WINLAW, PRINCE GEORGE, BC: Seed Production Workshops

Demand for organic seed is increasing across North America and many regions of BC offer a great growing environment for seed crops. On-farm seed production can bring additional revenue to your farm and help you grow seed optimally suited to your farm environment.

SEED PRODUCTION WORKSHOPS WITH PATRICK STEINER

Join long-time organic seed producer and founder of Stellar Seeds, Patrick Steiner, for these seed production workshops and field days in Winlaw (July 15) and Prince George (July 10 & 11). These workshops include both classroom and field time as Patrick covers the fundamentals of seed production in the classroom and then takes us out to the field to look at seed and vegetable crops in the ground.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

Self- and cross-pollinating crops and pollination mechanisms
Annual and biennial seed crop production
Maintaining genetic integrity:
- Population sizes
- Isolation distances
- Isolation structures
Seed Processing
- Wet-seeded crops
- Dry-seeded crops
Scale-appropriate equipment
Seed storage
Seed contracts and financial planning
Seed production support resources in BC

Both workshops include farm visits to see seed crops in the ground and to discuss selection, roguing, and crop maintenance.

ORGANIC VEGETABLE SEED PRODUCTION: INTRO & ADVANCED WORKSHOPS IN PRINCE GEORGE, BC

WHEN: July 10th, 1pm to July 11th, 5pm

WHERE: UNBC, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC

NOTE: Please read the section on Farm Hygiene at the end of this post before attending—thank you!

INTRODUCTION TO SEED PRODUCTION

WHEN: July 10, 1-5 pm

WHERE: UNBC classroom

This beginner level class on seed saving provides an introduction to or refresher on the basics of botany, plant reproduction and genetics that successful seed savers need to know. The focus will be on crops that are well suited for seed production in northern climates and techniques to maximize seed production in short-season areas.

Level: Beginner
This workshop can be taken on it’s own or as a prerequisite for the intermediate/advanced class on Day 2.
Light snacks included

INTERMEDIATE SEED PRODUCTION FOR REGIONAL ADAPTATION

WHEN: July 11 – 9-12 pm at UNBC classroom

WHERE: 1-5 pm at Hope Farm Organics

In the afternoon join Andrew Adams at Hope Farm Organics to take a first hand look at how the selection process can work in the field and learn about the seed crops grown and regional adaptation work Andrew has been doing on his farm just north of Prince George.

Level: Intermediate/advanced.
Beginner seed savers are welcome to attend Day 2 if they attend the Intro Class first
Coffee and bagged lunch included
Transport to the farm site available
Please dress for weather and bring water for the field portion of the workshop

Course instructor: Patrick Steiner has been growing organic seeds for close to two decades, and operating his own seed company Stellar Seeds, for the past seventeen years. He farms in the mountainous West Kootenays in British Columbia, where he balances the work of producing seeds and running a seed business with equally important work in local food security issues.

Contract growing & seed enterprise budgets: Shauna MacKinnon is a coordinator for FarmFolk CityFolk’s BC Seed Security Program and has a specialization in economic and market research.

On farm guide & speaker: Andrew Adams is a Prince George area farmer and seed grower who is developing regionally adapted varieties of vegetables to improve yield and boost food security in northern regions. Andrew will be leading a tour of his farm and speaking about the crops and varieties he has been adapting to northern growing conditions through selection and seed production.

Event Questions? Email shauna@farmfolkcityfolk.ca

COMMERCIAL ORGANIC VEGETABLE SEED PRODUCTION WORKSHOP – WINLAW, BC

WHEN: July 15th 9-4pm

WHERE: Valley Kitchen & Crooked Horn Farm, Winlaw, BC (see agenda below for details)

Event Questions? Email chris@farmfolkcityfolk.ca

NOTE: Please read the section on Farm Hygiene at the end of this post before attending—thank you!

Join long-time organic seed producer and founder of Stellar Seeds, Patrick Steiner, for this one-day seed production workshop and field day in Winlaw. This full-day workshop includes both classroom and field time as Patrick covers the fundamentals of seed production and then we head to the field to look at crops in the ground including a carrot seed crop and selection of carrot varieties as part of the BC Seed Trials.

Growing seed is one thing but marketing and selling it is another. Chris Thoreau from FarmFolk CityFolk will also present FFCF’s research and resources on contract growing, seed enterprise budgets, and the BC Eco Seed Co-op.

We are excited to be hosting the on-farm portion of the workshop at Crooked Horn Farm in Winlaw, whose vlalues strongly correspond with FarmFolk CityFolk’s local seed production initiatives,

We believe that small-scale farming, using organic and ecological practices, is one of the most significant things that we can do to encourage a diverse ecosystem, feed our community truly healthy food, and make a small but important change in the world.

Workshop fees include lunch and morning beverages.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

MORNING

WHERE: Valley Kitchen – 5770 Cedar Creek Road, Winlaw, BC

Morning beverages and snacks
Participant and instructor introductions
Overview of seed production and on-farm selection
Self- and cross-pollinating crops and pollination mechanisms
Annual and biennial seed crop production
Maintaining genetic integrity:
- Population sizes
- Isolation distances
- Isolation structures
Seed Processing
- Wet-seeded crops
- Dry-seeded crops
Scale-appropriate equipment
Seed storage
Seed contracts and financial planning
Seed production support resources in BC

— Break for catered lunch —

AFTERNOON

WHERE: Crooked Horn Farm 5361 Filipoff Rd – Winlaw, BC

Farm tour
Crop selection and rogueing
Carrot seed crop overview
Carrot trial evaluation and activities

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Patrick Steiner has been growing organic seeds for close to two decades, and operating his own seed company Stellar Seeds, for the past seventeen years. He farms in the mountainous West Kootenays in British Columbia, where he balances the work of producing seeds and running a seed business with equally important work in local food security issues. He enjoys sharing the knowledge he has gained from years of first-hand experience with organic seed production. Patrick is currently the course instructor for Canadian Organic Growers online Organic Vegetable Seed Production course.

Chris Thoreau has been engaged in small-scale and urban food production in BC since 2001 as a farmer, educator, community organizer, and advocate. His career began in Victoria, BC operating a certified organic farm for 6 years where he first started working with seed. He learned the essentials of plant breeding and seed saving through local workshops and training with Washington State’s Organic Seed Alliance as well through mentorship from an active community of vegetable seed growers across BC. Since 2008, Chris has been based in Vancouver, BC where he received his BSc. in Agroecology in 2011 from UBC – focusing his studies on urban farming, soil management, and small-scale plant breeding.

FARM HYGIENE

A portion of this event will be taking place on a working farm so we request your assistance in reducing the risk of importing disease or pests during your visit. If you are coming from another farm for this workshop, you can help by,

Wearing non-farm clothing to the field day
If wearing farm footwear, please spray clean with water and sanitize with a bleach spray before coming to the field day
Do not bring any tools or other items which may be contaminated with soil or have the potential to carry disease spores

In general, please be mindful about this risk and do what you can to reduce the import and export of pests and disease between farms in your area.