GALLERY: Gardeners promote food security at Seedy Saturday

Seed suppliers, farmers, and gardening experts came together at United Baptist Church today for the annual Seedy Saturday.

Hosted by the Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society ahead of the 2024 growing season, the event ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and included a seed exchange, vendors, exhibitions, presentations, children’s activities, and refreshments.

Seedy Saturday, which has been running for more than 20 years, encourages locals to save and share seeds and invites attendees to browse from a number of local and out-of-town seed producers.

Guest speakers on Saturday included Mary MacLachlan from Deertree Apiary, Chris Wilding from Wilding Acres, local gardener Cindy Ellen Crawford, and Lindsey Palumbo from Superior Gardener.

In a news release, SSM Horticultural Society president Andrea Aubertin said her team is hoping to encourage residents to save seeds “because it is an important practice in building food security.”

"By saving seeds from rarer plants, we ensure a greater diversity of species, otherwise our future may only have a few varieties of seeds that are only bred for high production value; we do not want to lose varieties which have more unique characteristics such as better taste, interesting colour, or unusual texture,” Aubertin noted.

The SSM Horticultural Society’s membership has grown to more than 200 members.

12-month memberships are $15, which will provide gardeners with discounts at several gardening centres across the Algoma region.

The next Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society event will be the Plant Sale, held at the Parks Canada Canal Greenhouse on Saturday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information, readers can visit the SSM Horticultural Society’s social media page or their website.