The 18th Peliti Seed Festival will take place in Greece, at the land of Peliti in Mesochori Paranesti, Drama Prefecture Greece, on Saturday, April 14th 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It is with great pleasure that we invite you at the 18th Peliti Seed Festival.
This Festival is the main event of the Community of Peliti throughout the year, celebrating the traditional seed varieties, the autochthonous farm animals, the no-money economy and this year we are also celebrating the 23 years of the Community of Peliti (1995-2018).
The Peliti Seed Festival 2018 will run in parallel with the 2nd Olympic Seed Festival, (from 11-14 April 2018) suggested by Peliti at the World People’s Assembly which was held in The Hague, from 14 to16 October 2016.
The 18th Seed Festival of Peliti is organized by the Community of Peliti, www.peliti.gr
with the kind support of :
The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, www.pamth.gov.gr
The Municipality of Paranesti, www.paranesti.gr
The Center of Environmental Education of Paranesti, www.kpeparanestiou.gr
The Management Body of Rhodope Mountain Range, www.fdor.gr
The Halki Theological School, www.theologicalschoolhalki.com
The Global Movement to defend seed, Seed Freedom, seedfreedom.info
The Navdanya Indian-based non-governmental organization, www.navdanya.org
The Association Kokopelli in France, www.kokopelli-semences.fr
All the excited with the Seed Festival of Peliti women and men from all over the planet.
A brief historical reference for the Peliti Seed Festival
The event of seed celebration, which took place for the first time on 1999, at Karpi village in Kilkis, Greece, was the first public exchange of seeds in Greece, as well as one of the earliest seeds celebration globally.
October 1999: the second celebration of seeds took place in Karpi village in Kilkis, Greece.
2000: the celebration took place at Pomakika villages, on the mountains of Rhodope prefecture, in Greece.
2001: the celebration took place in the town of Serres, Northern Greece.
From 2005 to 2009, the celebration was hosted by the Holy Monastery of the Honorable Forerunner, at the Anatoli village on Kissavos Mountain of Greece. During those feasts, due to the assistance from the nuns, the celebration expanded. It was then that the celebration date has been established to be the first Saturday after the Orthodox Easter, each year.
As from 2010 the celebration takes place at the Land of Peliti, at Mesochori village of Paranesti, municipality of Drama. The celebration, which, up to then was called ‘Panhellenic Festival of Exchange of Traditional Varieties’ from the Holy Monastery of the Honorable Forerunner’, became the ‘Pan-Thessaliki Exchange Festival of Traditional Varieties’.
On 2012 and 2013 the International Days of Seeds were also held in parallel.
On 2013, the Austalia’s seedsavers reffered to the celebration as the Largest Seed Exchange in the World.
2014 was the starting point for the International Solidarity Caravan for Seeds.
On 2015 during the celebration for the 20 years of the Community of Peliti (1995-2015) took place the 1st Word Meeting for Common Goods
On 2016 the theme was: seeds, immigrants, refugees, solidarity.
On 2017, the 1st Olypic Seed’s Festival was organized. Seventeen (17) countries from all over the world have participated and it was then that we created the declaration of the celebration.
The festival has inspired thousands of people worldwide, encouraging them to organize corresponding celebrations in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Cyprus and other countries.
Every year, thousands of people (on 2017 we had more than 4000 visitors) not only from Greece but also from all over the world participate in the festival. Among these people are included renown personalities on the world movement for Seed Liberty, on the world movement for the Land Liberty, the Water Liberty, etc. Indicatively, we mention Dr. Vandana Shiva (2013 & 2015) from India, Michel & Jude Fantom, (2013) from Australia, Hugo Blanco (2015) from Peru, Jody Koperiski (2015) from Canada, Margrinos Rey (2015) from France, Tapsoba Ali De Goamma Burkina Faso (2017) and many others.
It is now time, also, for you all, to tune in and focus on collecting seeds from the varieties you cultivate, becoming, thus, one of those who will offer some seeds and a lot of happiness in the 18th Seed Festival of Peliti. One of Peliti’s philosophical principles is to support the freedom of man to hold his own seeds, so that, each year he is not dependent, neither on the market nor even on Peliti.
We encourage all of you that either have received seeds from Peliti during the previous years, or you keep up traditional varieties, to come this year on Festival 2018, in order to offer rather than receiving seeds. The festival is open to anyone who is interested, regardless of his/her cultivating seeds or not. The cultivation of traditional varieties and their free distribution is a profound political action. By the term “political” we mean the action we choose to solve the agricultural, environmental, economic and social problems of our country and not only. Peliti’s Seed Festival is a picture from the future. Everyone offer to the community, and, through that action, everyone has what they need. This is how we envision our future. We all offer to the community and we all have free access to all goods. This way, the festival can be organized through the voluntary offer of work, food, materials, seeds, plants, music, etc. All these are offered freely at the festival (seeds, plants, food, music, dance, speeches, activities, etc).
Those of you who will bring your seeds, plants, or autochthonous farm animals, you have to inform us, about it, the latest by February/ 15th 2018. This is important for us to best organize and protect the festival.
Cultivators who will offer seeds, should carry at least 50 sachets from each variety plus one sachet from each variety, for the Peliti Seed Bank. The Seeds on Peliti’s Seed Festival are shared free of charge.
Seeds must be packed in paper bags indicating:
- the species
- the variety
- the area of cultivation
- the name of the grower
- the way of cultivation
Farmers who are unable to make this package should inform us in time, before February 15th 2018, so that we will take over the packaging.
We suggest that growers and breeders bring also photographic material (not promotional material). Cultivators and breeders will have stands where they will present their work, their seeds or their animals.
Photo: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. (U.S.A.)
Cultivators and breeders, upon their arrival at Peliti will receive from the secretariat – if they have not already received it beforehand – the special badge with their name.
The distribution of seeds and plants
The seed and plant offer will be made from 10:30 a.m. on the basis of the special coupons which can be obtained from the celebration secretariat, at the entrance of the estate. Visitors coming to the event will receive four coupons. Coupons are distributed free of charge. Each coupon corresponds to a seed bag and immediately afterwards it is voided. This means that you need to be aware of what exactly you want to collect. You might consider that the four sachets are not enough. We believe that this amount of seeds is a very good start or continuity for your garden. Finally, whatever we can not get can be taken by our friend. This way, throughout the exchange, we will also receive it. Besides, exchanges are one of Peliti’s key objectives. The coupon system also has its drawbacks, but for now we have not found a better way for the distribution of seeds and plants.
Festival Schedule
Seed distribution 10:30 a.m. – 14:00 p.m.
Visit to the Seed’s House of Peliti 10:30 a.m. – 14:00 p.m.
Speeches – Workshops start at 11:00 a.m.
Creative employment for children 10:30 a.m. – 13:30 p.m.
Workshop ‘mosaic with seed’, open seedbed and much more.
Photo: Aris Pavlos
Workshop of weaving in the Peliti Seed’s House
Seeds Refugees Immigrants Solidarity
We present the gardens of hope that are consisted from local varieties of seeds in war zones in Syria and in hospitality areas for refugees and immigrants in Greece
The lunch of love 13:00 p.m.
Common lunch for everyone with traditional legume varieties.
Photo: Aris Pavlos
Singing for Peliti, The Namaste Band at the Seed Festival
Photo: Aris Pavlos
Photography Exhibition
We present farmers around the world who preserve their own seed.
Photo: Adam Forbes (U.S.A.)
Exhibition of agricultural tools
For the first time, we will also have an exhibition of traditional agricultural tools and household utensils. The collection is by Theodoros Dimitriadis, who will talk about the usage of the tools.
Free Bazaar
Photo: Aris Pavlos
See the exact location of the Festival
Tell us where do you come from,
Connect the place you live with Peliti, we are all tuned and connected.
Photo: Aris Pavlos
And much more that you will see and live at the festival.
You can request information from :
e-mail : olympicseedfestival[ad]peliti.gr
Website of Peliti : www.peliti.gr
Face book: Peliti & Olympic Seed festival
You Tube Peliti channel : You Tube peliti
Postal address:
Peliti, PO Box 15, Postcode 66101 Drama, Greece
Phone: +0030-2521550951
“Let God keep us healthy,
so we always be able to meet and have fun,
dancing on cycles and be free like the rivers”
Until we meet again
See also:
How to get to Peliti
It would be great if you would like to support financially Peliti’s actions and we thank you for this in advance.
By depositing in Peliti’s Bank Account:
Piraeus Bank of Greece
Account Number: 6198-040030-332
IBAN: GR10 0171 1960 0061 9804 0030 332
SWIFT-BIC: PIRBGRAA
Beneficiary: Alternative Community of Peliti
all the best
Hug
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