THE MONTREAL SEEDY WEEKEND IS BACK AT THE PLANETARIUM!

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Espace pour la vie and Cultiver Montréal are pleased to announce the 24th edition of the Montreal Seedy Weekend to be held at the Planétarium on February 3 and 4. Organized by Cultiver Montréal and presented by Espace pour la vie, this edition will be held under the theme "The science behind seeds". Rich and friendly, the program will highlight this facet of seed culture that is relatively unknown to the general public. In doing so, the Montreal Seedy Weekend will allow us to share this knowledge with everyone in order to better understand the work that is done upstream, allowing you to plant your favorite plants. The Seedy Weekend is an opportunity to purchase local and ecological seeds from Quebec seed companies in addition to discovering other actors working in urban agriculture.

A RICH PROGRAM OF EXCHANGES AND LEARNING!

Panels and conferences
Saturday, February 3rd
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Seed genetics : a knowledge full of benefits
Speaker: Lyne Bellemare, seed producer and founder of Terre Promise 
Conference exclusively offered in French.

2:00 to 3:00 p.m
The science behind ancestral knowledge: Iroquois seeds
Speaker: Stephen McComber also known as Silverbear, chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, keeper of Iroquois seeds.
Conference exclusively offered in English.

3:30 to 5:00 p.m
Research and development of new varieties in agriculture
In partnership with SeedChange

• • Valerio Hoyos-Villegas, Ph. D., assistant professor, department of plant sciences, McGill University
  • Helen Jensen, Ph. D., research program manager for the Bauta Family Canadian Seed Security Initiative, a program of Seed Change
  • Michel McElroy, Ph. D., researcher in wheat genetic improvement at CEROM

Sunday, February 4th
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
New varieties in the garden: challenges and examples from our seed producers
Speaker: Jean-François Lévêque, seed producer and co-founder of the Jardins de l'écoumène
Conference exclusively offered in French.

2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Novelty in biotechnologies: between protest, science and lobbies
In partnership with SeedChange
Speaker: Jérôme Gélinas Bélanger, agronomist and doctoral student at McGill University in partnership with CEROM
Conference exclusively offered in French.

Workshops
Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5
1 to 2 p.m.
Winter snack for birds
Offered by les Amis du Jardin botanique de Montréal
Workshops are offered in French only.

• All Seedy Weekend activities are free of charge;
• Seating is limited in panels, conferences and workshops, online reservations required; https://www.cultivermontreal.ca/la-fete-des-semences/
• The seed companies' online stores are also accessible at Cultiver Montréal

We would like to acknowledge the generosity and support of our sponsor for the event, the ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation. This edition's program is possible thanks to the support and participation of the Friends of the Montreal Botanical Garden and SeedChange.

See the complete program

About

The origins of the Seedy Weekend

This event grew out of the community-based urban agriculture movement in Montreal. Founded in 2001 by the organizations Action communiterre and The Depot Community Food Centre, then carried by the solidarity organization Alternatives in 2017, the relay is now in the hands of Cultiver Montréal, the network of Montreal farmers.

Cultiver Montréal is a proactive and united network working for the development of a sustainable and nurturing city. Our main mission is to bring together, accompany, support and promote all forms of urban agriculture in Greater Montreal, in consultation with its members, to make Montreal a sustainable, resilient and nourishing city.

Espace pour la vie is made up of five major attractions: the Biodôme, the Biosphère, the Insectarium, the Jardin botanique and the Planétarium. These prestigious municipal institutions form Canada's largest natural science museum complex. Together, they are launching a daring and creative urban movement, encouraging all of us to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and cultivate a new way of living.

@EspacePourLaVie @CultiverMontreal #FêteDesSemences

SOURCE Espace pour la vie Montreal