Organic Seed Growers Conference Agenda & Session Details

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Presentation by Jim Embry

Live Spanish and French Interpretation

We’ll come together to begin our conference week with art, celebration, intention setting, an orientation to Organic Seed Commons, and a keynote address by Jim Embry who serves as the director of the Sustainable Communities Network.

Jim Embry, Sustainable Communities Network

Jim Embry cares deeply about people, communities, justice, and the environment. As a great grandson of family who were enslaved but who cared so much for the land, Jim has embraced this legacy to create a more sustainable and equitable world and educate others about the environment. This family legacy of activism was passed down to him as a 10 year old participant in the Civil Rights Movement guided by his mother who was the president of the local chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality.

Jim has worked to connect social justice, food justice and environmental justice within other social movements for the past 50 years, participating in most of the major social justice movements of his era, including Black Power, Anti-war movements, and rights for women and the LGBTQ community. With a focus on youth Jim has organized the Youth Green Corps, Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council, and other environmental efforts that engage young people in community sustainability projects.

Now serving as director of the Sustainable Communities Network, Jim cultivates collaborative efforts at the local, national and international levels with a focus on local sustainable food systems. He is at home at every level, whether as a five time USA delegate to Slow Food’s Terra Madre in Italy, a visitor to Cuba to study organic farming, his local work in sustainable and urban agriculture, or as steward of a 30 acre farm. Jim maintains that the local food and sustainable agriculture movement is the foundation of a sustainable community, believing that we need big ideas that connect humans in a sacred relationship with the Earth – to his words, thinking “not just out-of-the-box, but also out-of-the-barn.”

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

Next Steps for Organic Seed Production Education

Live Spanish Interpretation

2021 was the second season of Organic Seed Alliance’s 6-month Organic Seed Production Course. This roundtable will serve as a dual purpose related to the future of the course. First, course leaders will present on the curriculum and answer questions from participants interested in taking or having their staff/interns take the course. Second, session leaders would love to hear educational priorities from aspiring or experienced seed producers, plant breeders, or others moving forward. If you could design your ideal seed course or series of courses, what would that look like?

Presenters: Kitt Healy, Organic Seed Alliance; Natalia Pinzon, Farmer Campus; Ana Galvis, Organic Seed Alliance; Laurie McKenzie, Organic Seed Alliance; Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance

---

Breeding Barley for Organic Systems

Organic growers need new crops, markets, and rotation options supported by varieties that are developed specifically for organic conditions. Currently, organic barley end-uses and markets are stratified due the presence of an adhering hull and grain β-glucan content. This OREI-funded research is focused on breeding naked (hull-less) varieties that have potential environmental and economic benefits for organic producers. The researchers are breeding for naked barley with modest levels of β-glucan to create varieties suitable for brewing, feed use, and that will meet FDA guidelines for soluble fiber in human diets. Traits that have been identified as being especially important for multi-use barley grown in organic systems include resistance to smut, early plant vigor and ground cover, resistance to embryo damage, kernel hardness, and threshability. Development, assessment, and breeding of naked multi-use barley is being conducted in five regions/states using four classes of germplasm assessed under organic conditions. Agronomic, food, feed, malting, and brewing performance is being evaluated on the organic trials.

Presenters: Brigid Meints, Oregon State University; Chris Massman, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cristiana Vallejos, Oregon State University; Karl Kunze, Cornell University

---

Perspectives on Seed Policy

Native Seeds/SEARCH is a Tucson based non-profit dedicated to conserving the rich agro-biodiversity of the Southwest. Our collection contains approximately 1,800 arid-adapted seed varieties and represents cultural heritage from 50 regional Indigenous communities. In the past year we re-examined our stewardship and obligation to the seeds we care for. Are we doing enough? Are we listening to our stakeholders, more specifically, are we incorporating the views and perspectives of the original seed bearers, our Tribal communities? We formed a Seed Policy Committee, that includes members of Southwest Tribes, to review and discuss these questions. This work culminated in an updated Seed Policy — a guiding document for the organization on how to best steward the seeds in the collection for multiple purposes, including collections management, documentation, health concerns, relations with regional Indigenous communities, and research. This roundtable session will include an overview of this new policy.

Presenters: Alexandra Zamecnik, Native Seeds/SEARCH; Andrea Carter, Native Seeds/SEARCH; Jacob Butler, Native Seeds/SEARCH; Sheryl Joy, Native Seeds/SEARCH; Tudor Montague, Native Seeds/SEARCH

---

Black Seed Stories

Black people in the U.S. have a fraught relationship with farming. This uneasiness and anxiety is born of the deep wounds inflicted by generations of enslavement, followed by decades of white supremacist terror, economic and social marginalization, and official oppression sponsored by a succession of governments dedicated to preventing Black people from building wealth on the land. Yet throughout the centuries, enough Black folk have held fast to culture and tradition to keep alive the seeds of our ancestors. Today, new generations of Black farmers and seed keepers are reclaiming our rightful place in the American agriculture landscape, and heritage seeds are playing a vital role. This special panel will feature Black seed stewards whose personal seed stories reflect the history of Black farming in the U.S. in all its staggering complexities.

Presenters: Bonnetta Adeeb, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Gordon Reed, Farms to Grow; Melony Edwards, Organic Seed Alliance; Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Brother Seeds & Carter Farms

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

Protecting Seed’s Diversity: Maize, Mexico, and the Future of Biodiversity

Live Spanish Interpretation

Each year, 91, 000 million acres of maize is grown by U.S. farmers, and about 92% is genetically modified (GM) and patented. The biological and sociological impacts of this monoculture are well documented and extend beyond the production region of the Midwest, including to its neighbors in Mexico. Understanding the impacts of GM corn in Mexico is particularly important to the future of biodiversity, given it is the center of domestication and ongoing diversification carried out by peasant farmers. This panel will focus on historical perspectives of two legal cases working to protect ancient seed practices and diversity as biocultural common goods – olotón and the Collective Corn Class Action Lawsuit. 

It will include recent findings on olotón, a corn variety that biologically fixes nitrogen and the array of beneficial outcomes to save farmers’ expenses on synthetic fertilizers and reduce emissions that disrupt climate. The panel will present a brief report about the “Demanda Colectiva Maíz,” which has had three major victories since 2013. The Collective in the lawsuit aims to protect corn’s diversity as a human right and it’s fostered by corn producers, apiculturists, seed and human rights organizations, artists, and scientists versus transnationals in Mexico. Come learn about these successes and consider mechanisms for breaking up corn monoculture in the U.S. for the future of biodiversity.

Presenters: Ana Ruiz Díaz, Independent Advisor, Demanda Colectiva Maíz; Antonio Turrent Fernández, Mexico National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research; Ernesto Hernández López, Chapman University School of Law

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

State of Organic Seed: A Five-Year Update

State of Organic Seed (SOS) is an ongoing project that monitors organic seed systems in the U.S. Every five years, Organic Seed Alliance releases this progress report and action plan for increasing the organic seed supply while fostering seed grower networks and policies that aim to decentralize power and ownership in seed systems. More than ever, organic seed is viewed as the foundation of organic integrity and an essential component to furthering the principles underpinning the organic movement. This session will cover key findings from the most recent report published in January 2022. Speakers will report out on findings from a number of data sets that help us understand the state of organic plant breeding, organic seed production, organic seed sourcing, and organic seed policy. Speakers will also provide a roadmap for increasing the diversity, quality, and integrity of organic seed available and leave plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Presenters: Kiki Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance; Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance; Liza Wood, University of California – Davis

---

Rocky Mountain Heritage Grain Trials: Grassroots Research to Identify Grains of the Past for Food Systems of the Future

Live Spanish Interpretation

For the past six years, Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance (RMSA) has been working with a grassroots network of nearly 200 grain growers in diverse locations throughout the Western U.S. (and beyond) in trialing over 250 varieties of ancient and heritage cereal and alternative grains. Through grassroots trials, the 20 most adaptive and resilient varieties of wheat, barley, and rye were identified and further assessed in organic farming systems through randomized replicated block design at four research sites. Data on field performance and yields was collected, and lab analyses were conducted on grain quality and baking performance. Seed for these varieties has been scaled up through the project and offered to growers and farmers freely in the spirit of the Seed Commons. This presentation will include the voices of grassroots trialists and research partners who participated in the project.

Presenters: Chris Salem, Grain Trialist; Don Lareau, Zephyros Farm and Garden; Emily Lockard, Colorado State University; Lee-Ann Hill, Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance; Ron Boyd, Rancho la Villita Farm

---

Non-Binary Botany

This roundtable will introduce ongoing work and conversations centered within non-binary botany and queer ecology. The session will begin with short video presentations of diverse scholarly, artistic, and lived-experience approaches to non-binary botany. This will be followed by a facilitated full group discussion where we reflect on the presentations and continue to constructively question the current dominant binary approach to plant classification. Our hope is for the group to share diverse approaches to non-binary botany in ways that open up possibilities for how we talk about plant reproduction while celebrating our relationships with botany, seeds, and plants.

Presenters: Luis Campos, Rice University; Hawthorn McCracken, Rooted; Rian Ciela Hammond, Artist; Christian Keeve, University of Kentucky; K Greene, Hudson Valley Seed Company

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

Race, Equity, and the Organic Movement

Live Spanish Interpretation

Since its formation in the early 20th Century, the organic movement has largely focused on the day-to-day practices of farmers and food producers, aiming to advance a style of agriculture that preserves the natural world while providing healthy food, fiber, and medicine for humanity. For the most part, the organic movement has had little to say about broader societal issues beyond environmental preservation and human health. Though “Certified Organic” implies strict requirements surrounding chemical inputs and other farming logistics, it implies nothing with respect to farmworkers rights, environmental justice, or diversity, equity, and inclusion. At a time when institutions large and small are rightly questioning long-established practices as a first move toward building a more just future, shouldn’t the organic movement be doing the same? What long-established practices in organic agriculture should be changed or abandoned? Whom does the organic movement seek to serve and include among its ranks? Have we become too insular or exclusive? And what future is there for the organic movement if it fails to reach the communities that suffer most from industrial agriculture — and yet are also sometimes the most skeptical of the “USDA Certified Organic” label? This roundtable discussion aims to begin a conversation around these important questions. We hope panelists and attendees alike will approach this topic with the respect, candor, and open-mindedness it deserves.

Presenters: Alexis Yamashita, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Chanda Robinson-Banks, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange; Viven Sansour, Palestine Heirloom Seed Library

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

Democratizing Crop Variety Trialing Through Community Science

This session will bring together a panel of folks involved in community/citizen science projects that engage farmers and gardeners to help screen established and in development crop varieties. By engaging with growers, project organizers are able to see varieties/lines in more environments, in larger numbers, and with fewer resources than possible otherwise. These projects also serve to engage and educate growers and gardeners. While this approach may appear to be win-win, it is not without complications. Participants will discuss joys and pains, and share practices and tools they have found effective in making such worthy projects most likely to succeed.

Presenters: Chris Smith, The Utopian Seed Project; Glenn Teves, University of Hawaii; Jay Bost, GoFarm Hawaii; Kristyn Leach, Namu Farms; Lane Selman, Culinary Breeding Network; Marielle Hampton, University of Hawaii; Nicolas Enjalbert, Seed Linked; Steffen Mirsky, Seed Savers Exchange; Tyler Levine, Hawaii Seed Growers Network

---

Perspectives on Organic Vegetable Legumes: Current Status and Breeding for the Future

With this panel we aim to highlight current work in breeding organic vegetable legumes and initiate a discussion about current and future varietal needs, while also tying the conversation to a larger stakeholder needs assessment. In past needs assessments, crops such as snap beans and garden peas have received only minor attention, being combined with the field crop forms of these species. Traits of importance for organic production are potentially different between field and vegetable crops. For example, there is a trend in conventional breeding, for snap beans (but not dry beans) to have lost the ability to fix nitrogen. This may have arisen because snap beans are a short season crop that is fertilized heavily, thereby relaxing selection for effective symbioses. The challenge for organic breeding is to develop cultivars with the ability to form rapid and responsive symbioses. In addition, these crops are important for both fresh market use and processing, with the latter a growing industry, but this usage has not been explored in past needs assessments. While snap beans and garden peas will be the core focus, this panel discussion could include other vegetable legume species such as lima bean, blackeye peas and asparagus bean, etc.

Presenters: Hayley Park, Oregon State University; Jim Myers, Oregon State University; Linda Fenstermaker, Osborne Seed; Michael Mazourek, Cornell University; Rebecca McGee, United States Department of Agriculture

---

Addressing Seed Grower Concerns with Organic Certification

Live Spanish Interpretation

Many organic seed growers and seed suppliers have voiced frustration with their organic certification process and feel that the current system serves as a barrier to more seed producers becoming certified and may in fact lead to some seed producers dropping their certification. Based on Organic Seed Alliance’s State of Organic Seed data, there is a clear need for organic policy makers and certifiers to hear directly from organic seed growers about their experiences and the burdens they face with the certification process. This roundtable discussion will allow for an open and honest dialogue that helps these different stakeholder groups understand the challenges on all sides – from policy making to enforcement to certification – and identify next steps toward solutions that provide clarity, ease burdens, and support further growth in the organic seed sector.

Presenters: Beth Rota, Quality Certification Services (QCS); Don Tipping, Siskiyou Seeds; Marni Karlin, United States Department of Agriculture; Laurie McKenzie, Organic Seed Alliance; Margaret Scoles, International Association of Organic Inspectors; Kyla Smith, Pennsylvania Certified Organic

---

Labor in the Organic Seed Movement

Live Spanish Interpretation

The organic/regional seed movement has initiated a challenge to corporatized and globalized seed systems. But in what ways do global and corporate paradigms still shape and limit what we are doing, especially in terms of labor? Unless you have a stable job with a larger alternative seed company or organization, it is often a struggle to make a living in seed production or seed research, or to have reliable access to farmland. This in turn limits the pool of new seed farmers and workers, and the potential of our movement. We will touch on strategies seed workers are currently using to make ends meet, including starting new retail seed companies and growers cooperatives, and using grant funding. Much of the session will be spent envisioning changes we as a movement might make to better sustain seed workers and to make the work accessible to more people. Some questions we’ll be asking include: 1) How can we better name and navigate the reality of competition with a poorly paid global labor market?, 2) How can we organize as seed workers to advocate for our needs? We’ll consider models from existing farmer and farmworker organizing and advocacy groups, and consider particular needs and complications for organic seed workers, e.g. doing retail sales, research, and plant breeding as well as contract growing, and also growing and selling food crops., and 3) How and to what extent can communicating to seed purchasers the value of sustainable and fair compensation for seed workers help?

Presenters: Clint Freund, Cultivating The Commons; Edmund Frost, Common Wealth Seed Growers; Garrett Graddy-Lovelace, American University; Kathia Ramirez, El Comite del Apoyo por los Trabajadores Agricolas / Farmworker Support Committee (CATA); Reily Ney, Snake River Seed Coop

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

Small- to Medium-Scale Seed Cleaning Equipment: How to Make the Best of What You Have and Know What You Need

Knowing which pieces of equipment will be most useful, scale appropriate, affordable, and provide the most return on your time and investment can be challenging. This session will include information on a range of seed cleaning equipment options including DIY and repurposed, must-have and favorite machines, and shared equipment options. Join a panel of farmers to hear directly from them what pieces of equipment they use, recommend, and dream about for their seed crops. 

Presenters: Beth Rasgorshek, Canyon Bounty Farm; David Catzel, FarmFolk CityFolk; Louisa Brouwer, Ferry Boat Seeds; Anaka Mines, Twisp River Seed; Mark Luterra, Luterra Enterprises LLC

---

The Power of Seed Names: Can We Do Better?

Seed names can be a beautiful connection to identity, culture, worldview, and history. Varietal names can often indicate a seed’s origin, stewardship history, and phenotypic characteristics, yet many seeds have names that are derogatory in nature or simply incorrect. How do we as an organic seed community honor seeds, their stewardship history, and where they have come from while addressing seed names that may need to change? Deep work and real change begins when we ask difficult questions, show up wholeheartedly, and deal in nuance and paradox, all while remaining accountable to one another and to the seeds we steward. Join your fellow seed keepers, breeders, researchers, educators, farmers, and impacted community members in interrogating default perspectives, worldviews, and the challenges of seed names. Please bring your curiosity and thoughtfulness as we form a community workgroup to approach this complex topic from multiple perspectives and with intentional care. 

Presenters: Heron Breen, Independent seed worker within commercial and community seed, seed saving, plant breeding, and retail/home garden seed business; Shelley Buffalo, Meskwaki Seedkeeper and Americorps VISTA for Sustainable Iowa Land Trust; Craig LeHoullier, PhD, Seed Savers Exchange advisor, author, and amateur breeder; Kellee Matsushita-Tseng, Second Generation Seed collective member/educator and farmer at the Center for Agroecology, UC Santa Cruz; Mehmet Öztan, Turkish seed saver/keeper, farmer, co-owner of Two Seeds in a Pod Heirloom Seed Company, and part-time service faculty at West Virginia University; Sara Straate, Seed Savers Exchange Seed Historian; secondary moderator and notetaker Susana Cabrera-Mariz, Masters Candidate, Iowa State University; and moderator, Jeanine Scheffert, Seed Savers Exchange Education and Engagement Manager.

---

Seed is Liberation

Live Spanish, French, and English Interpretation

In order to reclaim our rights and agency lost to corporate consolidation, we all need to be invested in the movement to reclaim seed. That movement currently hinges on its capacity to confront policies and treaties that marginalize and criminalize seed saving around the world. Chief among them is the Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV), a treaty responsible for stripping seeds from the hands of farmers and turning over control to corporate breeders. Confronting UPOV legally has proved extraordinarily difficult, given the ways in which it’s embedded within powerful institutions like the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ultimately, returning seeds to their rightful place — within communities — will require a mass movement. To catalyze that movement, we need to tell a new story about seed — one that recognizes the power in community autonomy through seed sovereignty, and that understands the corporate control of biodiversity as part of a long history of extraction from the Global South. This panel is an opportunity to share the ways in which our collective struggles, hopes, and liberation, are connected through seed and through resistance to UPOV.

Presenters: Edwin Baffour, Food Sovereignty Ghana; Frances Davies, Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB); Justin Sardo, A Growing Culture; Ramón Vera Herrera, GRAIN

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

Seed Endophytes, Rhizophagy, Nutrient Density, Nitrogen Efficiency and Fixation in Corn

Breeding corn for 50 seasons for organic/biodynamic conditions by the Mandaamin Institute has led to plants that partner with seed borne endophytes. These endophytes cause rhizophagy, which helps the plants to obtain nutrients from the soil and lead to grain enriched in minerals and essential amino acids. Trials showed that some nitrogen fixing hybrids from the program respond negatively to direct manuring but positively to systems that build soil organic matter. Conventional corn does not appear to have these relationships. However, given the right parentage, environments, and selection, corn can generate such partnerships. Basic research at Rutgers University shows how rhizophagy works, where plants foster endophytes, and the biochemical dialogue associated with supplying plants with nitrogen. The overall results indicate paradigm shifts are needed in how breeders view and work with crops and how farmers fertilize soil and crops.

Presenters: Walter Goldstein, Mandaamin Institute

---

UPOV and the Criminalization of Seed

Live Spanish, French, and English Interpretation

The Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV) is a symbol of corporate efforts to consolidate control of seed saving around the world. Understanding UPOV begins with the history of legal rights to seeds — from seed as collective commons to seed as privatized commodity through intellectual property rights (IPR). This panel will explore the different forms of seed IPR, from patents to plant variety protection, and how UPOV blurs the line between the two. It will cover UPOV’s evolution from UPOV 61 to UPOV 78 to UPOV 91, and how each iteration has steadily eroded farmers’ right to seed. It will delve into UPOV’s enforcement through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and its dire implications for communities around the world. Panelists will provide insight into some of the legal struggles against UPOV that communities have mounted in order to maintain sovereignty over their biodiversity. By understanding where those movements have succeeded and where they’ve faltered, we can chart a path towards a more just seed future.

Presenters: Indra Shekhar Singh, Independent agri-policy analyst; Justin Sardo, A Growing Culture; Silvia Rodriguez, Costa Rica’s Biodiversity Coordination Network

---

Discovering, Connecting, and Inspiring a Southeast Seed Network

The Southeast has historically been underrepresented in the organic seed movement, with most organic and alternative seed companies, and organizing efforts located in the North and West. This session aims to create an open space for sharing, connecting, and discovering existing seed work in the Southeast with the hope of  inspiring more research, plant breeding, and seed networking in the region. Chris Smith and Melissa DeSa will begin the roundtable with a brief introduction to the emerging Southeast Seed Network and summarize the key focus areas of need. Edmund Frost, Ira Wallace, Michael Carter, Jr., and Meghan Allen will each share about their Southeast seed work before opening the floor for the main event: YOU! The bulk of this session is devoted to audience members sharing their own work or projects with the aim of inspiring and connecting people.  We’ll also share two tools: 1) The Southeast Regional Seed Network Synergy Space and 2) The SESEED.org website, which will begin by profiling and mapping seed work in the Southeast as an open resource for connection, community, and collaboration.

Presenters: Edmund Frost, Common Wealth Seed Growers; Chris Smith, The Utopian Seed Project; Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Megan Allen, Care of the Earth Community Farm; Melissa DeSa, Working Food; Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Brother Seeds & Carter Farms

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

The Heirloom Collard Project: A Model for Collaborative Seed Work

Live Spanish and French Interpretation

The Heirloom Collard Project aims to build a coalition of seed stewards, gardeners, farmers, chefs, and seed companies working to preserve heirloom collards and their culinary heritage. This panel discussion will showcase the evolution of The Heirloom Collard Project as a learning case study for inter-organizational collaborations that can sustain themselves over time. This project has shown the strength of collaboration in many ways, but has also overcome challenges that come from working together. The result is a project that is greater than the sum of its parts, and we’re proud to share some of that journey and the lessons learned along the way. What does it take to create a community? Why is collaboration important? What are the challenges and rewards of working together towards a common goal? Join this panel of collard loving community seed activists and leaders to discuss the project and be inspired to start your own. 

Presenters: Bonnetta Adeeb, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Chris Smith, The Utopian Seed Project; Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Melissa DeSa, Working Food

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

Building Your Seed Brand: Cultivating the World We Dream of While Growing a Sustainable Business

How do we cultivate the business and world we dream of? Often a daunting task for small-scale seed producers and seed companies, brand development and marketing is so much more than font choice, tech tools, and advertising. You’ll hear both successes and lessons hard-learned from farmers in marketing along with strategies to help you develop your story, skills, and cultural imagination. Bring your questions and an open mind!

Presenters: Dan Brisebois, Ferme coopérative Tourne-Sol; Erica Kempter, Nature & Nurture Seeds; Mike Levine, Nature & Nurture Seeds; Petra Page-Mann, Fruition Seeds; others TBA

---

Student Collaborative Organic Plant Breeding Education: Cultivating New Varieties and Future Plant Breeders

We will discuss results from the Student Collaborative Organic Plant Breeding Education (SCOPE) project, a participatory, student-led breeding program at University of California – Davis for zinnias, tomatoes, beans, peppers, and wheat in California. Luis Salazar, Will Hazzard, Danyelle Forte will share the goals of their projects (tomatoes, zinnias, and wheat, respectively), results from the 2021 field season, and protocols and results from experiments to assess the quality of breeding lines, such as zinnia vase life tests, wheat baking tests, and tomato taste tests. Laura Roser and/or Antonia Palkovic will discuss the upcoming release of 3 pepper varieties from the project, and how farmers and seed companies can collaborate with our projects. The pepper varieties that will be released include a yellow sunscald-resistant bell pepper, a jalapeño with a larger cavity for stuffing for jalapeño poppers, and a large, spicy jalapeño for stuffing and frying.

Presenters: Antonia Palkovic, University of California-Davis; Danyelle Forte, University of California-Davis; James Weeks, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona; Laura Roser, University of California-Davis; Luis Salazar, University of California-Davis; Travis Parker, University of California-Davis; Will Hazzard, University of California-Davis

---

Lessons for the Organic Seed Movement from International Perspectives

Live Spanish and French Interpretation

The use and perpetuation of agrobiodiversity is a supposed explicit goal in organic farming systems under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Market forces often create a tension between production/commodity traits and non-commodity traits, including cultural meaning/importance. In this panel, we will bring together four researchers with extensive experience working internationally with growers, who for various reasons, have the perpetuation and utilization of crop genetic diversity as part of their livelihood and economic strategies, and are navigating the tensions between engaging in market orientation and preserving traditional varieties and/or maintaining dynamic crop evolution in their fields. These researchers will reflect upon lessons that the organic seed movement in North America can learn from seed systems that they have studied outside of the North American context – providing inspiration and fresh ideas that attendees can consider for their own farms, for seed conservation projects, and for commercial seed production.

Presenters: Abena Offeh-Gyimah, Living The Ancestral Way; Daniel Tobin, The University of Vermont; Marianna Fenzi, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne; Jay Bost, GoFarm Hawaii; Mauricio Bellon, Arizona State University

---

Bees As Seeds: The Importance of Place, Power, & Purpose in Seed Production and Pollination Conservation

Over the river and through the woods, seeds’ stories are passed down from one generation onto the next. Many of these genetic stories are part of a cyclical choreography between flowers and pollinators. Just as importantly as nurturing naturally resilient and adaptive seeds, so it is for nurturing naturally resilient pollinators. The Bees as Seeds Experience is a story within a story, reflecting our fascination of plant seeds with those of bees, whose own stories manifest season after season and which are also passed down from one generation onto the next. The passage of time coupled with landscape and elemental influences help to sculpt these stories for both plant seeds and pollinators. This presentation will share an overview of the diversity of pollinators with a focus on the often exploited poster child of pollinators, the small but mighty honey bee. Also included in this presentation is an introduction to the Institute of American Indian Arts’ ancestral seed projects and pollinator programs in recognition of the importance of place, power (responsibility), and purpose as forms of reciprocity nurturing stories for our descendants who also serve as future ancestors. For within itself, every seed has a story, formed over millennia- with the power to nurture and adapt; and the magnificence to create life, food, and medicine for the world.

Presenters: Melanie Kirby, Institute of American Indian Arts Extension; Teresa Quintana, Institute of American Indian Arts Extension; Paul Quintana, Institute of American Indian Arts Extension

TIME: 2:00 – 3:30 PST / 3:00 – 4:30 MST / 4:00 – 5:30 CST / 5:00 – 6:30 EST

A Seed Policy Roadmap for the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has the potential to be a leader in organic and non-GMO seed production due to the region’s ideal climate and environmental conditions. Organic seed production is also urgently needed to support the growing demand for organic food. When rooted in agroecology and fairness, organic production can serve as an impactful solution to daunting problems, such as climate change, market consolidation, and pesticides in our environment. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical fractures in conventional agriculture supply chains. Now, more than ever, policy makers should make investments in resilient regional food systems. Because the PNW faces a series of cascading climate and other extreme weather events, it is critical that the region prioritize food security, and seed production should be a cornerstone of these efforts. However, additional resources and protections for organic and non-GMO seed growers are needed, as is strengthened education and outreach to better influence regional legislative and regulatory policy in light of inadequate federal regulations. That’s why Organic Seed Alliance partnered with Friends of Family Farmers and additional stakeholders in the PNW to develop a policy roadmap and toolkit for seed advocates. The goal of the Roadmap is to support seed advocates in protecting and expanding organic seed production from threats like canola and other GMO crops. The Roadmap gives an overview of regional seed advocacy, policy recommendations, and a toolkit for advocates. This resource can also support advocates in other states who are exploring ways to strengthen community seed systems.

Presenters: Amy Wong, Oregon Organic Coalition; Kiki Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance; Melissa Spear, Tilth Alliance; Laura Lewis Washington State University Food Systems

---

Assessing the Resilience of the Organic Seed System: A Network Perspective

The organic seed system involves a complex network of organic seed stakeholders, yet we have a limited understanding of the system’s ‘resilience.’ This research asks: 1) How do seed stakeholders define a resilient seed system? and 2) How does the organic seed network reflect these definitions? To answer these questions stakeholders were surveyed for the 2021 State of Organic Seed report. In their definitions of a resilient seed system stakeholders emphasize regional cooperation for managing genetic diversity, access to information, and efficient supply chains. These definitions match scholarly theory: resilient networks should balance cooperation for maintaining diversity across multiple hubs, with centralized coordination for efficient resource flows. Preliminary analysis of organic seed network mapping suggests that cooperation is strong, especially for information sharing. However, centralized coordination is low, especially for supply chains, signaling potential inefficiencies. This presentation will open discussion about strategies for improving resilience of the organic seed network.

Presenters: Liza Wood, University of California – Davis

---

Running a Small Online Seed Company: From Growing to Managing Inventory to Packing to Shipping

Dan Brisebois of Ferme Coopérative Tourne-Sol in Les Cèdres, Quebec and Reiley Ney of Snake River Seed Cooperative in Boise, Idaho will give an inside look into how their small seed companies operate. The two will discuss similarities and differences between their business models and operations. The session will include presentations on growing and crop assignments, inventory management, online store management, and order fulfillment. They’ll discuss the challenges they have faced in running a small seed company and give real-life examples of solutions to those issues. Bring your questions about how to run a small online seed company for an interactive Q&A that will also include the session’s moderator, Nathan Kleinman from Experimental Farm Network in New Jersey.

Presenters: Daniel Brisebois, Ferme coopérative Tourne-Sol; Reiley Ney, Snake River Seed Coop

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

Seed Production for Market Growers

As demand for organic seed continues to outpace supply, many market vegetable and flower growers are increasingly interested in growing seed for their own use, seed contracts, or retail sales. This panel explores best practices and creative ideas for integrating seed crops into market vegetable farms, or running parallel seed and vegetable operations.

Presenters: Nathaniel Talbot, Deep Harvest Farm; Annie Jesperson, Deep Harvest Farm; Crystal Stewart-Courtens, Cornell University; Eric Kampe, Ann Arbor Seed Company; Adrianna Moreno, Empowered Flowers; Nathaniel Thompson, Remembrance Farm

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PST / 1:00 – 2:30 MST / 2:00 – 3:30 CST / 3:00 – 4:30 EST

Systems Based Research Networks

Based on our network efforts exploring constraints on seed quality in the organic seed sector using corn (maize) as a focal point, we note many valuable outcomes that organic systems promise to deliver can be associated with traits used for selection. Development of these traits may help organic agriculture retain and expand its credibility which is increasingly challenged due to fraud. High costs and significant structural and technical challenges associated with hybrid organic maize seed production limit investment into this sector. The panel discussion will ask: can the organic sector successfully operationalize its core values-based principles including ecological integrity, health, fairness, and care through participatory research and breeding networks? Can and should organic certification move beyond GMOs as a proxy for purity? By asking folks to answer compelling questions we can begin to refine our ideas about how to best design and deploy seed-soil-societal-systems (S4) research.

Presenters: Benjamin Schrager, Utsunomiya University; Carmen Ugarte, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Edith Lammerts van Bueren, Wageningen University; Martin Bohn, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign; Michelle Wander, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign; Sara Nawaz, University of Oxford, University of British Columbia; Susanna Klassen, University of British Columbia

---

Learnings From Participatory Grower Networks

Live Spanish Interpretation

For farms to find resiliency, both well adapted crop varieties and a strong community are essential. Participatory plant breeding and variety trialing networks aim to build capacity for on-farm variety development while also building human connections. This roundtable aims to generate conversation among farmers and researchers who want to share lessons learned, successes, and places for growth. Discussion will center around questions like: 1) What mix of virtual and in-person interaction does your network have? How has this changed with the pandemic?, 2) How have grower-to-grower connections from your network affected your plant breeding or variety trial experiences?, 3) What makes a technological tool (app, communication platform, etc.) helpful, neutral, or detrimental to your network’s communication?, 4) What kinds of knowledge do you feel are valued in participatory breeding or trialing networks? What kinds of knowledge get lost?, 5) Has being in a participatory breeding or trialing network changed your relationship with seed?, 6) Tell a success story., 7) Tell a learning story, or a story of an unfinished effort., 8) How would you respond to the statement, “Being part of a grower network is of equal or greater value than the materials that come out of it”?, 9) How does scale impact participatory breeding and trialing networks? How do you decide the geographical and logistical limits of a network?

Presenters: Julie Dawson, Seed to Kitchen Collaborative, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Helen Jensen, Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security; Iain Storosko, Carleton University; Chris Keeve, University of Kentucky; Solveig Hanson, University of British Columbia – Centre for Sustainable Food Systems

---

Understanding Seed IPR (Intellectual Property Rights)

This session will introduce participants to the various intellectual property rights (IPR) tools and This session will introduce participants to the various intellectual property rights (IPR) tools and strategies used in seed systems, beginning with a quick overview of these strategies and their history of use. A patent librarian and seed advocate from UMass will introduce the Patent Trademark and Resource center, which provides free resources and support to individuals navigating intellectual property rights. Participants will also learn what a utility patent is, how they can be identified in the U.S. Patent and Trademark System, and how they can be challenged. A portion of the session will center on farmer-driven, locally relevant IPR solutions that aim to increase equity in the seed system, especially in relation to Indigenous and regionally adapted seeds. Participants will also learn about different resources and projects that have been developed as part of OSA’s Seed Patent Watch project, including an “IPR Toolkit for Seed Growers and Breeders.” Participants will get a sneak peak of this resource and have a chance to weigh in on the project before it is finalized to ensure that it serves a diversity of seed communities once published. 

Paulina Jenney, University of Montana; Will Gallagher, University of Maryland; Paulina Borrego, Mass Aggie Seed Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Daniela Soleri, University of California – Santa Barbara; Kiki Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance

---

Impacts of Agricultural Education through Participatory Seed Trials within Community-Based Food Systems at The Evergreen State College

This roundtable features stories of agricultural education, specifically National Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC) field trials, Culinary Breeding Network (CBN), and Seed to Kitchen Collaborative activities, and students’ seeding of community-based food systems at The Evergreen State College. The student whose capstone project demonstrates the agricultural education it was designed to study, will ask: “How often do we consider what food truly means to us? How has the relationship between food and humans shaped the evolution of multiple species and the earth itself?”. In what ways has the lack of agricultural education resulted in a world “where the vast majority of people can no longer recognize the products they consume in relation to the constituents of which they are made?” Authors’ voices will echo through student panelists, including those of America’s enslaved agriculturists to whom Leah Penniman dedicates Farming While Black: “our ancestral grandmothers … braided seeds in their hair before being forced to board transatlantic slave ships, believing against the odds in a future of sovereignty on land.” It is seeds that provide students a future to believe in against the odds. From NOVIC vegetable trials to CBN’s virtual farm tours to seeding Evergreen’s shellfish garden to seeding local economies with community-based agricultural cooperatives, this roundtable of students’ stories of liberatory agricultural education are offered as “letters from young farmers” to the professional organic seed growers’ community.

Adam Smith, The Evergreen State College; Amelia Pressman, The Evergreen State College; Ben Bourque, The Evergreen State College; Caleb Poppe, The Evergreen State College; Carli Fox, The Evergreen State College; Casey Chertok, The Evergreen State College; Emily Dunn-Wilder, The Evergreen State College; Henry Gerio, The Evergreen State College; Martha Rosemeyer, The Evergreen State College; Sarah Dyer, The Evergreen State College; Sarah Williams, The Evergreen State College; Susan Holcroft, The Evergreen State College; Zoe Dewitt, The Evergreen State College

TIME: 9:00 – 10:45 PST / 10:00 – 11:45 MST / 11:00 – 12:45 CST / 12:00 – 1:45 EST

From Seeds to Territories: A Transatlantic Conversation

Live Spanish and English Interpretation

Building resilient territorial seed systems involves a multitude of actors, including breeders, seed companies, and farmers. Local governments, non-profit organizations, and regional networks also play a critical role to support participatory on-farm research. One of the underlying goals of participatory research is to promote the work of early adopters to other farmers, and to increase the circulation of germplasm with interesting potential into farmers’ hands. On-farm research is critical for the organic seed sector. However, once a farmer-bred cultivar is selected, regional networks can struggle with coordinating new supply chains to bring more organic, diverse seed onto the plates of consumers. While this roundtable is dedicated to highlighting the work on the ground, regional networks will discuss challenges, whether they are institutional, financial, or market lock-ins, and their overall capacity to organize and leverage collective action across a territory. What funding options are available for the initial phase of on-farm participatory seed research and market development? Once this is completed, how are regional networks able to supply farmers with high quality seed? How are these farms, in turn, accessing a wider consumer base? What can we learn from these experiences to increase the reach of diverse territorial seed systems in Europe and North America? This roundtable has a transatlantic scope, and will bring experiences from Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, and Quebec.

Presenters: Maria Carrascosa, la Red de Ciudades por la Agroecología / Red de semillas; Riccardo Bocci, Rete Semi Rurali; Corentin Hecquet, Réseau pour les semences paysannes et citoyennes; Hugo Martorell, SeedChange | Sème l’avenir; Marie-Claude Comeau, Radicle Farm

---

Global Seed Justice: What Open-Source Offers

The Global Coalition of Open-Source Seed Initiatives (gossi.net) is an international network that envisions a world in which agricultural seeds are free to be used, saved, shared, and bred by anyone. Our members are developing or promoting open-source strategies to protect seeds as commons. Members of the network will present different aspects and cases from their work. The panel will be introduced and facilitated by Dr. Shalini Bhutani, a policy analyst from India. The following contributions for the panel are envisaged: 1) Open source and Farmers’ Rights – the case of Kenya, 2) Seeds as commons and participatory plant breeding in the Philippines, 3) Linking stakeholder capabilities to strengthen seeds as commons in Argentina, 4) Enabling Biodiversity by financing open- source plant breeding in Europe.

Presenters: SHALINI BHUTANI, GLOBAL COALITION OF OPEN-SOURCE SEED INITIATIVES; DANIEL WANJAMA, SEED SAVERS NETWORK; GEORIE PITONG, MASIPAG; JOHANNES KOTSCHI, AGRECOL; PATRICK VAN ZWANENBERG, UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES

---

Seed Growers Speak Out About Climate Change

Across the U.S. and globe, seed growers are getting hit hard by unpredictable and more severe weather events and environmental conditions due to climate change. This roundtable discussion will include several seed growers based in the U.S. who have important stories to share about the severe impacts they’ve experienced on account of changing climates. The roundtable discussion will also include a policy expert who will share opportunities for seed communities to take action to influence climate change policy.

Presenters: Sorren, Open Circle Seeds; Maud Powell, Wolf Gulch Farm / Oregon State University; Cathy Day, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; Karl Sutton, Fresh Roots Farm

---

Towards an Equitable Seed System: Resource Access and Barriers Across the Northeast Seed System

Alternative seed systems to the highly consolidated seed industry are an important source for organic, culturally meaningful, and/or open-pollinated planting material. Alternative seed systems are comprised of both formal (i.e., organic seed companies, university plant breeders, etc.) and informal (i.e., farmer- and community-managed) sectors. However, concern exists that the benefits of alternative seed systems are not equally accessible to all individuals, especially marginalized populations. This research aims to characterize who participates in alternative seed systems and the opportunities and challenges they confront. We focus on the Northeastern U.S., where racially and ethnically diverse residents are highly involved in seed activities. Relying on qualitative data from the 2021 Northeast Organic Seed Growers Conference and data from a follow-up survey, we 1)  identify the resources and barriers that exist, 2) evaluate how these resources and barriers are distributed across diverse seed workers, and 3) determine if and how their seed-related interests and values are oriented towards equity and justice. Preliminary findings indicate that those who primarily operate in the formal seed sector have more access to essential resources for seed work than those primarily engaged in the informal sector. Our results also indicate that people of color, who predominantly engage the informal sector, confront particular challenges accessing resources to pursue seed work aligned with their values and goals. While inequities persist across the Northeastern seed system, interest also exists in addressing these issues, with a potential focus on resource redistribution, seed rematriation, and action-oriented research collaborations with marginalized seed workers.

Presenters: Megnot Mulugeta, University of Vermont

TIME: 12:00 – 2:00 PST / 1:00 – 3:00 MST / 3:00 – 5:00 CST / 4:00 – 6:00 EST

Closing Ceremony & Keynote Presentation by Vivien Sansour

Live Spanish and French Interpretation

We’ll gather to celebrate, reflect on the conference week and how we will bring our experiences to our daily seed work, and set intention for re-entering our daily routines. We’re honored to be joined by Vivien Sansour from the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library for a closing keynote address.

Vivien Sansour

Vivien Sansour is an artist, storyteller, researcher and conservationist.

She uses image, sketch, film, soil, seeds, and plants to enliven old cultural tales in contemporary presentations and to advocate for seed conservation and the protection of agrobiodiversity as a cultural/political act.

Vivien founded the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library as part of this work with local farmers, and has been showcased internationally, including at the Chicago Architecture Biennale, V&A Museum in London, Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, and the Venice Art Biennale.

A culinary historian and enthusiastic cook, Vivien works to bring threatened varieties “back to the dinner table to become part of our living culture rather than a relic of the past”. This work has led her to collaborate with award winning chefs, including Anthony Bourdain and Sammi Tamimi.

Born in Jerusalem, Vivien lives in both Bethlehem, Palestine and Los Angeles, USA. She is currently a Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative Fellow at Harvard University.

Breeding Vegetable Maize for Organic Production: Quality Selection Methodology

Sweet maize dominates the fresh-eating maize market in the United States. However, many other fresh-eating maize types exist with various flavors, textures, and culinary properties. Due to high sugars and low seed weight, modern sweet maize varieties often have poor germination, early vigor, weed competitiveness, and ultimately yield, when grown organically without seed treatments. There is a need for varieties bred specifically for organic or low-input farming systems and an opportunity to breed novel ‘vegetable maize’, which contributes to genetic and culinary diversity within the U.S. landscape. We crossed sweet and grain maize to generate ‘vegetable maize’. Sweet maize contributes tenderness and some sweetness in the fresh eating stage, while grain maize contributes robust texture due to higher quantities of starch in the kernel. The increase in starch alters the eating quality as well as improves germination and vigor when compared to sweet maize. The experimental vegetable maize in our program, however, lack fresh-eating harvest windows that are long enough for ears to be picked and marketed before there is a decline in quality. This research will determine if the harvest window of two vegetable maize populations can be significantly widened via a recurrent selection scheme over four cycles (2020 – 2023). The scheme measures quality attributes of the kernel with two tools that we hypothesize when selected upon will slow sugar to starch conversion and therefore extend the fresh harvest window. Taste tests of the four cycles will determine if the window is widened and if changes are desirable.

Lexie Wilson, University of Wisconsin – Madison

---

Development of Tomato Varieties Adapted for Organic Systems in the Upper Midwest, with Improved Flavor and Disease Resistance

Most of the tomato varieties currently used in organic farming were bred for conventional farming, often characterized by high-input use. These varieties do not perform as well in low-input organic systems, generating the need to breed varieties that are adapted organic management systems. This project focused on improving flavor, disease resistance, and yield, all identified as key traits for organic tomato farmers in the Upper Midwest. Four founding parents were identified as promising germplasm from organic variety trials. Following a diallel crossing scheme, we obtained F1’s from the 6 possible crosses, and these were advanced to the F5 and F6 generations. The breeding lines were evaluated in open field and high tunnel organic farming systems in the university research station. Flavor was evaluated through public tastings. In parallel, the advanced lines were trialed by farmers and tested by chefs and consumers to analyze their marketable and culinary potential. We found that yield (kg/plant) was significantly higher in the high tunnel than the open field management system for all varieties. We found 4 breeding lines with outstanding flavor and acceptable overall yields. The heritability of the yield was high (0.82) and the genetic variance was also high, which shows opportunity to increase the yield on the best tasting varieties. A significant positive correlation was found between overall flavor and °Brix (0.78), and citric acid (CA) (0.71), indicating that both measurements can be good predictors of overall flavor likeliness. The correlated response of °Brix and CA when selecting for yield was -8% and -9% respectively, indicating that improving yields and flavor at the same time can be challenging on future selections. The current breeding lines show promise, further selection and on-farm trials are needed to evaluate their potential as releasable varieties.

Ámbar Carvallo, University of Wisconsin – Madison

---

Indigo Tomato Trial on The Evergreen State College Organic Farm

During the 2021 growing season, a randomized complete block design was conducted to evaluate four experimental varieties of organic tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum) bred from Indigo x ‘Ananas Noire’ crosses. The goal was to combine the tasty, multihued fruit of Ananas Noire with the Indigo (high anthocyanin) trait to create an even more colorful, healthy, and tasty slicer type tomato. ‘Lucid Gem’ and ‘Ananas Noire’ were included in the trial as check varieties. Three replications included eight plants of each variety per block (n=144). Data were collected on Early Blight of Tomato, catfacing, and blossom end rot as well as plant vigor, yield, taste, and marketability of the individual fruit. The experimental Variety 2 (P321-13-3B-1-1-1) performed the best. This variety had the lowest catfacing, the lowest number of fruits with blossom end rot, the highest average number of pre-harvest fruit per plant, and the highest average number of marketable fruits per plant. In tasting trials, Variety 2 did not differ significantly from most of the other varieties on ratings of sweetness, flavor, or overall likableness. Varieties 2 and 4 (P321-7-1-1-1) had significantly higher ratings on appearance, but only compared to ‘Ananas Noire.’ Overall, ‘Ananas Noire’ was the poorest performing variety in the trial. Although it was rated as one of the sweetest and most flavorful varieties, it also exhibited significantly more blossom end rot and had the lowest average number of marketable fruits despite having the heaviest average fruit weight per plant.

Adam M. Smith, The Evergreen State College; Martha Rosemeyer, The Evergreen State College

---

Organic Potato Seed Certification to Change the World

Double certification of potatoes-Organic grown and State Crop Improvement disease free certified seed potatoes could help change the environment for soil health to belly health. A comparison of finished seed quality will show organically produced seed potatoes are better for the entire potato chain.

Jeff Bragg, SuperFood Consulting

---

Techniques for Regenerating Old Seeds

Food sovereignty is both the right of peoples to healthy food produced sustainably, and to define their own food production systems. As the food sovereignty movement continues to evolve, more Indigenous people are searching for the seeds Native ancestors used to grow traditional crops. Sometimes gardeners have viable seeds of traditional varieties in abundance, and sometimes the only seeds still in existence have not been grown out for a long time and are now very old. Others have been collected decades ago and stored in museums for display. Age eventually leads to the death of seeds, and some of the old seeds will never germinate. However, sometimes old seeds are still alive, but very weak, too weak to germinate on their own. Here we review the literature about the various ways in which gardeners and scientists have helped or may help to grow healthy plants from old, weak seeds that are still alive. Some of the methods are not traditional, each person or group involved will have to make choices among the methods based on the likelihood of success, cultural norms, and other considerations. If successful, regenerated plants can become the basis for new stocks of healthy, vigorous seeds with which relationships can be rebuilt to help meet current and future food sovereignty goals.

Frank Kutka, College of Menominee Nation

---

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Flowering Early in the Woody Perennial Prunus Pumila (Rosaceae)

As global weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, some plants will respond by advancing their phenology. For woody perennials in temperate regions, many of which flower near the time of the last frost, advancing their phenology could subject them to floral freezing and reduce or eliminate their reproductive capacity for a growing season. Yet there may be advantages to flowering early that outstrip the potential risks, especially if their pollinators also adjust their phenology to warming conditions. We examined the effects of floral freezing on pollinator attraction and reproductive success for Prunus pumila, a wild relative of several economically and ecologically important temperate woody species. We exposed these plants to a simulated light freeze, hard freeze, or a near-freezing control temperature while their flowers were in four different developmental stages (first white buds, balloon buds, open flowers, and fertilized flowers). Visual and cellular damage was assessed in floral tissue, and the extent of whole plant damage was estimated. Plants with flowers in the earlier stages were then observed over the course of flowering for pollinator visitation, and all plants were monitored for signs of successful fertilization, mature fruit production, and seed germination.

Danielle Lake Diver and Dr. Jessica Savage, University of Minnesota – Duluth

An Overview of Quebec’s Grain and Vegetable Trial and Breeding Projects

Successive governments in Quebec have made gradual investments in organic farming over the past decade. Seeds and adapted varieties are also increasingly on the radar. In this presentation, you will learn about variety trials and breeding needs in the Quebec local and organic agricultural sector. This talk will feature a diversity of priority crops, farms, and research projects, as well as highlight recent protocoles, results, and reports. The goal of this Lightning Talk is to share information with existing and potential partners in the breeding and organic seed community in the U.S. and internationally. This talk is presented by Hugo Martorell, Quebec Regional Coordinator at the Bauta Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, who provides extension services to farms since 2017. Hugo is involved in a number of projects with grain (incl. corn, quinoa, Tartary buckwheat, oats, sunflower, spring and winter wheat) and vegetable crops (incl. carrots, cabbages, onion, spinach, tropical eggplants, garlic, peppers, bok choy), that he is excited to talk about. Hugo hopes to connect with others in the conference and learn more from those who share an interest in these crops. Hugo speaks French, Spanish and English.

Hugo Martorell, SeedChange | Sème l’avenir

---

Breeding for Resiliency and Bio-diversity: Potential of PPB to Re-establish Commercial Seed Supply for Heritage Beans in Central America

Setting of seed trials in Nicaragua with NGO utilizing methods established in the advantages of Participatory Plant Breeding. We will be growing out four different varieties of dried beans in 3 different farming communities with different weather, soil, and growing methods.

Shelley Spruit, Against the Grain Farms

---

Challenging Problematic Utility Patents

The patent system, though intended to foster research and innovation, actively promotes the appropriation of seed – including organic seed – and other culturally important resources for private gain. Vast disparities in patent application grant rates among examiners, unsound policy resting on shaky judicial guidance, and the high costs of obtaining and challenging patents all point to a broken system that favors the interests of industry giants above traditional seed stewards and the health and welfare of communities and environments. There are several avenues for challenging utility patents that may serve as effective advocacy tools. My Lightning Talk will briefly overview the state of utility patents in U.S. agriculture and discuss various strategies for challenging utility patents that are unethical, not new, and/or obvious. In particular, I will discuss pre-issuance submissions, post-grant review, inter partes review, ex parte review, and other forms of advocacy outside of the Patent Office. I will explain the legal requirements for filing these challenges and mention some successful and ongoing watchdog efforts. I will conclude by asking the audience to think about what kinds of changes at the legislative or regulatory level might best protect seeds from falling into the wrong hands.

Will Gallagher, University of Maryland

---

Community Seed Network: An Online Platform for Seed Saving, Sharing, and Networking

The Community Seed Network (CSN) is an online platform that connects and supports community seed initiatives by providing resources, information, and a platform for networking. Under the leadership of Seed Savers Exchange and SeedChange, the initiative includes seed libraries, community seed projects, seed swaps, and all “seedy” individuals and community groups. The CSN’s mission is to support community-led seed stewardship by offering a platform to connect people to projects, projects to each other, and everyone to seed. Through great conversations and sharing of resources, we hope to make this work visible locally, regionally, and internationally, empowering community seed leaders as trailblazers and movement builders. Join this lightning talk to learn about the CSN website and resources, including downloadable seed saving and sharing resources, organizational resources, and a networking map to add yourself to the seed saving community and connect to individuals, mentors, projects, and like-minded organizations.

Jeanine Scheffert, Seed Savers Exchange

---

Creating Seed Sovereignty in Your Community to Build Resilience and Community Unity

Learn the steps to build unity and resilience in your community by seed saving. Honor the cultural legacy of your area through the seed movement.

April Jones, Pinehurst Farmers Market

---

From Idea to Impact: Developing and Commercializing Naturally Nutritious Staple Crops

A description of the process to establish a nutrition-sensitive breeding program utilizing open-access public genetic materials and how to link more nutritious crops to consumer demand to sustainably scale and improve public health and immune systems through food systems. The talk will touch upon the importance of participatory varietal selection, public germplasm, extending ownership of the breeding and commercialization of agricultural tech and extension services to systemically marginalized rural communities around the world.

Benjamin Uchitelle-Pierce, Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) HarvestPlus

---

Kasveista – Developing Open Source Seeds for Vertical Farming

In this Lightning Talk I will share the work performed at Kasveista to set a seed business for open-source seeds for vertical farming. During the talk the background of the idea will be presented. Then I will present the idea of a profitable business model that can create profit while respecting seed sovereignty and biodiversity. Finally I want to talk about the methods we use and the challenges of breeding for a particular sector as the controlled environment agriculture. In addition, our experience of producing seeds in controlled environment will be shared.

Rosario Iacono, Kasveista UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

---

Marketability of Indigenous C. melo Cucumbers

Pictures and descriptions of indigenous immature melons grown as cucumbers to explore both their historical significance as well as their potential for marketability as a gourmet vegetable.

Jay Tracy, Cucumber Shop

---

Mass Aggie Seed Library: An Outreach and Engagement Project

Seed libraries have been cropping up in public libraries all over the country, and now the trend is germinating on college campuses as well. They offer outreach and engagement with the community, educate patrons about seed saving, and provide volunteer opportunities. Learn how the Mass Aggie Seed Library came to be using an adaptive and low-key approach. We used what we had, in an imperfect space, and yet we thrived. How-to, logistics, and best practices will be discussed along with how we adapted to deliver materials during the pandemic. This new service has also allowed us to connect with and showcase other related services and spaces on campus.

Paulina Borrego, Mass Aggie Seed Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst

---

MN SEED Project Native Plant Community Science Project

In 2021, our group focused on collecting and sharing seeds from Native Forbs and Grasses. We created a community of seed savers by providing learning opportunities to teach people how to identify native plants, use iNaturalist, collect and process seeds and finally how to grow plants from those seeds. We created online resources and in-person hands-on events to collect and process seeds. Finally we made seeds available at events and hosted an online seed swap.

Courtney Tchida, Minnesota State Horticultural Society; Dawn Lamm, Como Community Seed Library; Stephanie Hankerson

---

Native Seeds/SEARCH Partner Farmer Program: Seeking Seed Growers

Native Seeds/SEARCH is currently seeking experienced Southwest-based growers to help increase the availability of seed varieties we steward through our Partner Farmer Program. This video will overview the process, seeds types available, and program options to include the Bulk Seed Exchange and Contract Agreement.

Andrea Carter, Native Seeds/SEARCH

---

Perspectives on Intellectual Property Rights in Organic Seed Work

Over the past century, increasing consolidation of power in the seed industry has challenged small-scale seed growers. This consolidation is fueled in part by various legislative attempts to apply intellectual property law to seeds, resulting in an array of overlapping and confusing policies that are difficult to navigate on both a financial and an ethical level. Individual responses to this system comprise a diverse range of perspectives and strategies. This lightning talk presents research on seed growers’ perspectives on intellectual property rights (IPR), with a particular focus on social alternatives to formal IPR. Many respondents pointed at mutual understanding, respect, reputation, and small community as a safeguard against unethical behavior. This information will be used to build a resource, in collaboration with the Organic Seed Alliance, that increases literacy on IP and points to best practices for people who work within the organic seed system.

Paulina Jenney, University of Montana

---

Seed Saving and Climate Change: Observations and Mitigation Implementation

This Lightning Talk will discuss the implications of climate change for seed saving, seed production, and gardening, potential mitigation strategies.

Andrea Berry, Montana State University SNAP-Ed

---

Seeds to the People

“Seeds to the People” is an existing program through Cultivate Oregon (a project of Earth Island Institute) that supports the urgent need for mailing free seeds to low-income and underserved audiences across Oregon. The free seeds are sourced from donations from the national Coop Garden Movement efforts, and boxes of seeds that have been reclaimed from corporate store dumpsters due to expiration dates. Cultivate Oregon has partnered with members of the Southern Oregon Seed Growers Association to provide a selection of locally grown seeds to the donated seeds we offer through this program. Some of the donated seeds will also be available through local seed swaps, a mobile food pantry, and the Medford Library’s “Seed Library” once the facilities open again. Our goal with the “Seeds to the People” program is to ensure that all people, regardless of their income, have access to seeds in order to grow food, help their families, and save seeds that are adapted to their geographic region of Oregon. We hope to share about our “Seeds to the People” program as a way to stimulate people’s thinking about how to help low income, and underserved communities access local seeds, while also supporting local seed growers. More information about “Seeds to the People” can be found here: https://www.cultivateoregon.org/seeds_to_the_people

Rhianna Simes, Cultivate Oregon

---

The 4 Sisters: Companion Planting in the 21st Century

Indigenous agriculture has been going on in the Four Corners region for millennia. The San Juan River Valley has seen the collapse and resurgence of farming and gardening many times over the course of history. The planters and growers of the region face many impediments to sustainable and resilient food systems. Yet, the people retain a rich and deep connection to this sacred way of life. The people persisted through tried and true methods of agriculture in an area with variable precipitation, arid soil conditions, and unforgiving weather. Through the bonds they maintained with soil, plants and water, they were able to survive and thrive. Harmony and balance is needed by growers everywhere now more than ever, for our agricultural way of life to survive. The methods they perfected and passed on are still relevant today. Companion planting has been practiced worldwide by growers to maintain soil balance, preserve water and control pests. Throughout North and South America, the 3 sister planting method is known. Without this method, corn planting would not have proliferated the world. Growing in the Four Corners provided new challenges and obstacles to overcome. Adaption and ingenuity were key attributes of the inhabitants of the region. These tried and true practices as well as modern ones will be needed, to preserve this way of life. This presentation will cover this, as well as current efforts to enhance and preserve the rich agricultural way of life for the next millennia.

Brandon Francis, New Mexico State University

---

West African Okra

Chris Smith has been exploring the genus Abelmoschus as part of his deeper research into Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). West African Okra (Abelmoschus caillei) is a relatively unknown species of okra that is endemic to West Africa. The pods of West African Okra and Okra are similar in appearance and use, and the few West African Okra varieties that exist in the U.S. have been consistently misclassified in seed catalogs as Okra. This Lightning Talk offers a brief botanical overview and a look at some existing varieties in the U.S. This species displays a longer season, higher disease resistance, and higher drought tolerance. It offers a lot of potential as an additional crop in the U.S., both from an agronomic and a cultural standpoint. The hope is that this talk can offer some exposure for West African Okra, inspire some addition research, and perhaps unearth some other varieties hiding under the guise of plain old Okra!

Chris Smith, The Utopian Seed Project

Seeding the Future with a Heartland’s Demonstration Farm

The demonstration and tour of Meadowlark Hearth will include a look at our biennial seed growing efforts and a general farm tour with the Corymb family’s offerings in Nebraska. This special farm tour will focus on biennial seed growing in zone 4, in other words, climates where one cannot leave the said vegetable in the ground through the winter without special protection and what we have learned.

Beth and Nathan Corymb, Meadowlark Hearth

---

Soil, Seed, and Sustainability: A Farm Tour of Irish Seed Savers

Soil at Irish Seed Savers is considered a precious resource, its value extending far beyond its ability to yield healthy crops. Soil is the foundation of sustainable food systems; a habitat to support biodiversity; a key contributor to carbon sequestration, a regulator of water in the landscape and a key factor in nutrient recycling. Soil health has been defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Using our 20-acre organic farm to illustrate key aspects of our work in relation to soil, Head Gardener Tristan Lienhard will discuss our holistic approach to soil health and its role in seed growing. His talk will cover the nutrient cycle, soil biodiversity and the soil microbiome. He will discuss preparation of the soil for seed crops, green manures and other methods for enhancing soil structure and health. Walking the land, Tristan will highlight the positive effect our holistic approach has on the seed we grow, the land and its inhabitants.

Tristan Lienhard, Irish Seed Savers

---

Tourne-Sol Seed Warehouse Tour

Join us for a tour of Tourne-Sol’s seed warehouse! You’ll get a chance to see our seed storage, pull room for wholesale rack program, pull room for our online store, fulfillment areas, seed packing, and seed germination.

Daniel Brisebois, Ferme coopérative Tourne-Sol

---

Native Art Showcasing the Beauty of Heritage Beans as a Means to Bring Awareness to Importance of Biodiversity in the Seed Supply

We will be working with four different Indigenous farm groups in the highlands, flat lands, and drylands of Nicaragua. We will be setting up side by side trials to track and record quality, quantity of seed, as well as resilience given different climate, soil, and management challenges. We will be working with local artists and video film makers to showcase the work we are doing on the different farms. We will be partnering with seeds of diversity Canada to continue the work they are doing in participatory plant breeding. Come learn more about this powerful project!

Shelley Spruit, Against the Grain Farms

---

Sharing Seeds and Seed Saving with the Community

I will share about Cultivating Connections Montana’s three-part seed saving series that we presented to the community this past season. I’ll share the story of how we engaged people, showed them where to start, taught them about the magic of seeds, gave them a chance to collect and clean seeds to grow at home, and created spaces for the community to connect using seeds as the catalyst for knowledge sharing. Homestead Organics Farm in Hamilton, Montana, is the ‘Farm-Classroom’ for the nonprofit, Cultivating Connections Montana. These seed workshops were presented as part of CCMT’s ‘Building A Stronger Bitterroot’ event series. I’ll also share the story and hand-outs we made.

Laura Garber, Cultivating Connections Montana