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Intermountain West

Organic acreage in the Intermountain West continues to increase alongside the national demand for organic food. For example, in a five-year period, organic vegetable acreage in Montana experienced a five-fold increase. Although the organic seed trade is growing, the supply is still insufficient to fully meet the diverse and regional needs of all growers — including farmers in the Intermountain West.

Organic Seed Alliance conducted a seed needs assessment of organic vegetable growers in Montana. The survey findings continue to inform organic seed research and education in the state, including a partnership with Triple Divide Organic Seeds Cooperative where we have collaborated on organic variety trials, on-farm plant breeding projects, and educational events for farmers who want to hone their organic seed skills. OSA also published a quality assurance manual, titled: “Best Practices for Vegetable Seed Handling in Montana.” The manual includes recommendations for quality assurance grow outs, germination testing, and vigor testing, and provides guidance on managing foundation and stock seed.

Most recently, OSA developed resources that help Montana’s seed growers understand the economics of seed production. Organic seed production is a developing industry, and can provide economic opportunity for farmers, but there is always some degree of uncertainty and risk. This new toolkit helps seed growers develop good record keeping, enterprise budgets, and marketing strategies to help them manage risk.

Some project updates include:

  • Best Practices for Vegetable Seed Handling in Montana 
  • Meet Your Seed Grower: Judy Owsowitz, Terrapin Farm
  • OSA Featured on PBS’s Farm to Fork Wyoming
  • Report Describes Organic Seed Needs for Montana

View all Intermountain West UPDATES

View all Intermountain West PUBLICATIONS

Key Contact

Micaela Colley, Program Director
micaela@seedalliance.org

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“With genetic diversity diminishing, I believe farmers should maintain and select plant varieties. As I grow these varieties, my passion for them also grows. Learning to grow seed has been one of the most gratifying aspects of farming and having OSA as a resource has been an integral part of gaining that knowledge.”

– Judy Owsowitz, Terrapin Farm, Whitefish, Montana

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Are you interested in producing high quality organic tomato seed for your own farm or for sale? Join #TOMI partners for a virtual training on the how-to's of #organic tomato #seed production on April 20 at 12p PT. Register at oregonstate.zoom.us/… pic.twitter.com/GXaO…

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Listen to this great interview about #organic plant breeding with our very own Laurie McKenzie. Thanks, @PBSInt, for the conversation! twitter.com/PBSInt/s…

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Have you seen our toolkit for understanding the economics of #organic #seed production? Thanks to Organic Farmer magazine for highlighting this resource for both aspiring and experienced seed growers @jcs_marketing organicfarmermag.com…

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Next week is the 𝟕𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓! Check out the line-up of speakers & roundtable topics below. It's the first time the event is being held virtually and free of charge. Live in CA? Join us! seedalliance.org/eve…

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TODAY is the last day to apply for our Organic Seed Production Online Course. Join the 2021 cohort of seed enthusiasts to help grow your career in seed! More details 👇seedalliance.org/202…

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