SEED EXCHANGE NEWS
NO SRGC SEED EXCHANGE IN 2020-2021
We are very sorry to have to announce that there will be no SRGC Seed Exchange in 2020-2021. The Covid 19 pandemic has led to all sorts of restrictions this year, and after much discussion, the teams responsible for the three elements of the seed exchange have reached the conclusion that it will not be possible to carry out the seed exchange in circumstances which are likely to require social distancing, and may well place limitations on groups of folk gathering indoors. We also recognise that many of the volunteers key in the running of the exchange are among the higher risk segments of the population, and may be reluctant to volunteer in the usual way. So, please accept our apologies, bear with us until 2021, and read on to find out what we are proposing to do.
NEW EU PLANT AND SEED IMPORT REGULATIONS
In December 2019 the EU implemented new plant and seed import regulations, which apply to the UK as much as any other EU member state. Defra have confirmed that these mean that any seed being sent into the EU from other parts of the world now requires a phytosanitary certificate, with no exceptions. This obviously will affect all of those members who are kind enough to donate seed to us from outside the EU, and we will take the opportunity that the 2020-21 cancellation gives us to try to work out ways in which key donations from other parts of the world might continue to be made to us.
As we write, we are also unclear as to what will happen after the UK transition period ends on December 31st and we finally leave the EU. We do not know whether this will mean that from January 2021 we will need to obtain phytosanitary certificates for all seed we send to our members in the EU. Again, we will be keeping in touch with developments and looking for ways in which we can continue to operate the seed exchange in future.
We will update you all with more information on these developments when it becomes available.
2019-2020 REMAINING SEED - OFFER TO UK MEMBERS
After the seed distribution is completed each year, we have some seed left over which normally goes on tour around the SRGC Spring Shows for members to buy. This represents the last 5-10% of the seed we packet, and Ian and Carole Bainbridge have two trays with around 3000 packets of seed sitting unused this year. If any UK member would like some seed, you can email seed@srgc.org.uk, or write to Ian & Carole, address below, with a list of genera you would like, or list large blocks of numbers from the 2019-20 seed list, and your postal address. Seedlist 73 for 2019-2020 can be found here:
https://www.srgcseed.net/seedlistarchive.aspIan & Carole have agreed they will post out packs of up to 50 packets of seed. In return, members will be asked to make a donation on the SRGC website, details below.....
Please pay a donation of at least 20p per packet plus postage costs, using a credit or debit card by clicking on the “Donate” button on the top right hand corner of the srgc.net home page. After entering your payment amount, please then use the “Note” space to type “Seed” so our treasurer can allocate your donation correctly.
We are sorry that this offer is only being made to UK members, but we are not in a position to deal with import permits, customs lists or overseas postage in the current circumstances. In normal years, this seed is only available to UK members at shows, of course.
Email requests to seed@srgc.org.uk are preferred, but you may post requests to:
Ian & Carole Bainbridge, SRGC Seed Offer, Luckie Harg’s, Anwoth, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, DG7 2EF.
Use the list #73 for 2019-2020 - you can find it on this page :
https://www.srgcseed.net/seedlistarchive.aspCOLLECTION OF SEED FOR 2021 SHOWS
Even though we will not be running a main exchange in 2020-21, we have been thinking of the ways in which seed might be made available to members.
We are therefore seeking volunteers who might collect some seed to be available for the SRGC shows that we hope will be able to take place in spring 2021. If you are a UK member, you could help us in the following way:
• Collect seed of a few choice or unusual plants from your garden – no more than five types.
• Check that these taxa were on the 2019-20 seed list; we will use the same numbers as last year.
• E-mail seed@srgc.org.uk with a note of your 5 items and your postal address, so we can send you labels,
glassine envelopes and instructions on packeting and returning seed.
• Make up ten packets of each of your 5 items and send the seed back in to us for collation.
If around 70 members help with this, we can have the normal volume of seed available for the shows in 2021. If we reach this point, the seed collection will then be closed. Neil and Sheila McNulty have offered to manage this process on our behalf; many thanks to them. We realise that if it is not possible to hold the shows, the seed may never be used, and we may have wasted effort, but we think it worthwhile trying.
Ian & Carole Bainbridge on behalf of the SRGC Seed team.
