Oakstead Seed School: Garden Planning

Do you want to save seeds from your garden this year?

Join us in our first monthly workshop of the 2026 season. In March, we will focus on garden planning. In a seed garden, knowing plant families and isolation distances is crucial. We will also learn about citizen science projects you can join such as the Heirloom Collard Project and the Maypop Passionfruit Improvement Project.

Bring seed catalogs! We want to use examples of things you want to grow this year.

Oakstead Farm is 0.3 miles from the Branch Ave Metro Station. There is free parking at the metro station on weekends. We can accomodate only 5 cars at the farm. We will organize a 10am shuttle to bring people over from the metro.

RSVP for the farm address.

Learning goals for the March class:

Participants will be able to assess whether their favorite garden crops can pollinate each other, using their understanding of taxonomy and their ability to Google.

Participants will be able to set their own goals for the 2026 gardening season, and will be able to analyze whether seed production, crop improvement, and/or crop trials makes sense for their situation.

Participants will be able to develop relationships with each other and the land at Oakstead Farm.

Participants will collectively guide the direction of this year's course, and begin to tailor a long-term project that supports participants' own goals.

"Locally Adapted Seed Saving 2026" is a 9-month course presented by the Ira Wallace Seed School, a project of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, and the DMV Seed Commons.

Click here for the full syllabus for Locally Adapted Seed Saving.

Click here to join the Whatsapp Group for the DMV Seed Commons.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Ira Wallace Seed School