man in plaid shirt and woman in purple sweater stand in front of green garden

Hope and Practice: Kris Fox

My fascination with seed diversity started when I saw a colorful display of dry beans in one of the seed catalogs I had requested.

woman in sleeveless top stands in garden surrounded by white picket fence

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Jeanine Scheffert

Jeanine Scheffert, an artist native to Decorah—and Seed Savers Exchange’s education and engagement director for nearly a decade—looks at a project (any project) like a canvas, full of opportunity and potential.

people form circle in front of small, red hen house

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Glenn Drowns

It seems like just yesterday when I first stumbled across a small advertisement in the back of a magazine in the fall of 1978. The ad was plain and simple: “Send $3 for a copy of the Seed Savers Exchange list of members and seeds.”

sunflower growing with two buildings and mountains in the background

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Terrence Kerwin

I’ve been a Seed Savers Exchange member since about 1980, but I didn’t join the Exchange until three years ago, when I offered two tomato varieties from my garden in Silverton, Colorado.

man and woman sitting outdoors behind a table displaying beans in jars and fresh flowers

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Gayle Saberniak

I’m a lifelong gardener and plant nut. I started saving seeds in the early ’90s when my favorite ‘California Giant’ petunias started disappearing from catalogs and the local store that carried the seeds closed.

Stewardship Stories

Hope and Practice: Kay Antúnez de Mayolo

If you stop by Kay Antúnez de Mayolo’s farmstand at Modoc Harvest’s Food Hub and farmer’s market, on the Great Basin’s western edge in rural northern California, she might sell you “regular” lettuces or tomatoes and let you be on your way.

six-pack of tiny, green tomato seedlings, with two white labels on the left side

How Tos

Indoor Seed Starting 101

There are many compelling reasons to start seeds indoors, but a few sprout to the top. It’s a great way to grow long-season crops in cool climates. It creates an opportunity to harvest fruits earlier. And did we mention it’s fun?

container of green seedlings wrapped in brown paper towels

Learn

A Month in the Seed Lab

From planning for the next year, to processing and packaging seeds from the previous growing season, there is plenty of work to keep everyone (including interns!) busy at Seed Savers Exchange in winter.

Small seedlings emerge from the soil in the cells of plastic trays

Learn

Adventures of a First-Time Seed Starter

With the start of each new year at Seed Savers Exchange come seed orders from gardeners across the country who are eagerly anticipating another spring of growing heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables and flowers. And 2018, I discovered, was no different.

Hands putting a small spoonful of seeds from a tray on a scale into a white envelope

About Us

The Seed Regeneration Process

Come behind the scenes as Seed Savers Exchange’s preservation team shows how they regenerate seeds on Heritage farm. This is a vital step in caring for our collection.

heirloom seeds