A colourful seed exchange station has been installed in a gazebo at the Nicola Valley community garden in Merritt, BC, as a Neighbourhood Small Grant project funded by the Vancouver Foundation and administered by The Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC.
Organized by a local resident Sarah Sandusky, with help from family members Ivan and Nick Kzanoski, this initiative enhances food security and engages the community.
“Seed packages tend to contain more seeds than one gardener can use at a time so that extras can be swapped for others in the cabinet,” said Ms. Sandusky. “With food prices increasing, families can affordably diversify their garden plots with shared seeds.”
Local retailer Purity Feed donated seeds to get the exchange started. The Nicola Valley Community Garden Society permitted the installation of the seed exchange station and expressed hope that it will draw more people to participate in the community garden, which lately has been growing produce for the Food Bank and other service groups.
The seed exchange station is fully accessible to the public year-round, and many community members have expressed gratitude for and interest in the neighbourly initiative.
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