Sierra Club Sponsors Annual Seed Swap This Weekend

Our Daily Show Interview! Sierra Club- Piasa Palisades: Seed Swap, Buzz'd Beer, and More!

ALTON - The Sierra Club will host their annual Seed Swap this weekend.

The Piasa Palisades chapter of the Sierra Club stays busy, but on March 7, 2026, community members can come to one of their biggest events of the year. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at The Wedge in Alton, the organization will offer a space for gardeners to share seed packets and gardening tips.

“Seed saving has been throughout cultures from the beginning of time. Before there were formal events that started really in the 1970s, people traded, bartered, exchanged with their neighbors. It was a commodity, if you will, as people traveled,” explained Christine Favilla.

The Sierra Club started their Seed Swap in 2012. This is their first year holding the event at The Wedge, and Favilla commended the space as a great partner to the club.

If you have store-bought seeds, you can bring them in their original package. If you have seeds you grew yourself, you need to put them in a bag and label the bag with your name, the date or season you harvested the seeds, and the scientific or common name of the plant.

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You can also bring plant cuttings, divisions and starts. Favilla said vegetables and herbs are common. The plants do not have to be native to Illinois, though she joked these plants have “an edge.”

“We prefer it only because anything that’s native from here is used to the climate, so the amount of sunlight, the amount of moisture, our clay soil, that kind of thing,” she said. “Natives kind of have a bit of an edge over other perennials. But we don’t specify. We’re not purists. As long as you don’t bring invasive species seeds.”

The Sierra Club members work hard to make it easy for attendees to swap their seeds. Favilla noted that everyone in attendance is eager to share their expertise, which is part of the fun.

“There’s a lot of education that goes on that day,” she said. “We have veteran farmers that have been around doing this for many years. They can talk about the different varieties that work well, different heirlooms that are available. Those are really fun to play around with. You can get tomatoes in every shade possible, including black.”

Ultimately, she encourages community members to come be a part of the experience whether you have seeds to trade or not. The goal is to learn, and everyone will leave with plenty of seeds to fill their own gardens.

“We have way more materials to give away than not. So if you don't have anything at all, please just come,” she added. “Come share in the camaraderie. Talk to fellow gardeners and find out what works for them.”

For more information about the Piasa Palisades chapter of the Sierra Club, including their upcoming events, visit their official webpage or their official Facebook page.

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