a 'seed exchange' to happen at our next meeting, Feb 21. It's more a distribution of seeds that have been saved. Many of you do not have seeds to 'exchange' but come prepared to take some seeds home.

See you Sunday at the Argenta Hall, and don't forget the Soil Workshop Saturday, 2-4, Lardeau Valley Hall.

Cheers
Kate

Soil Analysis Workshop for Gardeners

Soil Workshop
Date: Saturday, Feb 20th
Time: 2-4pm
Place: Lardeau Valley Community Hall,
Meadow Creek
Cost: it's FREE!
Prebook: Call Maureen 366-4694

Bring along a shovel's depth sample
*One sample per person (they'll try to do more samples if time allows).

The workshop is organized by the 'Lakehead Produce' group (Greenhouse Project) and will be hosted by Roy & Jane Lake's daughter Margaret, and her husband, Kevin Murphy (soil scientist), who have extensive farming experience in this valley.

The first meeting

LVSS had it's first meeting Jan 17th.  The following are some highlights:

Future Discussion Topics

1. Seed Saving Basics
2/ Segregating plants to avoid cross pollination
3. Shared crop production
4. Soil Building/Improving
5. Green Manures
6. Plant nutrients - needs and sources
7, Plant/Soil pests and diseases
8, Plant Identification
10. Quality control of seeds
11. Methods of organizing and documenting
12. Preparing the ground
13. Invasive plants
14. Guiding principles for growing conditions/soil

Long Term Goals


1. Produce seeds
2. Seed cleaning machine
3. Seed storage facility
4. Establish seed band
5. Soil health/gardening techniques
6. Resource Library
7. Aim for self-sustainablity