Program
About the Gathering
The Organic Seed Growers Conference is a biennial gathering by and for agroecological seed communities in the U.S. and across the world. The event creates spaces where experienced and emerging seed stewards can convene timely conversations, educational training, and strategy sessions. The gathering serves as a conduit for making new connections and catching up with old friends, networking across organic seed communities, sharing knowledge with other participants, and celebrating the growing movement. Organizers curate a conference agenda that reflects the multifaceted needs of seed growers and advocates, no matter the ease or discomfort of the topics. The goal of the Organic Seed Growers Conference is to inspire individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses to take actions that support and improve the integrity of the philosophical and practical systems that make up the organic seed movement and trade.
Pre-Conference Events
Preconferencia: Cómo y Por Qué Hacer Agricultura Orgánica y Producir Semillas en Los Estados Unidos: Historias e Ideas
Date: Wednesday, February 26th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
In Person: Oregon State University, 725 SW 26th St, Corvallis, OR 97331.
Virtual: Organic Seed Commons & Zoom
Languages offered: Spanish (with possibility for English translation)
Esta preconferencia es patrocinada por el programa TOPP, planeamos invitar 2 agricultoras orgánicas líderes en sus regiones, que han incluído actividades relacionadas con la producción de semilla en sus portafolios, ellas son las señoras Maria Catalán – de Hollister, California y Nélida Martínez quien trabaja en Mount Vernon – Washington. También planeamos tener como invitada a la Doctora Clara Nicholls, de la Universidad de California – Berkeley- quien compartirá con el público información sobre el manejo agroecológico de la finca y productores y productoras de semillas tanto de los Estados Unidos como de Latinoamérica quienes nos contarán sobre sus experiencias de cuidado y conservación de semillas en sus operaciones.
Presentando: Nélida Martínez – Purenelida Organic Produce, María Inés Catalán – Catalan Family Farm, Clara Nicholls – Universidad de California, Berkeley, Micaela Colley y Ana Galvis – Organic Seed Alliance
Costo: $30
Con el apoyo del Programa de Asociación para la Transición a la Producción Orgánica (TOPP) del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA). TOPP es un programa de la Iniciativa de Transición Orgánica del USDA y está administrado por el Programa Orgánico Nacional (NOP) del Servicio de Comercialización Agrícola (AMS) del USDA.
Pre-Conference Intellectual Property Rights on Seed Symposium
Date: Thursday, February 27th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
In Person: Oregon State University, 725 SW 26th St, Corvallis, OR 97331.
Virtual: Organic Seed Commons & Zoom
Languages offered: English
The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on Seed Symposium will include resource sharing, strategy discussions on alternative IPR models, and inform future recommendations to support organic seed growers, plant breeders, and researchers in navigating the complexities of IPR used on seed.
Cost: $50
This pre-conference event is supported by Organic Valley Farmers Advocating For Organic and Clif Family Foundation. This event is also funded by the Organic Research and Extension Initiative grant, part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Award # 2024-51300-43055: 12th Organic Seed Growers Conference: A cross-disciplinary hybrid gathering planting the seeds of the future.
Pre-Conference Farm Tour
Date: Thursday, February 27th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Oregon State University, 725 SW 26th Street, Corvallis, OR 97331
Languages offered: English
Kick off your conference with an exciting tour that will showcase seed production in the Willamette valley! This day-long tour will explore seed breeding and production across various operations and scales. Join us to learn about seed cleaning techniques, the ins and outs of operating a seed business and to gain valuable insights from experienced seed producers. Seats on the bus are limited, so be sure to reserve yours today! Lunch and snacks will be provided. Stay tuned for more details to come!
Cost: $50
This pre-conference event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).
Organic Seed Growers Conference 2025
Date: Friday Feb 28th – Saturday March 1st, 2025
Time: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm each day
In Person: Oregon State University LaSelles and Alumni Center (725 SW 26th St, Corvallis, OR 97331)
Virtual: Organic Seed Commons & Zoom
Join us for four inspiring days of connection, learning, and visioning a more just, equitable, and regenerative seed future. Pre-conference intensives, collaborative sessions, and more! This biennial event by and for agroecological seed communities across the U.S. and the world is a place for timely conversations, educational trainings, and strategy sessions. Whether you’re an experienced seed grower or just starting out, we invite you to come and celebrate the growing movement of organic seed.
The conference will kick off with in-person pre-conference events on February 26th and 27th, including the all-Spanish Speaking Seed Intensive, a Farm Tour, and an Intellectual Property Summit. The larger hybrid Conference will then take place from February 28th to March 1st, with select in-person sessions broadcast live on Organic Seed Commons and eOrganic.
The agenda will include panel discussions, roundtables, research presentations and posters, virtual and in-person farm tours, and lightning talks. We’ll add some flavor to the week with artistic works, pre-Conference workshops, demonstrations, regional/topical/affinity synergy spaces, a trade show, seed swap, keynote presentations, and celebrations.
This gathering is an incredible opportunity to make new connections, share knowledge, and celebrate the collective power of the organic seed movement.
Cost: Sliding Scale
Presented by Organic Seed Alliance with support from OSU Organic Agriculture Program (a part of the Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems in the College of Agricultural Sciences), Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), Organic Valley Farmers Advocating for Organics, Northwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (NW TOPP), Blooming Prairie Foundation, Clif Family Foundation, and eOrganic. Sponsored by Organically Grown Company and Fedco Seeds.
