“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa hosted the 11th Annual San Luis Valley Seed Exchange the weekend of April 17 & 18, and considering the spring snow storm that blew through on Saturday, it was incredibly, well attended. The exchange offered great speakers, awesome (and determined!) vendors, a remarkable assortment of local seeds and seedlings, and of course the SLV community vitality that kept everyone’s spirits warm and uplifted.
For those of you not in the area, the high on Saturday was a cool 32 degrees, with blowing snow throughout the day. Yet, since it was typical spring weather for the SLV locals, it didn’t stop over 130 people from stopping by to share, connect and listen to the variety of speakers that included: Addelina Lucero of SLV Local Foods Coalition in Alamosa, reminding us of the history, the importance and the benefits of seed saving. Micah Roseberry of Growing Community Now and the Rios del Norte Farmer & Rancher Co-op in Taos County defined food sovereignty for us and explained why we should care about where our food comes from, find out how it reaches us, identify where we fall on that supply chain, and ask “Will it be there tomorrow?” If you do not get the answers you want, maybe we should be growing our own food or participating in our local, community garden.
Aaron Perry of Y on Earth in Boulder shared his knowledge of the biodynamic restoration and healing of seeds, soil and water. He also highlighted the numerous (and now scientifically documented!) physical and psychological benefits of getting down and dirty with Mother Earth. Later in the afternoon, Aaron also treated us to a traditional water stirring ceremony that was accompanied by the hypnotic singing of the crystal bowls played by the talented Caressa Ayres. Each interested participant received a portion of the biodynamic-activated water for personal use in our yards and gardens.
On Sunday, the weather warmed and many people joined in the second day of activities that included speaker Melinda Bateman from Morning Star Farm in Arroyo Seco who provided the how tos on preserving and storing fruits and vegetable from our gardens. Later, Chris Pieper from Flourish Farm in Arroyo Seco shared informative guidelines on how to optimize the diversity of plantings on small farms. Both days included panel discussions that allowed for questions and answers. Many of us walked away wiser and grateful for the helpful information.
The employees at Joyful Journey work hard each year to ensure the Seed Exchange is a successful event that not only provides a place for heirloom seeds to be exchanged, but also for knowledge and experience to be shared. Special thanks to the Joyful Journey Marketing rep: Cherie Allen, for taking the lead on this year’s exchange with support from our Taos connection: Jae Sanders. We’d also like to thank our esthetician and chef extraordinaire, Cheryl Janes, for stepping in at the last minute to provide food for the crowds. And without all of our generous sponsors (listed alphabetically below), this non-profit event could not take place. A big thanks to the vendors and visitors who braved the cold weekend and a special thank you to our friends at the Crestone Energy Fair who shared their experience, knowledge, and props so Joyful staff could focus on other matters that needed attention.
When they say it takes a village, wow, it does and what a wonderful village we live and operate in. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated. While the event was live-streamed, we encountered sound issues. Well, if at first you don’t succeed…we will try again next year. We look forward to seeing you at the 12th Annual San Luis Valley Seed Exchange at Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa, not just another hot springs. Until then, we wish you joyful planting!
Sponsors of the 11th Annual San Luis Valley Seed Exchange:
Colorado Central Magazine
Colorado Gators Reptile Park
CorVive
Crestone Energy Fair
Elephant Cloud Market
EverGlo Media
Growing Spaces
High County Bank
High Ground Gardens
High Mowing Seeds
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa
KNCE 93.5 FM Taos
KXMT 99.1 FM
LaGree’s Food Stores
Mandala Pizza
Manitou Foundation
Monte Vista Co-op
O&V Printing
Off-Grid Apothecary
Saguache Works
Sanders Creative
Shumei International Institute
SLV Local Foods Coalition
The Crestone Eagle
The Mountain Mail
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