The first International Seed Library Forum will be held in Tucson, Arizona May 3-6, 2015, in an effort to further coalesce efforts by public libraries, non-profits, universities, and food banks to increase the quality and diversify the means of managing community seed resources with free or affordable access to low-income households.
Please register online at Eventbrite at your earliest convenience.
Sunday May 3 will include afternoon field trips and open houses, followed by a event at the Loft Cinema. This evening event will include a seed swap and the showing of the film Seeds of Time, with a special question and answer session with its featured seed activist, Cary Fowler.
Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th daytime sessions will be limited to 140 participants at the Joel Valdez Downtown Library, and involve plenary presentations, panel discussions and demonstrations.
Monday evening will feature a literary “seed reading” by poet Scott Chaskey and nature writer Gary Nabhan.
Tuesday’s daytime session will finish with a collective statement from participants about the future of seed libraries, followed by a celebratory event at Mercado de San Agustin, involving a tamale benefit in defense of native maize diversity,
Latin music and the release of the new Edible Baja Arizona magazine featuring seed libraries. Wednesday will involve farm visits and/or more technical seed trainings, to be announced.
This gathering will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the first National Heirloom Seed Conference in Saint Louis, which followed closely on the tails of the first forum regarding community access to seeds, Seed Banks Serving People, also held in Tucson. This particular meeting will also assist all involved in seed libraries to collectively address recent regulatory challenges to their operations in five states.
Local co-hosts include the University of Arizona Kellogg Program for Food and Water Security in the Borderlands; the Pima County Public Library system, Native Seeds/SEARCH and Edible Baja Arizona magazine. Other community partners, including the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, the Loft Cinema, the Mission Gardens of Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace and Mercado San Agustin have generously offered collaboration on special events.
Download this International Seed Library poster, Designed by Paul Mirocha, and pass the word about the forum!