Upper Valley Seed Savers

Welcome!
This workspace is for the Upper Valley Seed Savers to keep track of things we do.
We also hope that it is a useful resource for anyone who happens to come across it.
The easiest way to navigate this site is by following the links toward the bottom of this page.
Links with asterisks are a good place to start if you are a beginner seed saver.
Who We Are
The Upper Valley Seed Savers is a group of gardeners and farmers who meet monthly in an effort to increase our seed saving knowledge and create a local collection of seeds that would support a year-round food supply. We have varying degrees of seed saving and gardening experience. Some of us have large gardens where we grow much of our own food, some of us have small gardens where we grow whatever we can fit. Some have farms or businesses related to growing vegetables and seeds.
We do not have a central location where we keep our seeds. Each person is responsible for storing the seeds they grow. We have a yearly seed swap in December or January. This wiki represents an effort to keep track of the seeds we grow, of seed projects we are involved in, and to be a resource for the group and any others who are lucky enough to find us.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Upper Valley Seed Savers is to save seed of open-pollinated vegetable and herb varieties that have regional history, exceptional flavor, good storage capabilities, particular beauty, or are in danger of becoming unavailable commercially, and that contribute to a locally-grown, year-round food supply.
Goals/Vision
1. To develop and share our knowledge of seed saving
2. To identify and preserve open-pollinated varieties that thrive in our area
3. To build a collection of locally grown seeds that extend the season and help feed us year-round
4. To create a community-based seed saving network that will enhance our own community and serve as a model for other communities
Monthly Meetings
Winter: Starting in December this year, we'll be meeting from 1:30-3:30PM on the second Sunday of the month in the library/meeting room upstairs at the Upper Valley Food Co-op, 193 North Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont. Please use the back entrance and follow the signs.
Summer: 4:00 PM on 2nd Sunday of each month at members' gardens. Locations are decided at the beginning of the season.
We welcome new members to our meetings. Contact us uvseedsavers @ gmail.com
Next Hybrid Meeting on Sunday, February 9, 2025, 1:30-3:30
We'll be meeting in person in the upstairs library/meeting room at the Upper Valley Food Co-op, 193 North Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont, and we'll have a Zoom connection as well. Contact us for more information.
Future Meeting Dates
Mar 9
Apr 13
Other Seed Saving Events, News, and Things of Interest
Date: January 26, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Place: Cedar Circle Farm, 225 Pavillion Road, East Thetford, VT, 05043
Cost: Free, in partnership with Thetford Conservation Commission & West Fairlee Conservation Commission
Link to register: https://cedarcirclefarm.org/wintersowing
Tobi Schulman of Birds and Bee Native Plants and Brooke Fleischman of Intervale Center Conservation Nursery, co-host this hands-on demonstration workshop on winter sowing native trees and herbaceous perennial plants.
Participants will actively learn to propagate a variety of native species and, by the end of the workshop, will be equipped to propagate their own native trees and plants at home, enhancing their own gardens’ biodiversity and resilience.
Topics covered will include:
- A discussion of how a native plant is defined and why this definition is important ecologically.
- The big WHY—why we care and why we are doing this.
- What is cold stratification and how are we going to achieve this? What other methods could we use?
- Other seed dormancy issues that need to be considered: light dependence, darkness dependence, and scarification.
- Recommended resources for: finding species-specific information about germination requirements; and, where to buy seeds of straight species native plants, both local ecotype and from further afield when local sources are not available.
Participants will learn how to plant, care for, and overwinter their seeds, plus basic seedling care, from germination to transplanting into pots or garden spaces. Everyone will get to take home a pot of native tree and herbaceous perennial seeds, ready to overwinter and grow.
This workshop is ideal for gardeners of all levels looking to deepen their understanding of native plant propagation.
This workshop is part of the Cultivating Purposeful Gardens with Native Plants learning series with Tobi Schulman and the Woody Plants of Vermont: Native Seed Learning Series with Brooke Fleischman of the Intervale Conservation Nursery.
Take a tour of the seed bank at Native Seeds/SEARCH

Learn about the seed collection and seed bank at Seeds of Diversity

Follow these links to other pages on this site.
* SEED SAVING BASICS *
* RESOURCES *
* GLOSSARY *
SEED SAVING PROJECTS
GERMINATION TESTING
MEETING NOTES
MEMBERS' INDIVIDUAL SEED INVENTORIES
QUESTIONS
TABLE OF PLANT TYPES
STAPLE CROPS BY CATEGORY
RECIPES and COOKING IDEAS
GROWING SWEET POTATOES
HAND POLLINATION of SQUASH and CORN
CUCUMBER FROM FLOWER TO FRUIT
EGYPTIAN WALKING ONIONS
LOCAL HEIRLOOM PROJECT
HERITAGE AND LANDRACE GRAIN PROJECT
ARTICLES
MEMBER PAGES
PHOTOS
CONTACT US
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