College of the Rockies will host an organic vegetable seed production workshop at the Creston campus on Wednesday, July 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Demand for organic seed is increasing across North America and our region is one of many in BC that offer a great growing environment for seed crops,” said Andrena Heigh, College of the Rockies biology instructor. “On-farm seed production can bring additional revenue to a farm and help farmers to grow seeds optimally suited to their farm environment.”
The morning workshop will be led by long-time organic seed producer and founder of Stellar Seeds, Patrick Steiner, and FarmFolk CityFolk’s (FFCF) Chris Thoreau. Thoreau will present research and resources related to contract seed growing, seed enterprise budgets, and introduce the B.C. Eco Seed Co-op as a means of marketing seed crops.
In the afternoon, participants will accompany Steiner to a local farm where he will lead a walk through crops to look at selection, roguing, seed cleaning, and other important considerations when growing a seed crop. All attendees are asked to wear non-farm clothing, clean and sanitize any farm footwear, and to refrain from bringing tools or items that may be contaminated with soil on the farm visit in order to reduce the risk of importing disease or pests.
The fee to attend the Organic Vegetable Seed Production workshop is based on a pay-what-you-can model, ranging between $25 and $40. The cost includes lunch and morning beverages and snacks. Interested participants can register by going to www.eventbrite.ca and searching for organic vegetable seed production – Creston.
