Ladner Seedy Saturday Speakers for 2016

Ladner Seedy Saturday is starting to shape up as vendor registrations come in. We still have room for vendors so if you would like to join us at this event , let me know.
We have four wonderful speakers at Ladner Seedy Saturday. Lets look at our first speaker of the day, David Catzel.

David has over 20 years experience in agriculture using organic and ecological principals. He has had the opportunity to experiment with seed growing/breeding, low till annual production, intercropping and companion planting while working with Glorious Organics Co-op in Aldergrove, BC. He has taught workshops in gardening, composting, permaculture, and seed saving to adults and children. David has most recently been working with BC Ecoseed Co-op, a new seed company focusing on increasing the quantity and quality of ecologically grown seeds in BC.

I met David last year when he came as a vendor to Ladner Seedy Saturday. I also heard him speak at the South Delta Garden Club. When he talked about the new plant breeding he was doing, I was hooked. Imagine being able to create new plants. That's just what David does. It takes time and patience to develop new varieties of vegetables for the home gardener. Last fall I bought two kale plants that had been crossed with Brussel sprouts. I was online looking at seed catalogues and I see this is a new vegetable for 2016 with some growers calling it Kalette. I am wondering what David is breeding this year in his garden.

David is an avid supporter of our small seed growers here in British Columbia. We need to think about supporting them. Plants grown and seeds harvested close to our communities are the ones best suited for our gardens. With the Canadian dollar taking a plunge let's think about spending our money closer to home.

David will be our first speaker at 10:00am on Saturday, February 20 so bring your questions about seed saving and vegetable growing. Doors will open a bit earlier so you have plenty of time to get a seat.

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