Spring Into Gardening and Seed Library News
By Renee Penny, Kalkaska Conservation District
Now that spring has officially arrived, the Kalkaska Conservation District has recently organized a series of gardening-based events and seed exchanges, igniting enthusiasm and embracing spring fever. While it is a little too early to put plants in the ground, these events bring together all levels of gardeners to exchange seeds, knowledge, and stories.
On Saturday, March 23rd, the district organized its first-ever 'Spring Into Gardening' workshop in Rapid City at the Little Red Schoolhouse in partnership with Clearwater Parks & Recreation. Over 20 participants joined the District to learn about a variety of topics including seed starting, soil amendments, beneficial herbs, and pollinator-friendly plant species. Following the event, a community seed swap was held where folks eagerly traded gardening supplies and fruit, veggie, and flower seeds. Both events were a huge success and everyone left excited to find space in the garden plan for the new seeds they obtained.
The seed swap excitement continued as the District partnered with the Kalkaska County Library to host seed swap events at their new satellite library branches located at Coldsprings and Garfield Township Halls. Both events attracted many participants, further enhancing community engagement in gardening and seed-sharing activities. Both the District and the Library are certain more events will be planned at the satellite branches in the future.
For those who missed the events, there's no need to fret! The “Seed Library” at the Kalkaska County Library is now open and ready to serve as a resource for both seasoned and new gardeners. Similar to their literary counterparts, seed libraries offer a place for community members to borrow, grow, and return seeds at the end of the season. Of course, there are gardening-based library books that can be checked out too. The Library has plenty of books to learn about no-till gardening, permaculture, container gardening and so much more!
If you choose to participate in the seed library and share your abundance of seeds at the end of the growing season, staff kindly requests that seeds be returned dry and labeled with the variety grown, garden location, as well as your name and contact information. Seeds should be given to KCD or Library staff to ensure the smooth functioning (and cleanliness) of the seed library. These locally grown seeds will be repackaged and shared within the community to continue fostering resiliency in the garden and increased genetic diversity for the crops we grow.
Questions? Contact KCD staff at (231) 258-3307 or email renee.penny@macd.org.
The Kalkaska Conservation District helps people manage and protect local forests, water, and wildlife resources. We provide free, on-site land stewardship consultations, and a range of educational workshops, and sponsor important events like Hazardous Waste Collections and Tree Sales. This work is made possible by a local millage to support District operations.