OSPREY (Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield) is a multi-year project funded by the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and spearheaded by Organic Seed Alliance (OSA).
A nation-wide team of researchers, educators, and organic seed stakeholders from across the country is in its second year of addressing critical needs in the organic seed sector, such as conducting research on seed yields of organic crops, creating a comprehensive Organic Seed Yield Database, building and sharing educational materials, and developing economic decision-making tools for organic seed producers.
For more information, please see our previous posts since the project kick-off in 2024. Enjoy the full article below.
What We’ve Done
OSA has been busy conducting project outreach, including creating a new OSPREY webpage to showcase the amazing research being done with our partners at Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Colorado State University, Cornell University – Cooperative Extension, Oregon State University – Cooperative Extension, and University of Vermont – Cooperative Extension.
OSA also held a Quarterly Open House Call on May 21st, where Jared Zystro (Project Director, OSA) and Nico Enjalbert (CEO, SeedLinked) gave a high-level overview of the OSPREY project. We hope to see you at the next Quarterly Open House Call on August 20th, 2026!
What We’re Currently Doing
Participatory Trials
We’re off to a great start during our second growing season, with more than twenty-five growing sites across our replicated and participatory seed yield trials.
Recruitment for the 2026 participatory trials is now closed, a kick-off meeting has been held, seeds have been delivered, and growers have begun their trials. Our twenty participatory trial growers span across sixteen different states or provinces. Participants will continue to use SeedLinked for recording their trial data.
OSA, SeedLinked, and Highland Economics will continue to analyse 2025 trial data, strengthen our data during the 2026 trials, and finish data collection in 2027 to create an Organic Seed Yield database and economic decision-making tools for seed growers. Each season is helping improve the data collection process, the grower experience, and the final research tools.
Producer data matters because the trial grower network is helping to connect real farm conditions with replicated research sites, so that the final database and economic tools are useful for actual seed production decisions.
Caption: Map of 2026 Trial Growers. Blue border represents replicated trials. Orange border represents participatory trials. Graphic provided by Molly Travis (OSA)
“Participatory trials are essential to OSPREY because seed yield is shaped by the real interaction between variety, climate, management, and farm context. By combining growers’ on-farm observations with replicated research trials, we can build a stronger organic seed yield database that helps seed producers better estimate risk, compare crops and varieties, and make more confident production decisions.”
— Nico Enjalbert, CEO, SeedLinked
Replicated Trials
The second year of replicated trials at the seven research locations is also off to a great start. In addition to the regular core crop replicated trials, Oregon State University and OSA at the CR Shively Farm in California will complete irrigation management trials. The California trial site will also complete a pilot test to determine isolated seed yield quantities for outcrossing crops (broccoli and summer squash). More replicated trial updates will be provided in the Autumn newsletter.
Caption: Broccoli starts ready for transplanting. Photo by Jane Davey (CSU Extension)
What’s Next
Final Research Trial Recruitment
Are you interested in being paid to conduct seed yield trials while contributing to vital research that will benefit seed producers across the country? We’re seeking participants for the final trials in 2027, especially if you or someone you know is from the following key growing regions:
- Southwest (i.e., Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California, Texas, Utah)
- Southeast/Mid-Atlantic (i.e., Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)
- Central/Midwest (i.e., Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
- Non-continental United States (i.e., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico)
Even if you are unsure what you will grow in 2027, signing up now helps us understand regional interest, plan seed needs, and recruit from underrepresented growing regions.
OSA and SeedLinked are still finishing data analysis for 2025 and 2026 trials, so the trial structure is still pending for 2027. However, the core crop varieties will remain the same to maintain consistency with the replicated trials. These include:
- Broccoli: De Cicco, Solstice, Waltham 29
- Lettuce: Black Seeded Simpson, Green Towers, Red Salad Bowl
- Summer squash: Costata Romanesco, Dark Star, Yellow Crookneck
- Tomatoes: Amish Paste, Brandywine, Peacevine
Potential trial options include:
- Grow Your Own Trials: Growers track seed yield data for a seed crop of their choice (harvest from a minimum of 15 plants per crop).
- Standard Trials: Growers track seed yield data for one or more of the core crop(s) and/or varieties (harvest from a minimum of 15 plants per variety).
Participants can sign up for multiple trials as space and time allow. Stipends can range from $200 to $400 per crop or trial, depending on what activities you participate in (stipend cap will depend on the final 2027 budget). You must be Certified Organic to be eligible for in-field trial stipends.
If you are interested in participating, please complete this sign-up form to be added to the 2027 Participatory Trial Recruitment list. We aim to finish recruitment by the end of September 2026.
Field Days and Seed Summits
Thank you for your patience as we rescheduled the 2026 California Seed Summit! We are pleased to announce a virtual California Seed Summit on June 27th and 28th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10am PT to 1pm PT each day.
Summits are a gathering for California-based people working with seed to network, exchange knowledge, and develop collective actions to build equitable, abundant, and resilient seed systems in the state. Join us for lively discussions on seed production practices, breeding crops for sustainable food production, and seed business basics. We invite you to bring your passion for seed and join us to strengthen bonds across the California seed community. This event is open to everyone. Please register here to attend or reach out to jared@seedalliance.org if you have additional questions.
Keep your calendars open for additional OSA and partner OSPREY field days, seed summits, regional gatherings, and presentations in 2026.
Caption: Broccoli transplants at the CSU Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC). Photo by Jane Davey (CSU Extension).
Get Involved
For more information about the OSPREY project in general or to participate in upcoming research and outreach activities, please visit www.seedalliance.org or contact molly@seedalliance.org.
To connect more with OSA, check out our event offerings for workshops, webinars, farm tours, research presentations, advocacy hours, educational courses, conferences, summits, and more. We’d love to interact with you in person or virtually!
SAVE THE DATE! The 13th Biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference will be March 24th – 31st, 2027, in Asheville, NC, and online. We hope to share OSPREY project progress, research data, and program results with you at our next big gathering.
This project was funded by the Organic Research and Extension Initiative grant, part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Grant number 2024-51300-43056.
