After that news about Facebook's "Link History" feature, I've decided to close down the Marvelous Monarch Seed Swap Network on there, with a post mentioning Mastodon and Friendica and doing hashtag searches. So...
...this is a hashtag beacon post for anyone from over there who might migrate to over here. There's the generic #seedswap hashtag that's been here a while, but for beacon purposes I'm adding #MarvySwap.
Of course anybody else interested in swapping seeds is welcome. It's nearing that time of year when starting seeds indoors for the upcoming growing season is in order.
The posts following this one outline the methodology of how #MarvySwap worked on FB.
#tutorial
In a nutshell, you post what seeds you have available, members read what seeds you have and say they're interested via reply, but swap details are conducted via PM (in the Fediverse, that would be DM).
They make an agreement to swap, and then swap addresses. That's for a straight up trade.
If a swapper simply wants to order seeds, they can ask the poster if this is an option and if it's okay, the arrangement via DM is to obtain an address to send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) and the transaction happens by that method...BUT!!...
Different methods of utilizing the USPS means the possibility of the seeds getting crushed by USPS sorting machinery, and that often happens if the expectation is to send the seeds via First Class. You need to protect the seeds from crushing while still meeting USPS thickness restrictions or they'll kick the mail back to you for additional postage and then it's a hassle.
Details of how to go about mailing seeds safely will be in the next post in this thread.
#MarvySwap #seedswap #tutorial #KnowItTeachIt
An improved strategy to send more seeds inside a greeting card with sheet foam protection involves multiple small seed packets laid out so that the card still lays flat, but it's a large greeting card, and its envelope bears a NON MACHINEABLE RATE stamp instead of a First Class stamp. It costs more but it's less than the cost of sending a bubble envelope.
That's USPS-speak for "HAND CANCEL" markings on an envelope but even that's not good enough to be sure they won't run it through the machinery, because they will "by accident"...and that's why the attached image looks the way it does.
It has Sharpie markings on both sides for the purpose of interfering with the bar code they put on it as the result of machining.
Notice also that I put the destination zip code where the return address should be (and type of seeds inside) so that the USPS has only one address possible. The idiots in my town have kicked back mail for no reason and with this method it always goes through and the seeds always arrive in good condition.
#MarvySwap #seedswap #tutorial #KnowItTeachIt
If you take precautions that don't trigger the USPS to send your seeds back to you, there is a way to send a few FLAT seeds (like milkweed seeds) via First Class without them getting crushed by sorting machinery.
Some grocery store produce, like apples, get packed in crates with sheet foam. When you use a greeting card, you can slip a piece of that foam in between the front and the back of the card, with your seeds, and send them First Class that way.
Sending small hard seeds, as long as there aren't many, thus risking them bunching up into a lump in one spot, can be done this way via First Class.
Sending more, bulkier seeds will require a different method, of course. The USPS has both size and thickness limits on First Class so anything beyond those limits require a better strategy.