Introduction to Seed Saving with Florentina Rodriguez

1870 Quaker Way,Wimington OH 45177

28 September, 2022

Description

This workshop will provide a brief overview of the history of seed saving and the current issues facing our food, seed, and farming systems that make learning and preserving this practice more critical than ever. Collecting seed stories and honoring communities of origin will also be addressed. Hands-on demonstrations covering basic selection and processing techniques, identification, labeling, storage, and utilizing seed libraries will be provided. Attendees will have the opportunity to take home a selection of open-pollinated, heirloom, and culturally significant seeds. About Florentina: Florentina became involved in seed saving when she attended Seed School at The Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice. This empowered her to start her community’s first seed library, The Yellow Springs Community Seed Library, which launched two locations this year. Her vision for a Community Seed Program was selected as one of six Sustainability Champion Projects through the Village of Yellow Springs Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. Florentina’s father is a native Chamorro, the Indigenous people of Guam, and she’s passionate about the power of seeds to connect people to their heritage and preserve traditional knowledge. Florentina is pursuing an EdD degree in Environmental and Sustainability Education at Antioch University and exploring the role of cultural memory in the endogenous development of biocultural and agroecological seed pathways. She currently engages in federal policy advocacy and supporting community seed work as the new Grassroots Coordinator for Organic Seed Alliance.