Seed Librarian Summit (05/01/20)

**Due to restrictions on travel and social gathering, this event will now be held online from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. This page will be updated as plans are developed.

Calling all aspiring and current seed librarians!

We are still working out the revised agenda details for this event, but if you are registered for the Seed Librarian Summit in Gainesville, please note that this event will now be held online from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on May 1st.

The Seed Librarian Summit is for anyone who manages, stewards, or maintains a seed library, or wants to create one in their community. This event is being planned in partnership between NEFLIN, Alachua County Library District, and Working Food of Gainesville, with Ben Cohen of the Michigan Seed Library and Small House Farm as facilitator.

While we hate not being able to gather face-to-face, you still don't want to miss this opportunity to "gather" virtually with others who are working with seed libraries...register today!

About Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen is an author, herbalist, gardener, seed saver, and educator. He's the owner of Small House Farm and the founder of Michigan Seed Library, a community seed-sharing initiative that has worked to establish nearly 70 seed library programs. Ben offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food, and he has published numerous works on these topics (including his most recent book, Saving Our Seeds).

He serves on the Boards of the International Herb Association, the Slow Food Ark of Taste Seed Bank, and the advisory council for the Community Seed Network (a multinational education and networkign platform). learn more about Cohen's work on his website: www.smallhousefarm.com.

About Melissa DeSa

Melissa is a co-founder of Working Food, a non-profit organization based in Gainesville, Florida. She is a University of Florida graduate, with a Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology. Her background and passion for wildlife and wild places, has brought depth of knowledge and understanding to her current non-profit work tackling food systems. She has 10 years of experience in non-profit start up and management, community organizing, food systems, seed stewardship, gardening, farming, education and outreach.

Her work focuses on making seed stewardship and youth education accessible and community-oriented. Her efforts to promote agriculatural biodiversity through seed stewardship and outreach focus primarily on working with family farmers, under-privileged youth, and adults with disabilities. She has built Working Food's Southern Heritage Seed Collective organically over 10 years, growing it from a small seed library to a thriving community program providing classes, workshops, trainings, regional seed varieties, and collaborative work on seed systems projects with regional and national partners.

She currently serves on the advisory board for both Southern SARE, the Southeast Slow Food Ark of Taste, and Grow Hub.