“Every time we save seed, the plants that we are working with change in some way or another. It’s inevitable. And it seems like, from my experience, that plants will adapt within about 3 years to a new environment. But if they aren’t being maintained, more deleterious traits can develop over time.”
- Katie Jagger (Saltwater Seeds, Organic Seed Alliance)
“Variety maintenance isn’t about keeping something the same — it’s about constantly changing it to be something that it was, because it’s changing anyway… To love them is to accept that change, and that’s a big part of this work.”
- Chris Smith (Utopian Seed Project)
About the call:
Bringing together farmers, seed stewards, and industry stakeholders in the U.S. and internationally to foster connectivity, nourish one another with fresh perspectives, and co-create a shared vision for the future of the seed movement. These open-sourced educational and networking calls weave intentional connecting exercises, short educational presentations, and practical tips and tricks. OSA’s Open House Quarterly Call on February 26th, 2026 discussed how open pollination techniques are complex and ever-evolving. Special thanks to Midwest TOPP for supporting this series.
POLICY CORNER:
OSA’s Policy & Advocacy Program Conducts legal and cultural advocacy toward policies that support organic agriculture and farmers’ rights to save seed. https://seedalliance.org/advocacy/
State of Organic Seed: Ongoing project of OSA to monitor organic seed systems in the U.S. Every five years, OSA 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. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9T6MQ9L
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@seedalliance #OrganicSeedAlliance
This program is supported by the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP).
