OXFORD – Oxford Winter Farmers' Market is hosting their annual Community Seed Swap on Saturday, March 4, for aspiring gardeners to share their spare seeds with one another while stocking-up on produce, baked goods, kitchen staples, and other hand-crafted items.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Parish House Community Center of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oxford, local farmer Mina Takahashi will be at the market sharing her knowledge of seed-saving practices. Packets, label forms, and supplies will be provided.

“Swapping seeds is an excellent way to save on seed cost, to find unusual varieties of heritage seeds–some saved for generations upon generations–to share knowledge and pick up tips from fellow gardeners, to help protect plant diversity, and to improve our food security,” Takahashi says. “As seed-saving advocate Vandana Shiva says, ‘The act of seed saving is such an important political act in this time. We get power by aligning ourselves with the forces of life…. Save seeds, have a community garden, create an exchange, do everything that it takes to protect and rejuvenate the seed.’”

For those without seeds to swap, free seed packets will be available offering new, unusual, and hardy seeds to our region.