New Publications
2013 California North Coast Organic Wheat Trials: This report includes data results from 2013 organic wheat variety trials conducted in Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Humboldt counties. Results include data on lodging, rust, plant height, yield, moisture, protein, and informal baking trials on harvested wheat.
Pollinator Management for Organic Seed Producers: This new publication from The Xerces Society and Organic Seed Alliance aids organic seed producers in understanding the role and diversity of seed crop pollinators, as well as strategies for reducing pollen movement between organic and conventional farms. Profiles of common pollinators, strategies for managing pollination, and guidelines for specific crops are all included.
Climatic Considerations for Seed Crops: Guidelines and Field Trainings for Organic and Specialty Vegetable Seed Producers (also availble in Spanish): This guide provides detailed climatic considerations, including environmental influences on pollination and fertilization, and the influence of temperature, day length, frost-free days, precipitation, and wind on seed production, for organic and specialty seed production in the Northwest U.S. The guide also includes sections on environmental management, crop selection for seed production, and history and geography of seed production in the Northwest.
Upcoming Events
San Juan Islands Agriculture Summit
March 7 - 8, 2014 | Orcas Island, Washington | Learn more
On-Farm Variety Trials, Seed Production, and Plant Breeding -- A Primer for NC Organic Vegetable Growers
March 17, 2014 | Goldsboro, North Carolina | Learn more
On-Farm Variety Trials, Seed Production, and Plant Breeding -- A Primer for NC Organic Vegetable Growers
March 18, 2014 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Learn more
On-Farm Variety Trials, Seed Production, and Plant Breeding -- A Primer for NC Organic Vegetable Growers
March 20, 2014 | Mills River, North Carolina | Learn more
Meet the Author: Atina Diffley
March 27, 2014 | Port Townsend, Washington | Learn more
Organicology
February 5 - 7, 2015 | Portland, Oregon | Learn more
National Organic Seed Growers Conference Draws More Than 800 Participants
Organic Seed Alliance’s 7th Organic Seed Growers Conference drew a record turnout last week, with 450 participants attending the event in Corvallis, Oregon, from January 30 – February 1, 2014, and an additional 400 people joining the conference via live webinar. The biennial conference is the largest event focused solely on organic seed in North America.
Download conference proceedings
Watch archived webinars from conference
Annual Report 2013
You'll find in Organic Seed Alliance's 2013 annual report that over the past year we doubled our educational reach and published two new seed guides to support farmers' success as seed stewards. Our team also planned the nation's largest conference that brings together the best organic seed expertise around, and made extraordinary advancements developing new organic seed varieties thanks to our participatory breeding partnerships with farmers and universities. Our advocacy staff had the privilege of meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture twice on critical seed policy issues, and our communications team unveiled a new website in light of our ten-year anniversary. It's been a big year!
5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Organic Seed
Farmer Seed Stewardship Initiative
Farmers who save and improve seed are innovators in their own right. Their seed decisions and practices impact the quality and integrity of the food we eat, the health of our environment, and the viability of this invaluable natural resource. The Farmer Seed Stewardship initiative represents a network of farmers who identify themselves as "seed stewards."
About Us
Organic Seed Alliance advances the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed. We believe seed is part of our common cultural heritage – a living, natural resource that demands careful management to meet food needs now and into the future. We accomplish our mission through research, education, and advocacy.
