Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home is pleased to host the 11th Annual Floyd County Seed Swap on the museum campus from 1pm-3pm on Sunday, February 25th.

The Seed Swap is an informal event co-sponsored by the museum along with the Berry College Department of Environmental Science and Studies and Floyd County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers. The purpose of the Seed Swap is to encourage the production and protection of heirloom seeds and plant varieties that are at risk of being lost in order to provide a sustainable and diverse landscape in our community. Seed saving was particularly important to Cherokees like Major Ridge in order to sustain his family through the winter months and provide crops for the spring and summer.

This year’s program will be outdoors in the Major Ridge Demonstration Garden on the Chieftains Museum campus. In case of weather, the event will be held indoors at the Chieftains Museum. Participants are encouraged to bring their own open-pollinated/heirloom seeds, plant cuttings, seedling, saplings or other gardening-related items like implements, seed packets, or scionwood to share/trade with other guests. Dr. Brian Campbell, Chair of the Berry College Department of Environmental Science and Studies, will provide a presentation on the basics of seed-saving and agricultural biodiversity conservation at 1pm and the seed swapping will take place from 2-3pm. Dr. Campbell, Berry College students, and Master Gardeners will be on-hand to answer questions and discuss seed saving for those who attend.

The Annual Floyd County Seed Swap is a free event open to the public.

For more information on the Seed Swap and other upcoming events, contact the museum at (762) 327-6124.