On Saturday, Jan. 27, Hilton Farm II hosted their Seed Swap Day event at the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department for farmers looking to learn more information about seed planting and swap or purchase gardening tools such as seed, soil, and more.

“The event is to share seeds and gardening information with the community,” event organizer Shelby Huber said. “We will have tables with different types of seeds, pots, soils, and tools that are available for swapping or purchase with a small donation. We will have farmers and gardeners there sharing information and education as well. We usually have a handful of vendors that set up to retail plant-related items as well as community groups with information. We also had some light refreshments from my farm, Hilton Farm II.”

This is the second year that this event has been held. Huber brought the idea for the event to the table just before last winter while looking for gardening events to attend herself.

“I began them last January when I was looking for local gardening events in the winter and looked up national days and realized we didn’t have any local winter [gardening] events,” Huber said. “So I spoke with a few of my farm friends and we planned one and they just grew from there.”

Previous events have drawn up to 250 people according to Huber, and she hopes to see beginner and experienced gardeners show up for the first of three Seed Swap Day events this winter.

“I was anticipating close to 100 people for our first swap,” Huber said. “In the past they have had anywhere from 70-250 people at each event.”