Cumberland Seed Commons Spring Convening

Pre-convening Event: 3/4 Century Birthday Celebration for jim embry

Saturday April 20, 2024 3pm-11pm Atrus Ballew Farm, Richmond, KY 

Schedule for Spring Convening Sessions

Sunday  April 21 12 noon-4pm: FARM TOURS- Horticulture Farm and Berea Urban Farm

Sunday April 21; 6pm-9pm: DINNER AND SPEAKERS-  Boone Tavern 

Monday April 22: 9am-4pm: SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS- Forestry Outreach Center

Monday April 22; 6pm-9pm: DINNER AND SPEAKER- Boone Tavern 

Tuesday April 23: 9am-4pm: SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS- Forestry Outreach Center 

The 2024 Cumberland Seed Commons Spring Convening is an educational gathering of farmers, seasoned and novice seed savers, food justice advocates, and researchers primarily from the Southeast region, with the focus on seeds and their foundational role in the sustainable agriculture movement.

“Seeds are not just seeds,they’re like ancestors. They have a history. Seeds have  stories.”-Winona LaDuke 

Participants will learn about: seed history in the USA, USDA seed vaults, seed farming, seed saving, seed sovereignty, seed research, seed rematriation, Indigenous and African American cosmology of seeds as well as seed diversity and seed adaptation as a necessary pathway of building community resilience as we are challenged by decreasing biodiversity, environmental degradation, increased income inequality, assault on progressive rights, and climate change.

Everyone is welcome to participate in-person or virtually regardless of your city, state or country of residence.

Our bioregional approach of development is meant to ensure community resilience with the development of an intimately connected community of seed farmers, seed savers, seed researchers, seed hubs, seed companies into a network that we call a SEED COMMONS. The bioregion that we have elected to use is based upon the Cumberland River watershed which begins in the mountains of southeast Kentucky, flows across northern Tennessee, and returns to western Kentucky before joining the Ohio River near Paducah, KY.  The Cumberland River is known as “Wasioto” by Indigenous peoples. So, thus we call our network the Cumberland (Wasioto) Seed Commons and our long-range vision is to develop a network of 5,000 seed farmers, educators, researchers and 50 seed hubs in our bioregion. 

This idea of a bioregional seed commons based upon the fractals of seed hubs was germinated back in October 2022 during the Fall Convening of the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance held in Accokeek, MD. Out of this experience, we accepted the responsibility of preparing our Cumberland Seed Commons Concept document as a guiding foundation for our work. Our efforts to further explore the seed commons concept was nourished at the April 2023 Spring Convening of UCFA in Berea, KY. This sacred work continued at the winter convening of the Cumberland Seed Commons held December 1-3, 2023, as part of the Tennessee Local Food Summit at Cumberland University. And now our germination work continues with our Spring Convening held at Berea College April 20-23, 2024 as we seek further understanding of how to be in “right relationship” with seeds.

“What if we called the Big Bang the Big Seeding when stardust became seeds for the  Universe” -Jim Embry

It is our view that the stolen land of Indigenous people and the stolen labor of African people to do agriculture and food ways was the foundation of injustice in our country and gave rise to all the other various forms of injustice within the USA. These historical formations of injustices are still very prevalent today in a variety of ways. We further believe that it is at this intersection of food, agriculture, and seeds that provides the fulcrum point for much broader social transformation. So, our seed commons represents not only a network around seeds in general, but our seed commons is meant to seed, nourish and inspire our national movement for healing, reparations and social transformation. The most essential foundation of agriculture is SEEDS!

Recommended readings in preparation for the Spring Convening:

• Cumberland Seed Commons Concept
• Seed Mother – Coming Home

• Preservation and Utilization of Appalachian Crop Germ Plasm

MAY THE FORCE OF SEEDS BE WITH US!

WE ARE THE SEEDS OF OUR ANCESTORS DREAMS!

PAYMENT of the Spring Convening REGISTRATION FEE:

OPTION 1: The daily registration fee is $50 per person for the Cumberland Commons Spring Convening or $150 for the three days of the Convening April 21-23. Thus, the registration fee for Spring Convening participants for Sunday April 21 is $50.00. Monday April 22 registration fee is $50.00. Tuesday April 23 registration fee is $50.00. Or $150 total for the three days. 

OPTION 2: Where affordability is an issue, we also offer registration on a SLIDING SCALE basis where each attendee can determine  the amount that is affordable for the days that you will be attending the Spring Convening. If you will be joining us for the meals,  please factor in the cost of meals with your sliding scale payment. If you have questions regarding this method of payment consideration, please contact us at [email protected] or (859) 270-3699

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

 1) Scholarships are available to cover registration fees. If there is a need for a scholarship, please contact us at [email protected] or 859-270-3699

2) In addition, Southern SARE will provide limited financial assistance for persons living in the designated southern region to attend the Cumberland Seed Commons Spring Convening. The application for this support is available at this link: https://www.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-SSARE-PDP-Travel-Scholarship-Request-Form-2.pdf. 

Other SARE regional officers provide similar financial support for persons who wish to attend educational sessions like our Cumberland Seed Commons Spring Convening. If you have questions or concerns:  please contact us at: [email protected], or (859)270-3699

Sustainable Communities Network is the host organization for Cumberland Seed Commons Spring Convening. When making your REGISTRATION PAYMENT, please use our PAYPAL ACCOUNT and pay with a credit/debit card. You do not need a PAYPAL account to use PAYPAL. 

For registration fees paid by check forward to: 

Sustainable Communities Network, 265 Charlie Norris Rd., Richmond, KY 40475

Use this link  PAYPAL to make your registration fee payment.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR payment for our CUMBERLAND SEED COMMONS SPRING CONVENING.

WE WELCOME ADDITIONAL SPONSORS!!

Our sponsors and planning committee members include: Berea College, Forestry Outreach Center, Black Soil Our Better Nature, Berea Urban Farm, Berea Tourism, Berea Mayor’s Office, NCAT-National Center for Appropriate Technology, MACED-Mountain Association, Kentucky Black Farmers Association, Community Farm Alliance, Sustainable Communities Network, Organic Seed Alliance, Caney Fork Farms, SSARE-Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research Education, USDA Seed Liaison, Garifuna Republic-Belize, Green Market-Trinidad & Tobago, Roundstone Seeds, Columbia Gas of KY, Grow Appalachia, Mid Atlantic Arts, Sustainable Communities Network.