Native Seedssearch

Distribution: our distribution department provides access to heirloom seeds stewarded and managed by ns/s through sales and free seed access programs. Seeds and plant starts are sold through the online store and at plant sales. Community seed access programs for Native american individuals and families, community organizations and tribes are managed to provide access to culturally relevant seeds. In 2024, more than 25,000 free seed packets were shared to thousands of individuals and families, and 139 schools and community gardens.

Education and outreach: our education work is focused on providing resources and support to gardeners and farmers from the southwest, especially in indigenous communities that have connections to the seeds we steward. We give presentations, resources and training on seed saving and also host visits and tours of the conservation center, including the garden, seedlab and seedbank. In 2024, we hosted 14 workshops on gardening and seedsaving, provided 15 tours and visits at the conservation center, visited 36 farms and community gardens to provide technical consultation, and programmatic support, tabled at 9 events to represent ns/s, and presented at 21 conferences and/or meetings.

Conservation: this program oversees the growing out and regeneration of seeds in our conservation center garden, management of the seed bank collection, including germination testing, conducting seed inventories, cleaning and packing seeds and coordinating with distribution. The conservation department also coordinated with partner farmers to grow out and regenerate rare and Endangered seeds. In 2024, between the ns/s conservation center gardens in tucson and over 20 regional partner farmers, we successfully grew over 100 accessions for regeneration and distribution.