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

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.

A 'Hutterite Breadseed' poppy flower with four large petals that are light purple on the outside and deep purple near the base, with a green seed pod exposed in the middle

Varieties

New Seed Varieties for 2026

The 2026 Seed Savers Exchange catalog includes 13 new seed varieties—including six stunning varieties from our seed bank collection—and they promise to be popular picks of gardeners everywhere!

A collage of various images of heirloom plants, including 'Moon & Stars' watermelon, 'German Pink' tomato, 'Three Pound Coffee Can' asparagus, 'Grandpa Ott's' morning glory, dill, and 'Good Mother Stallard' bean

Varieties

50th Anniversary Heirloom Seed Collection

Great seeds, great seed stories. Seed Savers Exchange has stewarded both since its founding in 1975. To mark our 50th year, we’ve released a limited-edition heirloom seed collection featuring six of our most-cherished varieties.

A pile of tiny yellow cherry tomatoes in a metal strainer

Learn

What Are Heirloom Seeds?

The term “heirloom seeds” has increased in popularity in recent years, but what exactly does it mean? “Heirloom” describes a seed’s heritage, specifically a documented heritage being passed down from generation to generation within a family or community.

A garden with many plants and trees and a sign saying Edible Schoolyard.

Learn

Cultivating a Collard Curriculum

Seed Savers Exchange is excited to announce a multi-partner collaborative effort with Alice Waters’s Edible Schoolyard Project. This effort will continue the work of the Heirloom Collard Project and bring in longtime Seed Savers Exchange partner SeedLinked. The purpose of this project is to create a curriculum for middle school students around growing collard greens.

Varieties

New Seed Varieties – 2024

The latest Seed Savers Exchange catalog includes 20 new seed varieties and two new seed collections for 2024, and they promise to be popular picks of gardeners everywhere!

three white squash with long goosenecks and one halved white squash on a straw surface

Recipes

White Pumpkin Pie

Lovers of unique heirloom pumpkins can thank the late Wayne Fortna of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the delicious, productive, and truly beautiful ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin. Seed Savers Exchange is thrilled to introduce the ‘Fortna White’ as a featured From the Collection variety in 2024.

A close up of a pile of large, black and purple-dappled runner beans

Stewardship Stories

Seeds, Resurrected

In the summer of 2018, Seed Savers Exchange regenerated, or “resurrected” three rare seed varieties from the collection, including a runner bean, black oats, and corn.

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.