The 8th edition of the Seed Festival will indeed be back this year, after two years of absence during the pandemic. It will be on Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the basement of the Catholic church at 4 Randboro Road, in the Sawyerville sector of Cookshire-Eaton. The Sawyerville Community Garden invites all gardening enthusiasts as well as those interested in learning more about different farming methods to attend. This edition will bring together four speakers, four seed companies, and several producers and artisans from the MRC du Haut-Saint-François.
Several topics will be discussed during the presentations, but all will have a direct link with seeds and various crops. Starting at 10 a.m., Chantal Parent will talk about insomnia, its possible causes, and plants that promote sleep. The Maraîchers de l’or vert will follow with a presentation on winter cultivation, while Les Hôtes Épinettes will present, at 1:15 p.m., different methods and techniques of indoor seeding for the next growing season. The speeches will end with one by the Jardins des Bocages farm about microbiota, superfoods and living soils, starting at 3 p.m.
Camille Lussier and Dominique Guay of the vegetable farm Les Hôtes Épinettes will also offer, at 2 p.m., a workshop on the preparation of seedlings and soil. Participants will be able to leave with a few seedlings of their choice that will have been planted on site during the workshop.
The seed companies who will attend are Les jardins féconds de Kélanie, Au jardin d’Edem, Mycoflor and La Ferme La Marjolaine. They will offer visitors various ancestral and Quebec seeds, mainly varieties that are not available from large commercial suppliers. A seed company selects, produces and distributes seeds for their users, who are essentially farmers or individuals. This event promotes education and the sharing of information about seeds and crops that are deemed to be ecological.
A choice of soup, bread from Les pains d’Aurélien, cheeses, coffee and dessert will be served on site, at a cost of $10 per person, and free for children age 5 and younger.
“Getting involved in the garden is my way of volunteering, which is in line with my principles and my way of life. We continued to work in the garden even during the Covid pandemic, respecting the health norms in force, but this is a return of the seed festival, since 2020, and we are very happy about it. This event also allows us to let people know about our Garden and promote the market attached to it,” explained Jeanette Thériault, secretary on the Board of Directors of the Sawyerville Community Garden and member of the Seed Festival committee.