Seedy Saturday is E.A.T. South’s annual seed swap. Everyone is welcome to bring seeds if you have extra and take seeds if you need them. You can bring seeds you’ve saved from your own plants or extra seeds you purchased. We will have markers, envelopes and baggies for taking seeds home, but we would love you to bring extra if you can. (Those little snack-sized baggies are great for seeds, too.)

What’s the seed swap like? We’ll have tables covered in seeds, hopefully organized by vegetable (volunteers needed to keep the seeds organized). E.A.T. South saved amaranth, marigold, dill and pigeon pea seeds to share. We also have seed packets donated by Whole Foods and purple sweet potatoes you can use to start your own slips.

We are inviting local garden groups like the Master Gardeners to share their expertise and enthusiasm for plants. We hope you’ll find make new friends or find a new place to learn or volunteer!

Snacks are likely.

Here are some seed swap suggestions:

1 - If your seeds aren’t in packets, clearly label the container they are in with the type of vegetable or flower (corn, marigolds), the variety if you know it (Sugar Queen, Zephyr, etc.), and the date you collected the seeds. If your seeds have a story like they came from your great grandma in Kentucky who grew them in 1901, include that, too! (We keep seeds in old spice jars, plastic containers with lids, and ziploc bags. These are all easy to label with most permanent markers.)

2 - Please bring seeds that are 2 years old or younger. The likelihood that seeds will sprout decreases over time. We want everyone to have success with their seeds.

3 - Store bought seeds are welcome! We are also guilty of buying more seeds than we have room to plant. Bring those extra seeds. Your neighbors will thank you.

4 - Bring seeds from non-poisonous plants. This would seem obvious when we’re talking about vegetables, but some flowers you can grow from seed (I’m looking at you Castor Bean) are downright deadly.

5 - If you don’t have seeds, that’s ok! There are always more than enough seeds for everyone.

See everyone on Seedy Saturday!