Chattanooga Seed Saving Workshop — Collect, Clean, Store & Stratify Native Seeds

At the edge of Chattanooga’s East Side, Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga (1000 E 30th Street Chattanooga, TN 37407) hosts a compact, practical seed-saving workshop that feels equal parts classroom and backyard lab. On Feb 6, 10am–12pm, Daniel Talley of Euchee Meadows leads a two-hour session unpacking the life cycles of local seeds and teaching collection, cleaning, storage, and cold-stratification techniques. Participants leave with a 128-cell starter flat sown with seeds from twelve native species—spring ephemerals, warm-season perennials, woody species, grasses and sedges—that they’ll carry home for winter stratification and spring planting. What makes this class stand out is Daniel’s deep practical knowledge. Along with his wife Denise, Daniel is co-owner of Euchee Meadows Nursery in Meigs County, TN; he brings 25 years in horticulture and a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2001). That experience shows in a workshop that balances identification and ecology with actionable propagation techniques: how to recognize ripe seed heads, simple tools for cleaning and separating seeds, correct storage conditions, and the timing and temperature cues required for cold stratification. The setting at Crabtree Farms reinforces the lesson. This is an urban farm and education site where hands-on practice matters: every seed you sow in the provided 128-cell flat is a micro-lesson in germination. The curriculum focuses on regional natives so your selections will support local pollinators and resilient plant communities rather than dubious exotics. Bring curiosity and a willingness to get dirty—this is tactile, low-tech conservation work with immediate payoff. Practicalities are straightforward. The workshop is appropriate for students age 12 and up, accepts up to 30 people, and runs about two hours. Supplies listed in the program include the flat, seedling mix, grit, and multiple species of seed so you can experiment with mixes and monocultures before committing them to a spring bed. Refund requests are accepted up to seven days prior with a 10% cancellation fee. For gardeners, restoration volunteers, and anyone who wants a direct link between local ecology and the food or flower beds they tend, this class is a rare combination of plant science and do-it-yourself skill-building. It’s also a chance to learn propagation from a grower whose work—Euchee Meadows—focuses on native plugs and sustainable nursery practice. If you’ve ever wanted to turn roadside seedheads into next year’s meadow, this workshop is a practical first step. Meet at Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga • 1000 E 30th Street Chattanooga, TN 37407 and plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early to sign the mandatory client waiver. Daniel’s workshop often weaves personal field stories—he enjoys hiking, botanizing, whitewater canoeing and kayaking, and horseback riding—which help illustrate how native-plant knowledge supports landscapes on trails, rivers, and rural homesteads.