Ideas needed to organise a seed swap please!

[Pompeylottie]

I am organising a seed swap at work at the end of March, as part of the council's "Green Champions" group - any hints or tips please? I have only been to a couple myself. I should have over 150 packets to start off the swap, (thanks to generosity of lovely people here) - is it okay to ask 10p per packet for those who come and dont have seeds to swap? - we're not doing it to make a profit but to promote green issues and can donate any cash to the Lord Mayors fund.

Should I lay the seeds out on tables, or in boxes?
I'm going to put a table out with recycling for gardening - plant labels made out of plastic margerine tubs and milk containers, how to make newspaper pots etc. - any other ideas please?

Bit nervous now, hope we get people to come!

[Jelliebabe]

How about instructions on how to compost or how to make a compost bin - recipes on what to do with the veg they can grow??? Good luck!

[zazen999]

I'm currently planning one for HSL in March and we:

Have a copy of the seed saving guidelines for reference
Put the seeds into boxes such as 'tomatoes' 'peppers' 'beans' etc; and let people dive into those.
Ask for a donation of £1 per pack which goes to HSL if people haven't got seeds to swap; I'd still suggest 50p rather than 10p as 10p only just covers the cost of the packets these days.
Also, we have little baskets of seeds like a certain type of runner, achocha, peas [basically big seeds] and some bags so that people can bag them up themselves.

If I remember anything else, I'll put it on here as I think. But anything that promotes green things, perhaps put labels on each packet promoting the next big local green event [as people take them away, put the labels on or they will be out of date at the next swap].

[Two_Sheds]

Bit nervous now, hope we get people to come!

Are you on facebook? If so, send out a group invite (click on Events) to everyone in your address book and ask them to pass it on too

It would be good if you had a few plants on display to show how it can be done, ie carrots in Morrisons buckets, herbs in bean cans, salad leaves in mushroom boxes etc. I have some French beans in 3" pots that germinated in 3 days, they are growing an inch a day I reckon

Print out some nice big photos of planters filled with veg? BM had some nice examples on his Square Foot Gardening thread

I'm keen on leafmold, so I'd have a tub of autumn leaves and a tub of the finished product, to show you can make your own potting compost

A little tasting plate of home-made jam/chutney? With little squares of home-made bread?

[northepaul]

At our local seed swap, we asked 30p for a packet if someone didnt bring any swaps. Someone made some really nice wooden plant labels from old bits of wood and charged 50p for 5, and some people sold medlar tart - made from the community garden medlars.
What about a product exchange? I know they do similar at River Cottage - basically you bring something you've grown/made, and swap it for something else.....

[Pompeylottie]

What brilliant ideas, thanks so much for the advice, I will definately be trying those suggestions. The only one I cant do unfortunately is advertising publicly as its to be held in the council civic offices and only employees will have access. But I will get a poster out next week and these ideas have made me feel much more positive and even look forward to it!