It's National Seed Swap Day

It's National Seed Swap Day (always the last Saturday in January).

This has always been an important day for gardeners, who are always looking for new seeds to plant.

The website nationaldaycalendar.com states the seed swap is a fundamental part of human history. Seeds were one of the first commodities valued and traded. Today, modern gardeners collect and exchange seeds for many reasons ranging from cultivating rare, heirloom varieties to basic thrift. 

The exchange of seeds perpetuates biodiversity. It is an act of giving and the ultimate form of recycling.
 
Go to http://seedswapday.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-is-national-seed-swap-day.html for more information.

CELEBRATE
Exchange seeds with friends and use #NationalSeedSwapDay to post on social media.

HISTORY
The first annual Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange was held in Washington, DC, on Jan. 26, 2006. Kathy Jentz, the editor/publisher of the magazine had the last Saturday of January named an official holiday and National Seed Swap Day was born. 

After that event’s success, seed swaps in other cities across the nation have joined in celebrating National Seed Swap Day each year on (or around*) the last Saturday in January.

Value of Northeast Horticulture Down in 2014

From the USDA:

The northeast region (New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) horticulture survey shows value of all production for 2014 is down 6.6 percent from 2013.
 
The total crop value at wholesale for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales, is estimated at $598 million for 2014, compared with $641 million for 2013.
 
New Jersey continues to be the leading state in the region, with crops valued at $196 million. New York, the next largest producer, is down from the prior year to $155 million in wholesale value.
 
The number of producers with operations having $10,000 or more in sales for 2014, at 1,412, is down 23 percent in the four-state region, compared with the 2013 count of 1,821.
 
The number of producers with sales of $100,000 or more totaled 606 for 2014, down slightly from the 618 producers counted in 2013.

Find Farmers' Markets, Greenhouses, Nursery Growers Online

More than 450 spring and summer farmers’ markets across the state as well as locations of licensed nursery growers and greenhouses are now available on the state’s open data website, found at www.data.ny.gov. 

This comprehensive data website provides New Yorkers in the market for locally grown products with a user-friendly avenue to find them quickly in their area. 

The Governor’s Open NY initiative is aimed at increasing citizen engagement with their government, and encourages New Yorkers to visit the State's comprehensive data transparency website,Data.NY.Gov, which highlights an array of resources and services for New Yorkers. With the summer tourism season rapidly approaching, some of the great things that can be found on the website include top fishing spots; wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries; and places of historic significance.

The Farmers’ Market Dataset includes information detailing the hours of operation and location of markets as well as the name and phone number of the market manager.

A map of farmers’ markets across New York State can be found here, or by county here. 
A listing of nursery growers and greenhouses across New York State can be found here. 

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to provide updated information on farmers’ market locations for the website as they continue to arise throughout the summer. To confirm the hours and location before traveling, please contact the local market.

New York State Fair 'One Thing' Series -- Today's Feature, Floriculture

Garden display at the Men's Garden Club of Syracuse

While most people thing of agriculture as being a vegetable or a cow, one of the largest segments of agriculture in New York state is floriculture.

Yes, each spring when you head out to the nursery or greenhouse or garden center to pick up a tree, shrubs or some annual or perennial flowers to surround your home, you are participating in the floriculture industry.

New York state ranks ninth in the nation in floriculture, according to USDA statistics. Commercial sales from stores with more than $10,000 in sales totaled $169 million in 2012.

Bedding and garden plants was the largest segment of that at $102 million. That was followed by potted flowering plants, with sales of $26.6 million in the state.

There were 577 growers in 2012, using 25.2 million square feet of area to grow their flowers, plants, shrubs and trees.

I talked with Mary Haynes, of Syracuse, with the Men's Garden Club of Syracuse, at the club's display inside the Horticulture Building. She said the 'one thing' she wants the public to know is: "The backbone of all gardens is the soil." Without nutritious, properly worked soil, plants and flowers won't do well.

She went on to talk about the importance of knowing the sunlight, water and nutrition requirements of whatever you are planting.