Organic Seed Alliance joined the Transition to Organic Partnership Program in 2024 to further its mission of putting the power of seed into the hands of growers. Through TOPP programming, Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) has worked to educate growers about the agronomic, economic, socio-political, and legal underpinnings of organic seed production. By elucidating these topics, OSA has created farmer centered community spaces that emphasize relationship building and network development. Community spaces have included virtual convenings within the Organic Seed Commons, field days, workshops, seed summits, networking events, 1-1 technical assistance, and the Organic Seed Growers Conference. Michael Lordon, Assistant Director of Regional Programs, noted that “A valuable outcome of our work through Midwest TOPP has been building relationships with other organizational partners in the region, allowing us to expand our impact. Being part of this larger partnership has opened doors and increased our capacity for education and outreach.”
Over 800 people directly participated in our TOPP programming through workshops, tabling events, and 1-1 technical advising. OSA organized and delivered four Northwest TOPP field days and workshops in Washington, Oregon, and Montana. Additionally, we increased our impact by working in concert with Northwest TOPP partners, including 21 Acres, Viva Farms, Huerto de la Familia, Triple Divide Seed Cooperative, Culinary Breeding Network, Oregon State University, and Tilth Alliance. We didn’t limit ourselves to the Pacific Northwest, however, we held educational workshops for urban farmers in Detroit, Michigan. To check out this year’s workshops, please visit our Events page.
We built upon our work in the Midwest by hosting the Midwest Organic Seed Summit in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A passionate assemblage of organic producers, seed advocates, extension agents, students, and educators gathered together to discuss collaboration, challenges, and seed sharing and rematriation. One participant highlighted the significance of this convening, “This was a true ‘summit’ in the sense that everyone in the room brought important experiences, knowledge and perspectives to share”. One refrain that is repeated time and time again, is the importance of farmer convenings.
The Organic Seed Growers Conference (OSGC) is the largest event in North America focused solely on organic seed. Hosted biennially by Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), the conference convenes hundreds of seed growers, plant breeders, researchers, students, seed companies, food companies, policy advocates, and others from across the U.S. and around the world. In 2025, over 400 individuals attended the conference in person at Oregon State University and another 286 individuals attended virtually. The conference didn’t just bring people together—it catalyzed countless new connections and seeded regional and national partnerships that are already growing. One participant raves, “I made exactly the kinds of connections I was hoping for—collaborations on breeding projects, seed sharing, and deep conversations that inspired new ideas…. I’m also excited to connect with communities preserving culturally significant crops…This conference helped me build relationships across climate zones, deepen my commitment to organic growing, and connect with others who share that dedication…”
Carrying connections forward from in-person events, Organic Seed Commons (OSC) is an online platform where anyone can access free seed education and networking opportunities. Join or re-visit the network today to see what has been germinating and connect with more than 3,000 other people from across the organic seed ecosystem. In the past 12 months OSC has had 533 Contributing Members (Commenting, posting, etc), 888 Active Members (members that visit), 3,159 Total Members, 8,301 contributions, and 499 New Members!
Following in the stream of virtual engagement, OSA connected with thousands of potential TOPP participants through social media channels and our quarterly newsletter. In 2024, we had 318,401 social media followers, 742 new followers, 172,297 impressions on Facebook and 16,925 followers, 5,005 new followers, 109,246 impressions on Instagram. Our newsletter currently has 28.7k contacts, meaning we have an abundance of supporters! By connecting virtually, OSA amplifies its educational reach, recruits program participants, and creates ongoing relationships that strengthen the seed education network.To follow our work, sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter or follow us on social media.
Since partnering with TOPP, Organic Seed Alliance has made meaningful strides to introduce organic seed production to the next generation of seed stewards. Edward Johnson of Oregon Tilth, an OSA Board Member notes that he has “a renewed faith in how organic seed plays a critical part in our world’s environment. Organic seed has such a powerful role to play in bringing people and the planet together. It is much more than a specific geographical area, and every story, experience, and impact are different.” We are excited to celebrate our wins while expanding our role within TOPP. This year in addition to field days, workshops, quarterly networking events, OSA has started a mentorship program for transitioning growers who are interested in organic seed production. We look forward to leading a cohort through our organic seed production education programs while they are supported by skilled and passionate mentors. To learn more about the mentorship program, please visit here.
