Seed Saving for the Culture: Seed starting for Fall at Elevate Farms

On August 29, 2026 members of our local grower community gathered under the at Elevate Farms in Fayetteville, GA for an inspiring, hands-on Fall Seed Starting & Seed Saving Workshop. Hosted alongside Kay Mance of Elevate Farm and Sis Roxanne of Roots N' Earth.

Whether you're tending a home garden plot, managing an urban homestead, or scaling up community agricultural spaces, transitioning into the fall season requires intentional preparation.

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Here are the core practices we covered during the workshop:

Selecting & Timing Fall Crops: How to smoothly transition beds from summer crops (like tomatoes and peppers) to cool-weather crops like collards, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, and root veggies. We covered using Cool Season Cover Crops (NRCS Cover Crop Standard 340), to protect bare soil, catch leftover soil nutrients, and naturally add nitrogen back into the ground for next spring.

Seed Saving & Genetic Stewardship: How to tell when seeds are fully mature, the difference between dry and wet seed harvesting, and how to use fermentation for seed cleaning. Saving seeds and storing them properly (cool, dark, and dry) keeps seeds viable for years and protects our local crop diversity

Soil Health & Bed Preparation: Simple low-till techniques aligned with No-Till / Strip Till practices (NRCS Standard 329) to protect living soil structures and beneficial fungal networks. Adding organic Mulch (NRCS Standard 484) keeps soil biology thriving, shields root systems from sudden temperature swings, and builds up organic matter before early winter frosts.

Upcoming BSI Events: Meet Us in the Field!

Original Collard Green Festival (Sustainability Pavilion): Come visit the BSI tabling station! Stop by to chat about regenerative agriculture, pick up educational guides, and connect with fellow growers celebrating cultural foodways and environmental stewardship.

Explore All Upcoming Events: Check out our full events calendar and see where BSI will be tabling next by visiting the Black Sustainability Events Calendar.

Join the AfroEcology Virtual Series

Looking to deepen your knowledge of sustainable farming and technical assistance? Join us for our next virtual session in the AfroEcology Virtual Series.

This upcoming webinar will focus on:

• USDA-NRCS Conservation Practices: Navigating Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, practice standards, and technical assistance opportunities.

• Technical Assistance & Funding: Accessing federal and local resources to support sustainable land sovereignty and farm operations.

Register Now for the Next AfroEcology Virtual Series Session (LINK HERE)

Special Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank you to the entire Mance family for opening up their land and extending such a warm invitation for all of us to gather, grow, and learn on their farm.

We also want to extend a special thank you to Robert Mance Jr. for brilliantly capturing the energy, community, and magic of the event through his lens. You can view his outstanding work and browse the event gallery on the Robert Mance Photography Portfolio.

Thank you to Sister Roxanne Masters for sharing her knowledge and wisdom on seed saving. You’ve been such a wonderful guide as we all learned these essential techniques together.