It starts with a seed

Swaps, ag events bloom in March

By Scott Nicholson

The last frost approaches with each turn of the calendar, and local agricultural events are getting ready to sprout.

This Saturday, the High Country Growers School & Seed Swap takes place in Ashe County. Local gardeners and growers will be swapping heirloom varieties of seeds, roots, bulbs, and apple scion wood.

Again this year, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and partners are hosting the event at Family Central in Jefferson. The seed swap will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue through 3 p.m. All growers and gardeners are invited to bring a little of what they have grown and saved, and to take some new varieties home with them. Classes take place throughout the day on topics such as seed saving, organic gardening, and composting. A hands-on class on grafting apple trees will be offered by Ron and Suzanne Joyner of Big Horse Creek Farm.

The High Country Seed Swap and Growers School is free, though there is a charge for apple rootstocks. Beginners are encouraged to attend, even if they have no seeds to offer this year. The idea is to grow crops and bring seeds back in the years ahead.

For more information, call the Ashe County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension at (336) 846-5850. Directions to Family Central can be found at www.blueridgegraphics.com/acpc/map.asp

A second seed swap will be held Thursday, March 26, in conjunction with a local food summit.

The event, themed “Building Diverse Community Networks to Grow the Local Food Economy,” will be held at the Apple Barn in Valle Crucis from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The summit will feature presentations from Joel Salatin, Tim Will, and Tom Philpott and participants will explore ways to expand the local food network. Food will be served, and space is limited. For reservations, call (828) 262-7248 or visit susdev.appstate.edu.

The free seed swap will take place in the lower-level barn space that houses the Appalachian State University Agro-Ecology lab. The lab will be open from 8:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. All growers, gardeners and seed savers are welcome to bring what seeds they have to share and browse the available supply. People who register for the summit are welcome to participate in the seed swap at any time during the day.

In other regional agricultural events, the 16th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference will take place March 21 and 22 at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock.

The weekend workshops are for everyone from beginning gardeners to advanced commercial growers, with topics of sustainable living, alternative-energy options, cooking and food preservation.

Registration can be made online or via downloading a printable registration form at www.organicgrowersschool.org/store/120.

The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical Institute is hosting Small Farms Week on March 24 and 25, with rides available from Boone and scholarships available for small farmer.

NCA&T’s Small Farms Week includes a mix of educational sessions and networking opportunities.

For more information, e-mail extension agent Richard Boylan at richard_boylan@ncsu.edu.

On March 26, Joel Salatin will present “Ballet in the Pasture” on the ASU campus.

“Ballet in the Pasture” is a performance-art piece mixing humor, food-system analysis, photographs and information on small-farm production. Salatin is a third-generation farmer from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and Polyface, the family farm, has received national recognition.

The event is free and begins at 7 p.m. at Farthing Auditorium. It is presented by the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program at ASU with support from Mazie Jones Levenson. For more information, call (828) 262-7248 or visit susdev.appstate.edu/.