Local Seeds!

Deep Adaptation and Delicious Diversity

As our world becomes less predictable—from changing weather patterns to global instability—local seeds offer practical hope and security. Our communities and gardens need seeds that can thrive despite drought, pests, heat waves, or whatever challenges come next.

Seed libraries have an exciting role to play in nurturing these resilient, flavorful, locally adapted varieties, empowering gardeners to face the uncertainties ahead.

For over ten thousand years humans have carefully developed local varieties adapted to their unique conditions in every corner of the world. What follows isn't meant to replace the importance of generational heirloom varieties, but rather to supplement and ease barriers for new seed savers, and existing seed savers who are hesitant to share seeds because they may not meet conventional isolation requirements.

It’s time! Let’s create new local heirlooms and diverse mixes, based on the modern communities we live in today.

Adaptation Agriculture in Action: Rather than changing the environment for plants, we adapt our plants to local conditions by mixing diverse varieties, celebrating cross-pollination, and selecting seeds from plants that thrive despite local challenges. This approach creates long-term community food security and sovereignty, flavorful harvests, and empowered gardeners and seed savers.

Getting Your Seed Library Started:

• Choose 1-2 species that are commonly grown and popular in your area. Consider starting with a genetically diverse mix to accelerate adaptation.

• Combine varieties intentionally, including leftover seeds from past years, to create dynamic diversity. If you can buy seeds, seed companies are listed below to get you started.

• Build community. Label them as a ‘diverse mix’ and encourage people to save and return seeds from the healthiest, tastiest plants.

• Share what’s working in your seed library! Post in the UpBeet! Forum community.

Resources:

• Going to Seed offers free Adaptation Gardening courses, a book (Landrace Gardening by Joseph Lofthouse), diverse seed mixes, and an online community. Their growing guides are coming out soon, so sign up for the mailing list to be notified when you can access or order them.

• Labeling and signage: The Seed Library Network has labels, recommendations, and signs that work with diverse seed mixes.

• Sourcing seeds:

  • Prioritize regional seed companies that sell locally grown seeds.

    • Plant For Change Global Seed Directory

    • SeedLinked map of US regional seed companies

      • Seed companies in the US that are selling diverse mixes or landraces (search for “landrace” or” grex”)

    • List of EU seed companies

    • Canadian Seed Companies

Local Seeds! Cohort

Do you want to learn more about how to get your seeds to be locally adapted? Just like saving seeds, learning in community is uplifting and powerful. Join our cohort and together we will read and discuss work about local adaption. We're planning on having 3 meetings. We'll decide on a time that works best for people's schedules. No previous seed saving experience needed.

Local Seeds! Brainstorming Meeting

The Seed Library Network is having the first of a series of brainstorming session on Monday, April 14th to discuss how we can accelerate the saving and sharing of local seeds and also increase genetic diversity through adaptation gardening strategies. Our group regularly meets the second Monday of the month at 5:30-7:00 PM EST. (Time converter ⏰) If you care about this topic and want to vision the future of local food with us, join us.

Website Update

We have done a rebuild on our website, SeedLibraryNetwork.org. This week we added a translation button. However, now we need to go back in and rework the buttons as they are all graphics and don’t translate. Thanks for your patience. If you would like an additional language not listed, email us at hello@seedlibrarynetwork.org. There were 133 languages and it wasn’t a simple checkbox exercise so it was a bit time consuming, but happy to add more.

Public Domain: The Seed Library Network resources, including this newsletter, are in the public domain. Please feel free to share with your community. Attributions are not required, but are always appreciated as it helps us grow and stay connected.