Seedy Sunday: Joshua Sparkes - The Future is Perennial

What if we didn't have to start again every spring? Joshua Sparkes shares how perennial crops, food forests and agroforestry are helping to create productive, wildlife-rich growing systems that build soil, store carbon and produce food year after year. A fascinating glimpse into the future of truly resilient food growing.

Joshua Sparkes is Head Gardener at Birch Farm in North Devon, where he is helping pioneer innovative approaches to natural farming and food growing inspired by agroforestry and perennial food systems. At Birch Farm, Joshua combines traditional horticultural knowledge with techniques such as syntropic agroforestry, bokashi composting and biodiversity-led design to create productive landscapes that support both people and wildlife. His work explores how resilient, climate-ready food systems can be built by working with nature rather than against it. 

About Seedy Sunday

Kickstart the growing season at the city’s biggest gardening event - and the UK’s longest-running community seed swap.

At the heart of Seedy Sunday is a huge seed swap table where heritage & local seeds are donated and swapped. Everyone is welcome to bring seeds to swap, or make a small donation for a packet. A huge range of stallholders also offer seeds, gardening kit and much more for sale. Whether you have seeds to swap or not, Seedy Sunday is the perfect place to kick-off the growing season, getting seeds, materials & inspiration for the months ahead.

Entry to the event will be by donation on the day. Tickets for the event’s much-anticipated programme of talks will be on sale later this autumn.

Find out more here

Now in it's 20th year, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership are proud to organise Seedy Sunday. The Food Partnership was started by local residents in 2003, and the committed team of staff & volunteers deliver a range of food projects that have helped over 20,000 local people learn to cook, grow their own food, eat a healthier diet and waste less.