Are you interested in being paid to conduct seed yield trials while contributing to vital research that will benefit seed producers across the country? The Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield (OSPREY) project invites you to participate in our 2025 seed yield trials.
Why This Matters: As we work to build resilient organic seed systems, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of reliable data on seed yields and production costs. Your participation will help fill this critical knowledge gap, enabling seed producers to:
- Make informed decisions about which seed crops to grow
- Better estimate yields and plan production
- Understand the true costs and labor requirements of seed production
- Support the success of organic seed production and organic seed producers
By joining these trials, you’ll be part of a nationwide network of seed producers contributing to essential research while gaining valuable insights into your own operation.
Choose from three levels of participation based on your interests and capacity:
- “Grow Your Own” Trial
- Track data for a seed crop of your choice.
- “Standard” Trial
- Produce seed of one the project’s “core” varieties of broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, or summer squash.
- “Full” Trial
- Conduct larger replicated trials of core varieties.
Participants can sign up for multiple trials, as your space and time allows. Additional opportunities include participating in seed cleaning interviews and enterprise budget development. Stipends can range from $200 up to as much as $5,000 per year depending on what activities you participate in. Funding is available for all levels of participation in these trials and interviews.
Your participation will help build a stronger and more resilient organic seed system while contributing to a growing body of knowledge that benefits all seed producers.
If you are potentially interested in participating, please complete the interest form below so that we can assess who might be available for trials in 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jared Zystro at jared[at]seedalliance.org.
