The Rockport Public Library will host its second annual Seed Fest on Saturday, April 11. This free, family-friendly event will take place on the upper and lower levels of the library.

From 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., visitors can browse educational exhibits and activities covering seed-starting, pollinators, soil health, composting, native plants, heirloom vegetables, growing rice and grains in Maine, Wabanaki food sovereignty, and much more.

At 12:30 p.m., Petra Page-Mann, of Fruition Seeds, will deliver an interactive keynote presentation. Page-Mann and her nonprofit seed company are strong advocates of “gift culture,” which involves giving away seeds to promote food cultivation and community building.

"This ethos aligns perfectly with the theme of Seed Fest," said the Library, in a news release.

The event is generously sponsored by the Rockport Library Foundation and is organized in partnership with several organizations, listed alphabetically: Herbal Hummingbird Hub, Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, Maine Grains and Maine Grain Alliance, Maine Heirloom Seed Network, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Maine Rice Project at Ararat Farms, Merryspring Nature Center, Niweskok: From the Stars to Seeds, Roots n Shoots, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Wild Seed Project.

The exhibiting partners will provide valuable information, hands-on activities, items for sale, and an abundance of free seeds and seedlings. Additionally, Midcoast artist Katharine Cartwright’s botanical paintings will be showcased in the library’s lower level for a month-long exhibition titled “In My Garden.”

For more information about Seed Fest and other events at the Rockport Library, visit rockportlibrary.net.