It all started with Andrea Collier‘s Facebook page.

The Crystal Lake woman noticed that people in McHenry County’s gardening community needed a place to learn and talk, so she created McHenry County Plantings page in March 2019.

[ See more photos of preparations for the Great Seed Event ]

“It went from 20 people to 14,000 now” who all talk online about gardening and growing their own food, Collier said.

That Facebook group started meeting in real life, with spring and winter plant swaps at the McHenry County Farm Bureau parking lot. A few years later, they decided to add an event to swap the seeds they collected from native wildflowers, ornamental plantings and garden produce.

After a few years doing the informal swaps, Collier connected with Emily Zack, coordinator for McHenry County College’s Center for Agrarian Learning. With their new partnership – while working with the University of Illinois Extension and its Master Gardeners program – about 250 people showed up that first year to what they now call the Great Seed Event, Zack said.

“It was overwhelming in a small classroom, but we decided we need to expand,” Zack said.

Last year, after moving the seed event to the college’s cafeteria, 1,000 people showed up to swap seeds and talk gardening.

The event has expanded again. In addition to swapping seeds raised by area gardeners, they have seeds donated by area businesses and seed companies. Vendors will have tables of wares for sale, demonstrations are set throughout the four-hour event, and presentations are set on building a pocket prairie, urban food forests and “composting at home and beyond.”

The Great Seed and Soil Event is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at the MCC Cafeteria.

Attendees “bring in all kinds of stuff” to share with other gardeners, Collier said.

Zinnia seeds are popular, as are heirloom tomatoes.

“We have had natives, perennials, annuals, vegetable and tree seeds,” she said.

Those bringing seeds to share are asked to package and label them with what the seed is and where it was grown. Organizers had problems in the past with people bringing seeds in open containers. “There was milkweed everywhere,” Zack said.

Why do gardeners collect seeds, and why would other people want those seeds? Because not only is it economical to save seeds from one growing season to the next, it allows gardeners to plant seeds they know will produce.

“There are varieties that you cannot find, and you save the seeds off of those,” Collier said. “They know it produced for them and want to keep the seeds from them.”

It isn’t a perfect system, however. Some flowers, bred for certain colors, will cross with others. The seeds in the next generation may not be the same.

“The cross-pollination doesn’t stay true,” Zack said.

The event – and the McHenry County Plantings Facebook group – isn’t necessarily for Master Gardeners, or those looking to get that certification from the U of I Extension Service.

“You can get your shoe in and find out it is not as complicated” as one may think to start raising your own food, Collier said. Master Gardeners and vendors at the event will be available to answer questions to help people who are still learning, she added.

“Saving seeds and growing your own plants from seeds is not as hard as people think it is. This is a great opportunity to try something new, talk to the experts or just people who have done it before, and before you get started, get free tips and education. And seeds,” Zack said.