What they do
Seed Savers Exchange has preserved heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties for over 40 years, maintaining a collection of 20,000+ rare and endangered varieties at their Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa. The organization operates a seed catalog, community seed swaps, and educational programs on seed saving, plant breeding, and agricultural biodiversity conservation.
Why they matter
Commercial seed consolidation means that 75% of crop genetic diversity has been lost since 1900. Seed Savers Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States, preserving the genetic diversity that industrial agriculture abandoned. For farmers and gardeners, their catalog provides access to varieties adapted to local conditions over centuries rather than bred for industrial uniformity.
How to support
Seed Savers maintains 20,000+ varieties of open-pollinated seeds, many of which are unavailable from any commercial source.
Key project to explore
The organization's community seed swap network connects thousands of growers who share locally adapted varieties for free.