Come see a seed farm in action and learn about small scale seed cleaning equipment, cover cropping and selling fresh produce in conjunction with seed saving.

Kathy Rothermel and Annie Richard – the humans of Kitchen Table Seed House – are dedicated to providing the most productive and flavourful varieties of organic vegetables, herbs and flowers to grow and enjoy – both in the garden and in the kitchen. They grow over three acres at two separate sites on Wolfe Island, to allow for crop rotations and necessary isolation distances. They are working to improve existing varieties to better perform in our region’s climate and soils as well as develop new varieties of vegetables that are flavourful, productive and better suited for organic systems.

Join these experienced seed growers and farmers for a day on Wolfe Island and an in-depth tour and conversation about their story and systems, as well as a seed cleaning demonstration.

About the hosts

Annie is an eater, seed producer and budding plant breeder. While in culinary school, Annie rounded out her experience with a summer farm internship where she discovered the incredible range and potential of flavour possibilities in the garden. She went on to learn on numerous farms, studied Sustainable Agriculture at Fleming College and worked at Kingston’s Heirloom Seed Sanctuary. These experiences reinforced her interest in producing and developing quality seed. A growing knowledge of plant breeding and the ways it can best serve farmers and gardeners lead to her working under Dr. Michael Mazourek in the Plant Breeding department at Cornell University. Her current work to improve and develop varieties, with flavour at the forefront, is her central focus at Kitchen Table Seed House.

Kathy is a gardener, organic seed producer and mother. A life-long love of the country, and a desire to share that experience with her family, led to a move to Wolfe Island. Meeting local seed savers opened her world to the necessity of regional seed for the growth of a resilient and robust food system. She is a founding member of the Kingston and Area Seed System Initiative (KASSI), co-founder of Kitchen Table Seed House and is active in National Farmers Union Local 316. This work has been a natural extension of her socially active family and community life, and her strong belief in the importance of gathering to share good food around the kitchen table.

Preparation

Please bring your own lunch and snacks.

Accessibility information

To access Wolfe Island, please take the Wolfe Island ferry, free from downtown Kingston. Carpool is encouraged! Look for the Kitchen Table Seed House farm sign off Hwy 95 – this indicates the lane to turn into.

Parking information

Parking along farm lane, and if need be on the side of the road