The Great American Seed Up amounts to North Phoenix Baptist Church for its first live event since March 2020. The seventh Great American Seed Up is scheduled for October 1-2. For the first time ever, the event will feature a live stream on fb.com/GreatAmericanSeedUp with the host Terra Rose Ganem of Shining planet.
This unique and popular ‘pop up’ seed bazaar offers well-known garden varieties in a bulk seed format where customers can collect as many seeds as they want from buckets of popcorn. A simple tally sheet and properly sized teaspoons or cup sizes allow customers to quickly record the number of servings they have picked up and move on to the next variety. This one-of-a-kind purchase option eliminates the high costs of packaging, printing and shipping, so seed can be reduced significantly.
With the onset of this global pandemic, home gardening and seed sales soared as more than 20 million novice gardeners took a trowel for the first time, pushing the ranks of U.S. gardeners to over 63 million. , according to Bonnie Plants CEO Mike Sutterer.
Dwarf bean, Blue Lake
“The need for seed education grew rapidly as a new awareness blossomed, making it more evident than ever that true sustainability begins with seeds saved in your own garden – not from a catalog from afar, â€said Greg peterson owner of Urban farm and co-founder of the Great American Seed Up.
When the pandemic wiped out a live event last year, Seed Up coordinators grabbed this online bulk seed opportunity. Since then, the group has regularly offered Seed Up Saturday educational platforms in conjunction with the seed sale, always emphasizing the importance of seed conservation.
Watermelon, Crimson Sweet
Whether online or in person, the seeds sold at Seed Up are locally bred and heirloom, meaning they breed “true to type” and are known for their adaptability to different regions and climates. These qualities provide an excellent seed store from which to store seeds. Regardless of which gardeners can grow in their area with seeds from any other company, they can successfully grow from Seed Up, but at a significantly reduced cost.
Seed varieties include a large number of proven vegetables, herbs, beans, greens, grains and flowers, including some newcomers to Seed Up. This year Morris Collards, Florida Highbush Aubergine, Southern Giant Curled Mustard, Yellow Sweet Spanish Utah Onion, Black From Tula Tomato and a new Marigold Mix will join the wonderful lineup of choices.
Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson
Additionally, the Great American Seed Up offers a myriad of virtual workshops and presentations to choose from. All education will be available online, allowing Seed Up to focus on efficient timelines during the event, minimizing contact and allowing social distancing. New this year, Seed Up will host a live virtual question-and-answer session so everyone has the chance to have their seed questions answered.
For those not nearby to join the Seed Up in person, generously portioned seed lots can be purchased online at www.greatamericanseedup.org.