The 3rd annual Prairie Sun Seed Festival will be held on February 23 from 1-4:30 pm at Yorkdale Central School in Yorkton. The festival brings together people interested in saving heirloom varieties of garden seeds, local food producers and suppliers and those with gardening expertise. They all share a passion for working towards increasing food security in Yorkton and the surrounding region. Admission is a non-perishable food item or cash donation for local food banks.

The seed swap table enables people to tell the story of seeds they bring for sharing. You are invited to drop seeds off when you arrive and then return later in the afternoon to choose ones you’d like to try. Bring your seeds in a container or envelope clearly marked with the name of the seed and any information you’d like to share with the recipient. Remember that seeds saved from hybrid plants will not be the same as the hybrid plant. Seeds from heirloom varieties will be accepted.

Exhibits by local food producers provide a chance to meet local growers and suppliers from our region and to learn about their products and operations. Heirloom seed sellers provide a wide variety of vegetable, fruit and flower seeds for customers. Other displays include Seeds of Diversity, Assiniboine Food Security Alliance, the Community Garden Alliance and the Yorkton Public Library. If you have old gardening magazines or books you no longer want, you are welcome to drop them off at the exchange table.

Workshops presented by local residents highlight the knowledge in our community and province. Jim Ternier, Prairie Garden Seeds will open the festival at 1pm. Jim is well known for his expertise in growing and saving seeds on his farms at St Peter’s Abbey in Muenster and at Cochin.

Workshops begin at 1:30 with Stacey Tress talking about Urban Permaculture. If you aren’t familiar with permaculture, then Stacey is the person to learn from. She is committed to growing food and using resources in a way that cares for our earth and to building neighbourhoods and communities that are more self-sustaining.

At 2:30 Bilkies McKen is back with another one of her popular demonstrations on food preservation. Bilkies is a well known educator, gardener and current president of the Canadian Federation of University of Women’s local club.

Linda Jones’s interactive presentation at 3:30 will show you how to turn garbage into good stuff.

She will demonstrate the value of composting by showing how it can reduce the amount of materials going to the landfill. You’ll learn how compost can improve the soil in your yard and garden. Several types of composters will be on display.

This is a family friendly event. While the workshops are underway, children can attend a story time and activities put on by the Library and the Boys and Girls Club.

The seed festival is a project of the Assiniboine Food Security Alliance (ASFA) and is supported by Sunrise Health Region, Public Health. It supports AFSA’s vision that all are living well with the gift of good food. It provides an opportunity for people to learn practical skills in growing food, food storage and protecting our environment. It is an example of the Health Region’s vision “Working together for healthy people in healthy communities.”

For more information contact Heather Torrie at 786-0604 or email heather.tor...@shr.sk.ca