February 25, 2023
The garden of your dreams starts on Saturday, February 25th, with the 16th Annual Seed Celebration and Sustainable Community Fair, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the Gilsum STEAM Academy, 640 Route 10, Gilsum, NH.
Come for the day, or just an hour, to celebrate the miracle of seeds and gardening with The Sustainability Project, now in its 23rd year. Farmers, gardeners, and activists working for sustainable and regenerative ways of living on the planet have come to know this event as a great opportunity for joyful networking. The celebration focuses on stewardship and other skills necessary for living well in a changing world. Chief Paul of the local Ko’asek Abenaki tribe will open the event with a traditional thanksgiving blessing. The schedule includes presentations on local indigenous history, nature-based community leadership, growing microgreens, the I-WOOD building method, a climate cafe, mycological landscaping, backyard gardening and other topics that explore local food, environmental and sustainable community initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to receive support planning their gardens, stock up on seeds and to dance! There will be lunchtime music and a café featuring soups, stews and baked goods from local restaurants and kitchens, including Orchard Hill Breads, to nourish all. As customary, a bountiful raffle has been made possible by generous local businesses. Children’s activities will be offered throughout the day.
Consider finding a niche at the Celebration by signing up to volunteer at the event.
For information and workshop descriptions go here.
All Day:
Knife Sharpening:
Bring your dull knives to the seed celebration. Help Christopher Briggs raise funds for TSPs building project by bringing them to the Seed Celebration for sharpening.
Activities for Children & Families, Seeds For Sale & Swap, Tablers, Displays, Networking, Café, Raffle.
The Caterpillar Lab:
The Caterpillar Lab is making a surprise visit to the 16th Annual Seed Celebration and Sustainable Community Fair! Stop by their tables to meet some fascinating local caterpillars; explore microscopic mysteries; and chat with a knowledgeable naturalist educator about local insects, how to garden for native pollinators, and how to promote biodiversity in your backyard! The Caterpillar Lab will be tabling from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm, so drop by on your way to one of the fantastic presentations or spend a few minutes exploring over lunch!
Come visit these tablers:
- Aloha
- by Jeeni
- Celeste’s Garden Delights – Celeste Longacre
- Dog Days Farm
- Ko’asek Abenaki
- Orchard Hill Breadworks
- Wichland Woods
- The Caterpillar Lab
- Monadnock Grows Together
- The Sustainability Project
Presentation Schedule
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Welcome & Intro |
| 9:45 – 10:30 | Mycological Landscaping – Dave Wichland |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | Nature Inspired Community Leadership – Valerie Piedmont |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Elemental Rhythm and Flow: Dances inspired by traditional Afro-centric practices – dance with Kamala Burden |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunchtime concert with Tres Hombres |
| 1:15 – 2:00 | Climate Cafe – Brian Bishoff |
| 1:15 – 2:15 | An innovative Building Technique that Could Have a Positive Impact on Global Warming and Housing Equity – Jeeni Criscenzo & Juan del Rio |
| 2:15 – 3:00 | Abenaki, Past and Present – Chief Paul |
| 2:30 – 3:30 | How to Grow a Fabulous Garden – Celeste Longacre |
| 3:15 – 4:00 | Microgreens Workshop! – Jack Rixey |
| 4:15 | Raffle Drawing |
This years sponsors:
Fedco Seed Orders
Still looking to order seeds? The Sustainability Project will be placing a final FEDCO order after the Seed Celebration. By placing your FEDCO seed order through The Sustainability Project, you save on shipping charges and help support our Annual Seed Celebration and Sustainable Community Fair and our Emerson Brook Forest Center’s trails and perennial gardens. We choose FEDCO seeds because they offer a large selection of organic, heirloom, and open pollinated varieties. You can contact us for a paper catalog or go online to www.fedcoseeds.com.
All orders must be dropped off at the Seed Celebration on Saturday, February 25th or emailed to Lenoir at lenoir@emersonbrookforest.org by noon on Sunday, February 26th. Be sure to include product ID number, name, and quantity desired as well as your contact information. These orders are for seeds only, NOT Moose Tubers or Garden Supply. Please make checks out to: The Sustainability Project. We’ll notify you to make arrangements when your seeds are ready for pick up. Thank you for your support!
Not sure what to get? May we suggest this collection of tried & true organic favorites: Provider Bush Beans, Danvers Main Season Carrot, Bull’s Blood Beets, Deluxe Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi Mustard Greens, Bloomsdale Spinach, Genovese Basil, Sugar Snap Peas, Oregon Giant Snow Peas, Solar Flashback Calendula, Sugar Baby Watermelon, Uncle David’s Dessert Buttercup Winter Squash, New England Pie Pumpkin, Early Summer Yellow Crookneck Squash, Blue Scotch Kale, Marketmore 76 Cucumber, Pink Brandywine Slicing Tomato, and Peacevine Cherry Tomato. Order this set for $64.50 or customize your list!