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Savor More Seed Saving in a Natural Awakenings Article
- Bob Benenson
- 2 minutes ago
- 1 min read
January 31 is National Seed Swap Day
Hopefully, Local Food Forum's story on Chicago-area seed swaps — published Wednesday (January 21) — made you hungry for more. Fortunately, Natural Awakenings Chicago has an excellent deeper dive about the whole seed-saving phenomenon in its January issue.
The article informs that there is a National Seed Swap Day, and it's coming right up:
"This year, National Seed Swap Day is celebrated on January 31. The annual observation began in 2006 after Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener Magazine organized a midwinter seed exchange that helped spark a national movement. While gardeners have always exchanged seeds informally, the day created a shared moment for communities across the country to come together, trade seeds and reconnect with the promise of a new growing season.
"On its website, Seed Savers Exchange describes seed swaps as a simple and effective way to preserve heirloom varieties and keep regional favorites in circulation. Gardeners bring seeds they have saved from previous seasons or extra packets they won’t use and exchange them with others. In doing so, they help protect plant diversity, support resilient local gardens and ensure varieties that might otherwise be lost continue to thrive."
Click the button below to get the whole article, which includes a text list of Chicago region seed swap events.
And click below to get the Local Food Forum piece, which includes a seed swap heat map shared by University of Illinois Extension Cook County.