STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Nationally recognized seed-saving educator Bill McDorman will offer a free garden tour and talk at the Bloom Community Farm in Hailey on Monday, July 9.

“The Seed Story: When, How and Why We Save Seeds” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the farm near Wood River High School. Follow Fox Acres Road past the high school to the farm.

The presentation is sponsored by the Wood River Seed Library and The Community Library.

It features McDorman, a Sun Valley native who founded High Altitude Gardens in the Wood River Valley, in addition to co-founding Seeds Trust and the International Seed Saving Institute. McDorman, author of the book “Basic Seed Saving,” has been teaching classes in wild, edible and medicinal plants and seed saving for more than 25 years.

“People often forget about the importance of seeds and seed saving. In this day and age of plant patenting, genetic modification and corporate control of seeds and agriculture, it is more important than ever to learn how to save, store and share locally grown seeds,” said John Caccia, the founder of the Wood River Seed Library and a co-presenter of Monday’s presentation.

Some researchers estimate that 80 percent of seed diversity will be lost over the next 20 years. Locally, the Wood River Seed Library has enlisted volunteers to contribute seeds from their best harvests, sharing them with others for free.

The Wood River Seed Library is housed at The Community Library in Ketchum. For information, visit www.woodriverseeds.net.