Planting seeds. From http://waysandhow.com

It seems like every day there’s a new story breaking on the threats to cultivar biodiversity posed by genetic engineering and resultant widespread outbreaks of plant disease and pests. Many have heard about the importance of heirloom seeds, but with the world’s top ten companies (Monsanto and Dupont being first and second among them) controlling half the market on seeds, it’s hard to find regionally adapted seedstock that we can trust!

Enter (the aptly named) Zach Pickens, Farmer at Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark Restaurant and founder of the fiercely independent Rooftop Ready Seeds! He’ll teach the basics of seed collection to save money on garden seeds and preserve our genetic diversity! Seed saving is simpler than you’d think for most garden varieties, and Zach will teach the audience what a grower needs to know to get started. From tomatoes, to kale, to flowers and herbs, he’ll show the audience some simple seed saving tips and dig into the unique considerations of saving seed in the city. Make next spring the year you plant a garden of regionally-adapted seedstock that will thrive in your own unique conditions, and beat the industrial seed giants at their own game!