Seed Cleaning and Saving for Native and Garden Plants

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to use various tools for cleaning seeds, including the latest addition to the Southwest NM Seed Library: a custom seed-cleaning machine donated by Cruces Creatives. The machine can be used to clean seeds as small as amaranth and as large as sunflowers. We will also have wet cleaning stations for squash, seed cleaning screens for participants to use, and a winnowing set-up with a fan and a few buckets. After a seed cleaning work party, we will have time to talk seeds, check out the seed collection, and have a seed exchange between participants.

Check out the plans that inspired the seed cleaner here: https://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedcleaner.html

General Field Day Schedule:

12:00-12:15 p.m.: Introductions
12:15-12:30 p.m.: The benefits of seed saving and dispelling seed saving myths
12:30-1:00 p.m.: Tour of seed cleaning stations
1:00-3:00 p.m.: Seed Cleaning
3:00-3:30 p.m.: Break and snacks
3:30-5:00 p.m.: Seed exchange, Q&A, Education on cross pollinating crops and isolation distances.

After the field day, enjoy a free, grant-funded catered meal at The Commons, where you’ll have a chance to make and strengthen connections with other people in the sustainable agriculture sector.

What to Wear/Bring:

• Seeds you would like to clean
• Seeds to donate to the Seed Library
• Seeds to exchange with participants
• Garden Gloves
• Face mask

Location:

The Commons Center for Food Security and Sustainability
501 East 16^th Street
Silver City, NM

This is a free field day, but participation is capped at 40 people. To save your spot, please pre-register.

This field day is part of the Seeding Regenerative Agriculture Project, made possible thanks to generous funding from the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the New Mexico Foundation, and Nusenda Credit Union.