Free the Seeds returns to Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) on Saturday, March 4, 2023, for an eighth year of interactive workshops, activities, seed sharing and more.

The organization that runs the event, Land to Hand MT, expects more than 1,000 people to attend this free fair, which runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the FVCC Arts & Technology Building. The theme this year is Cultivating Community.

This year, the event will offer several workshops by local experts who will demonstrate seed saving techniques, beekeeping, backyard animals, and a community conversation about the future of Climate Smart Glacier Country. Four workshops are catered to children aged 8-12.

There will also be over twenty booths where attendees can learn about organizations and businesses that support our community food system, conserve our natural resources and promote sustainability.

Thousands of packets of seeds will be available, as well as question and answer sessions with Alissa LaChance from Dirt Rich Compost and Todd Ulizio from Two Bear Farm.

Free the Seeds is an annual community-powered event focused on real seeds, real food and real skills. This year, the fair focuses on cultivating community through our local food system. Topics include herbal salves, soil health, floriculture, fermented food, clean energy alternatives, and permaculture.

Over the last 7 years, more than 9,000 people have attended this free daylong fair. Upward of 85,000 packets of non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds have been given away, with about two-thirds collected locally and packed by local volunteers.

Free the Seeds is a program of the nonprofit Land to Hand MT and has a mission of building a sustainable and resilient future through real seeds, real food, and real skills. To follow along with Free the Seeds related news, check out Land to Hand’s website and social media pages.