June 10,  2010 – Captain Cook, Hawaii

The following press release was issued by the Kohala Center:

Farmers and gardeners interested in learning to grow, select, and save seed and in building food self-reliance resources are invited to the 8th Annual Hawai‘i Island Seed Exchange from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 19, at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook.

The exchange begins at 9 a.m. with a meeting to review the recent Hua Ka Hua—Restore Our Seed Symposium, which reignited a partnership statewide between farmers, gardeners, and professors and extension agents from University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and Hilo who attended. The next step is to form “seed working groups” around the island to share knowledge and network on variety trials and field days on farms and gardens.

“At the symposium, we also learned just how much knowledge has been lost regarding the growing, selecting, processing, and saving of any type of seed. Fortunately, the 100-plus farmers and gardeners who attended the symposium want to change the future of seed growing in Hawai‘i,” said Nancy Redfeather, Hawai‘i Island Seed Exchange coordinator and program director for The Kohala Center’s Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network.

The meeting will be followed by networking and the seed exchange, and a hands-on demonstration on “Growing, Selecting, Saving, and Cleaning Lettuce Seed,” by Redfeather, co-owner of Kawanui Farm. Persons interested in demonstrating other crops may contact Redfeather at 322-2801 or nredfeather@kohalacenter.org.

The event is free for anyone bringing seed, roots, cuttings, or huli of food crops to exchange. For anyone not yet a seed saver, there is a $10 fee. Cuttings and roots are welcome, but no potted plants, please, because of concerns about the little fire ants.

Bring a picnic or purchase lunch provided by the Lotus Café from 12-1 p.m.

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