A day of enrichment and revitalization devoted to the theme of seeds is planned for the Ramana hotel complex in Sawyerville on Saturday, February 18. Some 150 or 200 persons are expected for the Seed Festival. The event is organized by the Sawyerville Community Garden.
The Garden's president, Chantal Bolduc, invites the public to participate in the various activities that will take place between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the hotel. On the program are different presentations, most of which are offered by experts from our region: Dominique Guay of the Ferme des Hôtes Épinettes, Renaud-Pierre Boucher of the Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA), and Gérald Charbonneau of Forestina and the Gomme de sapin du Québec (GSQ), for example. Daniel Labonté is to speak about superfoods, and Richard O'Breham is to discuss the cultivation of mushrooms. A number of kiosks and workshops will offer the opportunity to learn more. "For those who want to prepare their garden plan, this is the place specifically to do that," said Bolduc. A workshop in the afternoon will offer advice on to how to define your vegetable garden, and a table will be earmarked for seed exchanges.
Semences Écoumène, Mycoflor, and Seeds for Life, are three seed providers that will be there. Many non-GMO varieties, both heritage and organic, will also have a place among the great diversity of seeds to be offered. For the public, it's a great opportunity to discover the wide choice ranging from our more usual vegetables to the rarer varieties, such as the white beet or strawberry-spinach, said Bolduc. Hard-to-find special tools will also be on sale. Among them is the grelinette broad fork with five or six teeth, floating row covers, and marker-planters for garlic and leeks, all of which the Community Garden sells. "These are tools that are sought-after, and we are lucky to have them here in Sawyerville," the president explained. A meal at a very reasonable cost will be served, prepared with local ingredients.
The Seed Festival is one activity among so many others organized by the Sawyerville Community Garden, such as a public market, various workshops, and the seed savers' group. Its mission is to encourage a sense of belonging in the community, to develop an educational component, to encourage sustainable development, and to sensitize people to the long-term protection of the environment, said Bolduc.
The public is warmly invited to the Seed Festival. Those who wish to participate in helping the day go smoothly, or to have more information, may contact Chantal Bolduc at 819-889-3196 or chantalbolduc99@bell.net.
