SAN LUIS VALLEY — The 11th annual San Luis Valley Seed Exchangewill be held April 17 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa.

The SLV Seed Exchange is a community event focused on cultivating sustainability in the San Luis Valley. This year’s theme is Food Sovereignty, Storage and Security. There will be a two-day speaker series on this topic, including individual speakers, panel discussions, and project updates from local community members who are working to help make our valley more sustainable. Some of the speakers include:

• Aaron Perry — Y On Earth: Biodynamic Restoration and Healing
• Addelina Lucero — SLV Local Foods Coalition: Seeds are our Past, Present and Future
• Melinda Bateman — Morning Start Farm: Preserve and Store your Fruits and Veggies
• Chris Pieper — Flourish Farms: Optimizing Diversity on Small Farms
• Micah Roseberry — Growing Community Now: Food Security in Rural Areas

With forums on “What is Food Sovereignty and Why Should I Care” and “Making Money as a Small Producer,” as well as updates from the community, including from High Grounds Garden, Miss Penn’s Seed Vault, Crestone Mercantile, Heart of Saguache, Crestone Garden Group, Cho Ku Rei, White Mountain Farm, Rio Grande Farm Park, Crestone Energy Fair, and more.

There will be limited seating to watch the presentations in person and participate in audience questions. You can view the presentations virtually via livestream on SLVSeedExchange.com, or on the Facebook page of Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa. The speaker presentations will also be recorded and can be viewed after the event in high-resolution video on SLVSeedExchange.com or the YouTube channel of the Crestone Energy Fair, which is partnering with the Seed Exchange.

Vendor Booths

Booths from local vendors will be inside and next to a large, outdoor tent. Vendors include Sol Mountain Farm, SLV Local Foods Coalition, Growing Spaces, InfiniTeaFarm, Sunflower Station, Nola Naturals, and many more. Mandala Pizza will also be selling food from its food truck, and there will be door prizes available.

Seed Swap

And, of course, bring seeds to share. The large community seed swap table is a tradition at the event. Bring seeds to give away and pick up new ones to plant for spring. Do not bring any cannabis seeds. The event does not allow any seeds, plants, food, etcetera above .03% THC.

Free Admission

The entire event is free to the public, although donations are appreciated. The event does not make any money, and all proceeds of the event will be donated to the Moffat PK-12 Greenhouse Program. The event is fueled by sponsors, who generously donate to make the SLV Seed Exchange possible.

If you would like to help the event as a volunteer or sponsor, reach out to Joyful Journey Hot Springs at 719-256-4328 and ask for Cherie.