The annual Great American Seed Up event will return to North Phoenix Baptist Church in October, offering seeds and opportunities to learn and connect (submitted photo).
The Great American Seed Up is a one-of-a-kind, pop-up bulk seed buying bazaar, and organizers are gearing up for the 10th annual event, scheduled to take place at North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave., the evening of Friday, Oct. 11, and during the day Saturday, Oct. 12.
The gathering offers attendees an immersive experience where they can physically interact with a diverse range of seeds, fostering a deeper connection with gardening and the planting process. The event’s mission is to encourage seed-saving practices, ultimately building the local Arizona seed economy, leading to stronger crops, enhanced pest resistance and more flavorful produce.
“Do you know that our grocery stores only have a three-day food supply?” asked event co-founder Greg Peterson. “And there may be only a couple of racks of seeds at the big box store. This event is about strengthening our local food system, by teaching our community how to grow and save open-pollinated seeds.”
Doors open at 4 p.m. Friday for those who are pre-registered for seed purchasing and will close at 7:30 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted after 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. Don Guerra from Barrio Bread in Tucson and Gilbert will share his journey of starting his sourdough bread bakery in his garage in Tucson in 2010 and becoming a James Beard Award Winning Baker in 2022. Guerra, who calls himself a “yeast farmer,” helped launch the “fresh flour movement” in Arizona using locally adapted heritage grain varieties. Samples of his famous sourdough bread will be available for tasting.
On Saturday, doors open at 9 a.m. for those who are pre-registered and close at 1:30 p.m. Walk-in registrations are accepted after 11 a.m. Registration is $7.50 per day, granting entry to the Seed Room for seed purchasing, as well as access to an abundance of online educational resources and live internet presentations. Early registration is open online at www.greatamericanseedup.org.
