Gardeners gear up for growing as Seedy Sudbury 2024 set for Science North
Varieties being swapped successful in short growing season of Zone 3 where Sudbury is situated
The ground may still be frozen but the first event of the 2024 gardening season for many in Sudbury takes place this Sunday.
The annual seed swap has grown and is at Science North for the second year.
Rachelle Rocha, the main organizer of Seedy Sudbury, said volunteers have been busy sorting donated seeds that gardeners in the area have gathered. They'll be on offer for people to trade for seeds from their own gardens.
Rocha said this continuity is important because the varieties being swapped are proven to be successful in the short growing season of Zone 3 where Sudbury is situated.
"Really these are seeds that have been growing in Sudbury conditions for the last number of years," she said. "Some of these have been growing in Sudbury conditions for 50 years, so they really like it here."
Rocha encourages people to dig up whatever ground they can spare to grow their own food, even if it's just a few plants.
She said having local food matters for food security and quality.
"Who's going to guarantee that trucks coming from California have food for you? And the food that's come up from California, when it's been climate controlled in the back of a transport and sitting on a grocery store shelf, like how much life force is in that?"
Rocha admitted she grows food for herself mainly for taste but also her health.
She said she's been able to grow apples in Sudbury and it's even the topic of one of the short educational presentations that will be held at the event.
Rocha said she's heartened by the growth in popularity of the event.
She said it shut down and went online during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she estimated hundreds of people came out for the first in-person swap last year at Science North.
Rocha attributed that to a growth in beginner gardeners during the pandemic. She hopes its a trend that continues and is crossing her fingers for about a thousand participants this year.
She noted seeds that aren't swapped will go to the Main branch and Lively libraries where people can continue to exchange them in the coming weeks.
Peter Furino, one of the volunteers who helps sort seeds, grows flowers mainly, but said that helps out pollinators.
Furino doesn't grow vegetables but advocates for community gardens across the city.
"Volunteer a couple of hours a week, and you harvest all the beautiful fresh vegetables," he said.
There are dozens of community gardens across the city.
Seedy Sudbury 2024 will run between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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