CREDITON’S annual Seed Share popular event is back again.

If you have not been then go along on Saturday, February 29 at the Boniface Centre, Crediton and find out what it is about.

The event will run from 11am and until 2pm and you can enjoy sharing seeds and talking to the stallholders, all of whom bring something local and sustainable to find out about and enjoy.

Then why not buy a delicious lunch made that day from donated surplus food from local shops while listening to the great local band the Woodmen?

Why are there seed shares? It is because there is a list of “official” vegetable varieties and a law governing seed sellers, which states that if a variety isn’t on the official list, then seed companies cannot ‘market’ the seed to anyone. 

It does of course cost a great deal to get a variety on the list and so only benefits the larger seed growing companies who limit the number of varieties they grow to make it easier and cheaper to comply.

It is therefore illegal to sell seeds not on the list which is why seeds at seed shares are free.

This law means we get less choice in what we can grow and reduces biodiversity.

New varieties are hard to develop and older, more local traditional varieties disappear.

A donation towards the event would be welcome.

A seed swap works by people bringing seeds they have saved and taking away other people’s seeds to use. You can bring both vegetable and flower seeds.

It would be helpful if you label packets with the type, variety and date collected e.g. Tomato Moneymaker 2008.

Surplus commercial seed packets are also acceptable.

All seeds should be no older than three-years-old.