High Country Seed & Plant Swap

High Country Seed & Plant Swap

Saturday, 4/6/24 at the Ashe County Farmers Market Pavilion from 2‐5 PM
On Saturday, April 6, 2024, all aspiring and practicing area gardeners are invited to the Ashe County
Farmers Market Pavilion in West Jefferson, NC for the High Country Seed & Plant Swap. The event
features an afternoon‐long open exchange of seeds and plants, with plenty of space to gather, show what
you brought, and browse the offerings of others. Beginning at 2:00 PM, gardeners will be able to display
their own surplus seeds and view the offerings of others on tables set up in the Farmers Market shelter
and (weather permitting) adjacent outdoor areas. The Seed Swap will continue throughout the afternoon
and conclude at 5:00 PM.
The Ashe County Farmers Market Pavilion in West Jefferson, NC has served as an excellent venue for
recent High Country Seed Swaps. It offers participants an accessible and comfortable environment to
gather and swap seeds and plants. Richard Boylan, an Area Extension Agent for Agriculture who has
helped organize the regional Swap since the early 2000’s notes that “Holding the 2024 High Country Seed
and Plant Swap at the Ashe County Farmers Market makes an excellent location for dividing roots and
plants like comfrey, sochan, ramps, irises, bee balm, and more.”
Gardeners are encouraged to bring any surplus seeds, root divisions, bulbs, corms, cuttings, plants, and
fruit scion wood they wish to share. Seed swaps operate on the honor principle that gardeners will bring
what they can this year, grow what they get from this swap and other sources, then bring saved seeds
from their crops to next year’s Seed Swap.
Cooperative Extension acknowledges that certain plants and seeds are valuable enough that growers may
wish to formally barter them for other plants and seeds, but many growers also bring quantities for a
“take what you need” free offering. Over the years, some extraordinary heirloom vegetable varieties have
been shared at the Swaps. Ashe County Extension Horticulture Agent Blake Williams recognizes these
contributions, saying, “There are unique cultivars of beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other
staples that do remarkably well in our region that have fallen out of catalogs, but are still saved and
shared by amazing gardeners in the region.”
North Carolina Cooperative Extension sponsors the event, with support from the Ashe County Farmers
Market (ACFM) which is sharing its pavilion space a week ahead of its formal Market opening date, and
Ashe County Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Ashe County Extension Master Garden Coordinator
Blake Williams adds that Extension Master Gardener volunteers will be on‐site with gardening information
and available to answer questions, “Our volunteers are happy to help with questions about pests,
cultivation, and other gardening matters during the Swap.” The Seed Swap runs on community
involvement, from the many gardeners who bring heirloom seeds and plants from their gardens, to the
assistance from Ashe County Extension Master Gardener volunteers who help it all happen smoothly. The
more participants who bring seeds and other materials to share, the better the Swap will be. The event is
free and open to all gardeners and farmers in the area. For more information, call the Ashe or Watauga
Cooperative Extension centers at 336‐846‐5850 or 828‐264‐3061