The Great American Seed Up event returns to Phoenix

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The Great American Seed Up event is returning this year on October 1st and 2nd in Phoenix. It’s a popular “pop up” seed bazaar offering dozens of vegetables, herbs, beans, greens, grains and flower seeds available in bulk format, sold at a dramatic discount. Also, during the pandemic, 20-million people joined the ranks of American gardeners. We spoke with Greg Peterson about the seed up event and the benefits of gardening.

Since the pandemic, there has been a huge increase in urban farming. “We have never been so busy as we have in the past year and a half,” Peterson said. He added that it is a lot less environmentally costly to grow food in a backyard.

When starting, Peterson said the most important thing is to have the placement of the garden in a correct place. “The placement will either have your garden be successful or not.” A southern exposure in a garden receives sun all day. Peterson recommends not to place a garden on the north side of a backyard.

“Soil is the single most important thing you can build to grow food.” There are five components of healthy soil: dirt, airspace, organic matter, water, and everything that is alive in the soil.

The Great American Seed up is a solution to local seed shortages. The seed up event features 80 different types of pollinated seeds. There are free online classes for people to be more versed in seed growing.

Greg Peterson, creator, The Urban Farm

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