ADAPT: Growing Something New, Sharing Knowledge

Notes from the field describe ‘Hartman’s Giant’ amaranth as having strong color and upright inflorescences. “I would grow this again, and I’d like to experiment cooking with it,” said Karen…

A large, lush garden full of various crops at Seed Savers Exchange's Heritage Farm

Varieties

Recommendations from the 2025 ADAPT Trials

ADAPT gardeners certainly know plenty about what makes a variety great, and we’ve compiled data from some of their top picks from SSE’s catalog. Participants trialed these varieties as part of the 2025 ADAPT program.

Four sliced beets of different colors (white and yellow, red, yellow, and white) lined up.

Learn

SSE’s ADAPT program seeks community scientists

Do you enjoy gardening? Do you like growing truly unique varieties? Do you love knowing that you are contributing to a good cause like increasing biodiversity? Do you want to try something new in 2024? If you answered “yes” to any (or all) of these questions, then Seed Savers Exchange has an exciting opportunity for you: the Community Science ADAPT program.

Varieties

Heirloom Collard Trials

Discover the rich history and diverse performance of heirloom collard greens through the 2020 Heirloom Collard Variety Trials. Learn how 250 gardeners and farmers across the U.S. evaluated 18 unique collard varieties, with insights into taste, yield, vigor, and adaptability. This collaborative project celebrates the preservation of Southern food traditions and highlights the ongoing efforts to conserve rare seed varieties for future generations. Explore trial results and find the perfect collard variety for your garden or farm.

Photo of Dorene Pasekoff holding bowls of tomatoes.

Stewardship Stories

Dorene Pasekoff ADAPT Spotlight

Celebrate the passion behind Seed Savers Exchange’s Community Science Program through the inspiring stories of volunteers like Dorene Pasekoff. Discover her journey from community gardening to farming and seed saving, and learn how she’s helping steward heirloom varieties for future generations through the ADAPT and RENEW programs. A tribute to biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and the love of growing.

A large garden with many plants with a red barn in the distance

Varieties

Community Scientists Make A Difference

The 2018 community science programs, consisting of 80 Seed Savers Exchange members, helped us take another giant step forward in preserving our collection.

A close up of a leafy green lettuce plant with some splashes of bronze color

Varieties

Members Help ADAPT Program Shine

The year 2017 proved a success for Seed Savers Exchange’s new Community Science programs. Myriad SSE members answered the call to participate in one (or both) of the programs—ADAPT and RENEW.

A tall bean plant supported by a trellis made of netting and tree branches in a garden

Stewardship Stories

‘Brinker Carrier’ Bean

From the Seed Savers Exchange collection, the ‘Brinker Carrier’ bean represents the histories and connections between two families in West Virginia that span several generations.