WFDD Triad Arts Archive: Old Salem Museums & Gardens and Slow Food Piedmont present Diane Ott Whealy

Triad Arts with David Ford

Listen to the program as broadcast on March 5, 2012

Old Salem Museums & Gardens and Slow Food Piedmont present Diane Ott Whealy

March 5, 2012

This morning it’s the art of gardening on TAUC. Diane Ott Whealy is Co-Founder and Vice President of Seed Savers Exchange, the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. This extraordinary organization was begun back in 1975 with just a few seeds, and it has grown to include over 600 varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs and plants including 74 types of tomatoes! Today Seed Savers has more than 13,000 members, there are orchards, ancient White Park Cattle, heritage poultry, and even trout. Diane’s new book Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver is about the exchange and its mission to save North America’s garden heritage for future generations. She’s bringing her message of hope to Old Salem Museums & Gardens with a dinner on March 12 hosted by Beta Verde—Home Sown Productions, a lecture in Gray Auditorium on March 13 at 6:30pm followed by a book signing and tasting local heirlooms in the concourse, and on Wednesday morning the 14th at 11:00am Diane will sign books at Horton Center Rotunda followed by a local feast in the MESDA Auditorium at 11:30am. The events are co-sponsored by Slow Food Piedmont.