Seed Swap Day

Seed Swap Day is The Last Saturday in January

It's almost time to start planting things for the spring! The best way to diversify your garden is to organize a seed swap with all your friends who garden. Get your friends together and have everyone bring their best seeds to trade around. You'll each leave with seeds you may not have ever gotten otherwise. This is only the official date of the holiday. You can host your seed swap on whatever day you want!

Seed diversity is essential to agricultural health, and there are many groups who fight to keep this diversity alive. At the Seed Savers’ Exchange, their mission statement reads: “We’re a nonprofit that conserves and promotes America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.”

Recognizing seed diversity is one thing, but we have to act on it, too. In 2006, Kathy Jentz hosted the first official “seed swap” in Washington D.C. to encourage her community to keep their gardens thriving.

Celebrate Seed Swap Day

• Listen to this interview with Kathy Jentz
• Learn how to swap seeds with this DIY guide
• If you don’t have a garden, start one!
• If you can’t start a garden, visit a local farm and learn more about produce in your area
• Buy organic produce to show you care about seed diversity
• If you’re already garden savvy, here’s how to organize a seed swap