There's something almost magical about a seed. Small enough to fit in your palm, yet holding within it the promise of summer tomatoes, colorful zinnias, or beans that feed a family. And on Saturday, January 31st, we invite you to be part of something bigger than any single seed: a community coming together to share the abundance that grows from generous hands and open hearts.
The Orleans Community Seed Share is hosting our annual seed swap from 1 to 4 p.m. at the CCE Orleans Trolley Building, 12690 Route 31 in Albion. If you've never attended a seed swap, think of it as the stone soup of the gardening world. Everyone brings what they can—packets of seeds they saved from last year's garden, extras from seed orders that were too generous, varieties they've stewarded for years. These seeds are spread across tables, mixed with contributions from the seed share collection, and suddenly the individual offerings become collective abundance for everyone to share.
This isn't just about free seeds, though that's certainly part of the appeal. It's about connection. Imagine standing at a table where someone has carefully saved bean seeds that their grandmother grew, or discovering a tomato variety perfectly suited to our Orleans County summers. Often, the people who bring seeds stay nearby to share the stories behind them—how to grow them, what they taste like, why they're worth saving. These conversations turn strangers into neighbors and individual gardeners into a network of knowledge-keepers.
Our seed swap welcomes gardeners of all levels. Whether you're planning your first garden or you've been saving seeds for decades, you belong here. If you have seeds to share, wonderful. If you're just beginning and have nothing to contribute yet, come anyway. The stone soup grows richer when everyone gathers around it.
We're accepting open-pollinated seeds, locally saved seeds, and excess seeds from your orders or donations. What we ask is that you not bring F1 hybrids, patented varieties, poisonous, noxious or controlled seeds, or seeds from unknown volunteer plants. This ensures that everyone takes home seeds true to type that they can save and share in seasons to come.
Beyond the seeds themselves, we'll have demonstrations, activities, and information about two exciting initiatives launching this year. "One Seed, One Community" works alongside the CCE Orleans Food Distribution program to teach participants how to grow nutritious food and save seeds. "Grow a Row" connects with the Master Gardener Vegetable Variety Trial Gardens, encouraging community members to dedicate a portion of their garden to cultivating specific crops so we can gather information about how these varieties perform in our region and how best to save seeds from them. Both programs build on our mission: cultivating community resilience and biodiversity through the preservation, sharing, and celebration of seeds.
As we stand at the threshold of 2026, we're not just swapping seeds. We're planting the seeds of food security, connection, and shared abundance. We're building the kind of community where knowledge flows freely and where last year's harvest becomes this year's hope.
Join us on January 31st. Bring seeds if you have them. Bring questions if you're curious. Bring yourself, ready to be part of something that grows.
Seed Swap Details: Saturday, January 31, 2026, 1-4 pm
CCE Orleans, 12690 State Route 31, Albion, NY 14411 (Trolley Building)
Free and open to all
For more information about the Orleans Community Seed Share, visit our website or contact us through Cornell Cooperative Extension Orleans County. Let's grow 2026 together.
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