Aug 18, 2021
Minnesota field day will focus on growing regionally-adapted seed
The Organic Seed Alliance will co-host a field day 3-6 p.m. Sept. 1 at Riverbend Farm in Delano, Minnesota.
Participants will be trained on how to select, save, and sell regionally adapted varieties on their farm.
Greg and Mary Reynolds run Riverbend Farm, an organic vegetable operation that provides produce to restaurants, schools, and food co-ops, and through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, according to a news release from the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA). Greg Reynolds is an experienced seed grower who works to adapt the varieties he grows to his specific environmental conditions and changing climate.
Field day participants will learn directly from Reynolds and other seed experts, including Koby Jeshkeit-Hagen of Seed Sages and Julie Dawson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about how they make selections to improve or maintain crop varieties. Participants will also learn about how working with seed companies and universities can strengthen a farm operation. Topics and demonstrations will include region-specific seed saving techniques, useful tools for both small-scale and wholesale seed growers, and more.
This field day is being offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required at this link.
This event is made possible thanks to grant funding from the Minnesota Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.