Seedy Sunday is back at the Local Community Food Center

The popular Seedy Sunday is returning to the Local Community Food Center with a focus on soil health and home gardens.

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At the event, which runs Feb. 25 from 10 am to 1 pm, attendees can expect a full three hours of learning about agriculture and sustainable gardening practices, all while participating in a seed exchange with seed packs made by the Local’s Green Team.

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This is a drop-in event, so attendees do not need to sign up before hand. They only need to be prepared with questions and be ready to learn about all things gardening.

“The day is for anyone interested in healthy food and learning more about implementing change in our community,” said Lucas Tingle, garden educator at the Local. “We need to rethink gardening. We want to focus on growing healthier, more sustainable food.”

During the event, there will be a speaker series starting at 10:30 am in which three experts will discuss home and large-scale gardening topics. Tingle says the panel of speakers will be of interest to anyone curious about growing healthy, locally grown food or having a future in which their kids can have access to healthy food.

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Spencer Zehr from AG Soil will discuss soil sampling for the home gardener; Wolfgang Pfenning from Pfenning’s Organic & More will speak on organic growing and soil-health strategies; and Sophie Foster from Rising Roots Farm will discuss ecological gardening for the home gardeners.

Among the speakers, there will also be 12 unique local vendors, including the Stratford and District Horticultural Society, the Stratford and Area Master Gardeners, and the Stratford Public Library, along with others who can answer questions about worm fermentation, soil sampling, seeds and much more.

“There will be vendors there with products relevant to the day who can answer any questions. If they can’t, they will know who to put you in touch with,” Tingle said. “If people want to get a soil sample for the home garden, kits will also be available.”

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This year, the Local Community Food Center will also operate a special Sunday Market for everyone to stop in and pick up fresh, local produce at reduced costs. The market is also open on weekends for those looking for healthy food at a good price.

Lucy Dillinger, a Local Community Food Center community chef, is fixing up a grab-and-go lunch attendees can bring home or eat while they listen to the speaker series.

For more information, visit the Local Community Food Centre’s Facebook page or stop in at the Local and chat with the friendly staff.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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