Bellingen Seed Savers
Grow your own food. We share locally adapted, open-pollinated, non-hybrid seeds, plants & knowledge for edible gardening
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August 24, 2025

Bellingen Plant Fair – Seed Savers Stall

Lisa Hope Open Gardens

Call out for Plant fair staffing

Saturday 13th September

Big hopes that this one will be on (the last couple were cancelled due to rain), and when it is, you can be right in the thick of it, by staffing our stall!
The shifts are setup 6- 8am, then 8-10am, 10-12pm, and finally 12- 2pm packup. We like good numbers for setup and packup.

Choose your slot and email Nick: mail@bellingenpermaculture.com.au or ring 0474 114 773.

 

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

August 24, 2025

September Plant Fair Prep Seed labelling, Bellingen.

Lisa Hope Open Gardens

Bellingen Plant Fair Prep

Wednesday 3rd September, 1.30pm. Seed labelling, Bellingen.

TThe final stage of our Plant fair prep – assuming we’ve bagged all our seed, we then pack it all into labelled envelopes. Because labelled seeds are wonderfully useful, and it’s a nice touch to inform our customers what they’re getting.
 
RSVP by clicking here for the address.   
 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

August 24, 2025

August Bellingen Plant Fair Preparation

Lisa Hope Open Gardens

Bellingen Plant Fair Prep

Saturday 30th August 10:30am – 2:30pm. Seed processing, Bellingen.

Please note, we have changed the time and location from the last newsletter.

The venue will be the Bellingen Youth Hub. If you’ve already RSVP’d then you’ll get an email to confirm the address, if you haven’t RSVP’d and want to go – please tell us you’re coming.

Once again, we’re preparing for Spring and the Plant Fair. We start with one of the most fun events on the Seed Savers calendar – seed processing day. Our loyal growers of locally adapted and delicious vegies team up with learner-gardeners, and together we convert dried lettuce stalks, bean pods, corn husks etc. into nicely bagged packs for the general public.

If you have saved a few seeds from your favourite crop, then bring ’em in or contact us to arrange a pickup. And even if you don’t have seed to spare; come in and help, have a chat, and probably learn a thing or two about seed saving.

There’ll be a few activities to pass the time; demos of preparing arrowroot and tree spinach, and a chance to feel some pretty luscious compost.

If you’d like to come, then RSVP by clicking here, and and we’ll send you the address. Bring a plate to share for lunch – chairs and tables are provided.

For seed pickup or further info, contact:
Nick: 0474 114 773, mail@bellingenpermaculture.com.au, or
Jeff: 0438 655 728 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

June 24, 2025

Copy of: Sloping block in Bellingen

Lisa Hope Open Gardens

This is a moderate to steep block. We’ll get together and talk about gardening on a slope; access, erosion control, water, and so on, and then have a look at what Gary and Libby have done over the last ten years or so. They’ve learnt a lot, done a lot, and are still experimenting. Slopes can be challenging, but one thing’s for sure…they’re interesting.
 
Bring a plate to share for morning tea and a chair if you need it. RSVP by clicking here and also tell us if you’d like to carpool, or if you can give David Pepper a lift to or from Gleniffer. Anything else, contact Nick at 0474 114 773, or email: nick@designwithnature.com.au.

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

May 28, 2025

Winter Solstice Celebration

Lisa Hope Open Gardens

It’s that time of year again – exactly halfway through according to the sun.

Join the Bellingen Seedsavers in a feast (bring a plate to share), a walk around an interesting food forest garden, with an interesting guide (Sir David Pepper himself). Bring a chair if you need it and any seeds you have saved for sharing.

RSVP by clicking here

If you RSVP for this event, an email (containing directions) will be sent to the email address you provide on the RSVP form. If you do not receive an email, please check your junk mail folder.

 

May 1, 2025

Sloping block in Bellingen

NewsletterDon Open Gardens

This is a moderate to steep block. We’ll get together and talk about gardening on a slope; access, erosion control, water, and so on, and then have a look at what Gary and Libby have done over the last ten years or so. They’ve learnt a lot, done a lot, and are still experimenting. Slopes can be challenging, but one thing’s for sure…they’re interesting.
 
Bring a plate to share for morning tea and a chair if you need it. RSVP by clicking here and also tell us if you’d like to carpool, or if you can give David Pepper a lift to or from Gleniffer. Anything else, contact Nick at 0474 114 773, or email: nick@designwithnature.com.au.

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

March 21, 2025

Unity Farm at Bonville

NewsletterDon Open Gardens

Unity Farm is an experimental project of the North Coast Settlement Service, which aims to help refugees from mainly Myanmar and Ethiopia to grow food. These are some very skilled gardeners: working out what you can grow locally and how. The farm has some higher ground (worked more by the Ethiopians) and lower, wetter flats (more the Myanmar style).

Seedsavers will come in, talk gardening, swap seeds, eat yummy food – the usual sort of thing we do. Come along by RSVP’ing below and you’ll get the address (but it might take a few days).

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

March 8, 2025

Seed labelling, sharing and swapping

NewsletterDon Open Gardens

The Autumn plant fair has been cancelled, but we still have lots of seed packets to label. So come in and help finish that job off, have lunch, and then the fun starts – seed distribution!

That’s where you get to score some of the great seed we have in the Seed savers vault. We’ll also swap and share; so  if you’re after something special, or have something pretty cool to share (even if just in a small quantity), then say so on the RSVP message.

Here’s an example: Nick is looking for cuttings of Brazil spinach and will bring cuttings of pepper vine (the edible species).

On the 21st of March a reminder newsletter will go out to include our joint ‘wish list/ insider crops ‘ to help the group pull together the goods. 

 

Venue: probably in Bellingen town, but yet to be confirmed. You won’t get confirmation of the address when you RSVP – it’ll come in a separate email a few days or a week later.

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

February 8, 2025

Plant fair seed processing with Paul and Viv at Hydes Creek

NewsletterDon Open Gardens

Our regular plant fair gig is coming up, so we’ll get together and process seeds.

 

If you have seeds, bring ’em in and we’ll bag ’em up. If your seeds need processing, for example, corn on the cob or lettuce on the stalk, we’ll strip, shuck, winnow, sieve…whatever needs doing. If you don’t have seeds come in and help, have a chat, and maybe learn something. And of course, if you have seed to donate but can’t make it on the day, contact Nick or Jeff (see below) for a pickup.

 

That’s our standard Plant Fair prep. but this year there’s a twist. If you’re a bewildered beginner to growing food then the first hour is dedicated to you. Bring in your questions and our experienced gardening team will answer them. If you are experienced, you’re either on the panel or you can hang about helping Jeff to set up for seed processing.

 

Make sense? The simple answer is; come along, anyone and everyone is welcome.

 

Our wonderful hosts will be Paul and Viv. Bring a plate to share for afternoon tea – RSVP below for details and so we know you’re coming.

 

Contacts for seed pickup:

Nick: phone 0474 114 773, email: mail@bellingenpermaculture.com.au

Jeff: phone 0438 655 728, email: seeds@bellingenseedsavers.com

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

December 31, 2024

Garden tour with Linda Woodrow Coffs Harbour

NewsletterDon Open Gardens

Happy New Year!

 

Linda Woodrow has grown food at commercial scale to supply an organic greengrocer and taught urban horticulture in concrete Havana. She’s the author of ‘The Permaculture Garden’ and the solarpunk novel ‘470’, and her current adventure is to see just how much food can be grown on a small, suburban block in Coffs Harbour.

Bellingen seed savers has scored a gig with Linda, who will run a show and tell around ‘How to grow food when you’re short on space, and time’ on site, in her garden.

 

RSVP below: Note that spots are limited and you won’t automatically get one, but you should get an automated reply saying you’re on the hotlist (or ‘in the system’, or equivalent). If you don’t get an automated reply, then contact Nick by emailing nick@designwithnature.com.au or texting 0474 114 773. Please ignore that there are 0 places available.

 

Yaam Gumbaynggirr.gundi jagun.

This is Gumbaynggirr homeland.

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Looking for advice?

We have a public Facebook Group for chats between seed savers – we all know gardeners love to talk about gardening! Trying to source a plant? Looking for gardening advice? This is the right place: Bellingen Seed Savers Chatter

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