FARMINGTON — The Maine Fiddlehead Festival returns to Farmington on Saturday for its sixth year with a theme of greater food security through seed diversity.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Maine Farmington’s Emery Community Arts Center. In line with this year’s theme “Seeds and Breeds: Promoting and Preserving Food Diversity,” the festival will offer demonstrations on seed saving techniques, processing acorns for flour and bread, cooking with cannabis, making goat cheese, baking homemade pita bread and tips and tricks of urban foraging and harvesting.

As in previous years, festival attendees can learn about fiddlehead foraging and processing on the annual Fiddlehead Talk & Walk. The festival also will include a farmer’s market, live music and baby farm animals, as well as locally sourced lunches. Farmers and vendors will be featuring their heirloom seeds and breeds.

On Sunday, UMF will host a screening of the documentary “SEED: The Untold Story,” a look at worldwide efforts to secure the global food supply through seed saving and sharing. The film features Will Bonsall, of Industry, whose Scatterseed Project works to preserve thousands of genetically diverse crops, including over 700 varieties of potatoes, 1,200 varieties of peas and extensive collections of artichokes, chickpeas, fava beans and runner beans. According to Fedco Seeds, a cooperative Northeastern seed company, Bonsall’s farm may be the only place in the world some of these varieties are still available. Bonsall will introduce the screening at 4 p.m. Sunday at UMF’s Lincoln Auditorium.

A group of UMF faculty and staff members, students and community members started the Fiddlehead Festival in 2011 as a response to growing concerns about the future of the world’s food supply. The festival has gained increasing prominence over the years, attracting visitors from around Maine and beyond.

Festival organizers expressed optimism about Saturday’s turnout despite a forecast calling for rain throughout the day.

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“We feel that the Fiddlehead Festival has reached a tipping point with its reputation extending beyond our geographic area now,” said Luke Kellett, sustainability coordinator for UMF. “Last year people attended from all over, including out of state, so we expect a good crowd this year, rain or shine.”

Kate McCormick — 861-9218

kmccormick@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @KateRMcCormick


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