I told a couple of people I would post a follow-up here on this event, which I attended at the Agrarian Connections Farm in Crawford, Georgia on Saturday evening.

For anyone who has an interest in saving or collecting heirloom seeds, or helping to preserve the genetic purity of old-fashioned garden seeds, this is definitely a worthy event that you should put on your calendar for next year. I personally am very concerned about such things but don't have enough land to participate in growing out any of the crops and saving the seeds - I'm gardening in a community garden where who-knows-what is being grown by everyone, so I can't promise seed purity for anything. But important work is being done, and I would enourage anyone interested to contact the Southern Seed Legacy and become a member.

The Agrarian Connections Farm has also recently planted an apple orchard with old fashioned apples, and they are seeking scion or apple stock from old Southern apple trees, and also are looking for Southern apple history. So if you have any to share, you could contact them with that as well.

They also mentioned beginning a fig orchard, for those of you with unusual or old family figs who would like to share cuttings and history.

Even though I couldn't promise to grow out any of the seeds with purity, so I didn't bring back bean or other garden seeds from the swap, I didn't come away empty-handed. The orchard manager was giving away quince seedlings and of course I was unable to resist one of those. I got a handful of brown cotton including its seed from a gentleman from Tennesee who won the annual seedsaver award (he had a truly remarkable assortment of beans there to share, as well!) which I think the kids in the community garden will enjoy watching grow. And I also brought back two unexpected "presents": a nice little poison ivy rash and a little brown tick. Ah, the pleasures/dangers of hiking in the woods.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Seed Legacy