How to Organize a Seed Swap
by Heather Coburn
The cycle of the seed is as ancient and integrated into our lives as the passing of the seasons. In cities, gardens, and in the wild, Mother Nature is always making seed. Every spring, as the light returns to the land, seeds emerge from their earthen slumber. They awaken from their mysterious coma, somehow aware of the time, the temperature, the position of the sun and stars. Tiny leaves unfold and grow into branches, buds, and flowers, while roots with the power of dynamite plunge deep into the soil. Summer comes, and as the fruits ripen, people and animals harvest and feast, while the seeds within the fruits mature and harden. In the autumn, many seeds lie dormant in the Earth, while others feed the world through the winter. Spring always returns, and the cycle continues.
Humans interact with global and local seed cycles on a daily basis. The most obvious way this happens is through our food. Seeds represent a huge portion of the global diet. Corn, wheat, and soy, are some of the most important seed crops, but there are thousands of others that are also very important to human life.
Seeds were one of the first commodities, and the exchange of seed is a fundamental part of human history. Yet while the practice of sharing seeds goes back at least 15,000 years, in the past few centuries, human societies have moved away from individual seed exchange to a more centralized distribution system. This system is largely based on economic gain, with little regard for the preservation of genetic diversity. As a result, the gene-pool for many of our most important crops has been whittled down to a scant few varieties, selected for their economic value. And now, with the booming industry of genetically modified crops posing new threats to the integrity of our entire food and agricultural system, it seems prudent to turn our attention toward the stewardship of the diversity of our seeds.
In short, the stewardship of global genetic diversity is in the hands of farmers and gardeners, many of whom grow literally hundreds or thousands of different kinds of seed, from heirloom vegetables to tropical orchids. Many of these growers are secretly obsessed, always on the lookout for fresh seeds, and if you go to their houses, these “seed geeks” will show you boxes full of seeds, collected and grown over years, lifetimes of hunting, gardening, saving, and sharing.
This too is a cycle, where the collector finds the source, then gathers or grows the seeds and cleans, dries and stores them. However, it is not enough just to save seeds. They must be grown again, and passed along from hand to hand, family to family, generation to generation. Biodiversity is a living thing, and natural law says that to protect diversity, you must perpetuate it. Seeds that are left in storage for too long will eventually expire.
Because it makes sense to share responsibility for the preservation of genetic diversity with other gardeners, most seed growers participate in some form of seed exchange. This can vary from independent mail-order seed companies to internet lists, but the most dynamic type of seed exchange is the community seed swap.
I attended my first one in the spring of 1999. It was a warm, rainy afternoon and I rode my bike to the park where a friend told me to look for a “seed swap.” I had a vague idea of what that meant: something like a gardeners’ flea market, with an emphasis on seeds, plants, and propagative material. About twenty people showed up that day, and I came home with a fistful of seed packets and many good ideas for my spring garden.
Later that year, I hosted a seed swap at my house on a sunny afternoon in October. People brought vegetable and herb seeds, strawberry plants, and several varieties of home-brew beer. Only a few people came, but we had a great time drinking the beer and hollering about world politics.
I remember a conversation from that day; my friend Nick Routledge made a particularly eloquent analogy between seed swaps and global biodiversity, identifying the community seed swap as a microcosm of that diversity. He later wrote, “Seed swaps are where the sharing and creation of real power is grounded, not the rootless and utterly temporary illusion that passes for influence-peddling we see in capitols and elsewhere. Deep gardeners know that you can walk out of a seed swap with a form of authentic power in your pocket with the literal potential to transform the politics of an entire bioregion.”
The next year, I recognized some of the varieties from the seed swap in the gardens of my neighbors. I also recognized more of the neighbors themselves, and felt a stronger sense of purpose as I thought about how growing and sharing seeds builds community and promotes diversity on all levels. In a way, the mixing of plants, seeds, cultures, and individuals, is a form of inter-kingdom procreation, where humans come together and mix plant germplasm. Sounds kinky, but I experienced a profound and growing sense that we were doing something right.
In the years to follow, I attended several regional seed swaps, and hosted four more. Sometimes more than a hundred people came, sometimes only a few dozen, but this perpetual weaving together of people and plants strengthens the genetic fabric in our gardens and in our bioregion. Every swap brings new people, and many participants come back every year, bringing their families and boasting their latest harvest. I enjoy hearing their stories and gaining new insights into a better world.
What follows is a guide for organizing a seed swap in your community. Anyone can do this, with some simple resources and just a few hours of time. Of course, there may already be seed swaps going on nearby. To help you connect with local seed exchange projects, please make use of the sidebar, North American Seed Exchange Organizations. If you are ready to jump right in and make your personal contribution to the diversity of your bioregion, here’s how:
Organizing A Community Seed Swap
First, decide whether to work alone or in a group. A small group, 2-3 people, can easily organize a seed swap. For a single person, this process takes about twenty hours, stretched out over several months. If you work in a group, the tasks listed below can be divided up among the group. Either way, just follow them in approximate chronological order and everything should work out fine.
Next, take a minute to jot down your goals. If you are working with a group, do this as individuals, and then merge the like ones into a group list. Why do you want to have a seed swap? What do you hope to accomplish? This may include short-term incentives like “get free seed for my garden,” or long-term goals like “increase the food security and genetic diversity of my bioregion.”
To help avoid duplicating the work of others, it is a good idea to find out if anyone else in your community is doing similar work. The local university is a good place to start. Make list of contacts. Visit garden centers, look online, and ask around for local seed savers and potential overlap. There may already be seed exchanges going on nearby. This does not mean you should not have one too, just that you should get in touch with people of similar interests and share ideas.
You will need to establish a date and place for the event several months in advance. Possible sites include: schools, churches, bookstores, parks, community centers, and private homes. Most places will donate the space for free, and many will provide tables, chairs, and even audio/visual equipment.
Make a list of what you will need for the event. This may include tables, outdoor shelter, transportation, photocopies, volunteers to help set-up, and telephone or Internet access, for promoting the event. Often these resources are available through the venue, or at a local university. You may want to post an early announcement in the local paper or on the Internet, advertising a need for resources. You will probably be able to get many things donated, but you may need to make a nominal investment, which can be recovered later by putting out a donation jar at the seed swap. At past events, the jar has yielded anywhere from $45 to $300.
Look for local scholars and professionals to invite to the seed swap as guest speakers or workshop instructors. These might be university students or professors, landscape designers, farmers, authors, or a vaudeville troupe doing puppet shows about seed saving. At a seed swap, people are often preoccupied with the seeds themselves, but a short workshop or demonstration goes over well and adds dimension to the gathering. Send them a personal invitation, detailing the date, location, and nature of the event. Give them a phone number or email address, and let them know you would like to have a response by one month before the event. People usually need plenty of notice so send out invitations well in advance.
Many people will bring seeds to the swap, but many others will come empty-handed. It is a good idea to sequester seed donations from local growers and seed companies in advance, and then you can count on having a surplus at the event.
Write a query letter to potential donors, inviting them to the event (if they are local) and asking for donations. This should be a short business letter, with your name, the date, location, and description of the event, and a polite request for material donations in the form of seeds, plants, or other products. Include photos of past events, if available. If you are working with another organization, you may want to attach a letter from them.
Send the query letter to local and national garden centers, farmers, garden clubs, seed companies, and online seed exchanges. Don’t forget to ask your neighbors for donations. Many different types of people have scores of leftover seed from seasons past, and most of them are eager to share it. You will be amazed at the bounty a few letters and phone calls can produce.
Once you confirm guest speakers and/or entertainers, you are ready to make a flyer about the event. Information on the flyer should include: Title, date, and location of the event, guest speakers, workshop schedule, what to bring, and any relevant websites or contact information. Starting 3-4 weeks before the swap, photocopy and hang the flyer on bulletin boards around town. Places that have bulletin boards may include libraries, cafés, bus stations, bookstores, health food stores, apartment buildings, laundry mats, grocery stores, schools, churches, recreation centers, public gathering places. Check weekly and replace flyers as needed until the day of the event. If you are feeling social, take a handful of miniature flyers to a public event like a festival, ball game, or arts event.
If you want to reach a wider variety of people, write a press release for the event. The press release is similar to a flyer, but in letter form, and you should include photos whenever possible. Send it to local newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations. Keep a list of all of the places you sent the press release, and follow up a few days before the event. Often they will send someone out to do a story for the local news.
You can also submit a tidbit to regional Internet calendars. Often there are email listserves in place to advertise these types of events. Ask at your local library or try google.com under seed saving, organic food, gardening, and the name of your town. It is also a good idea to invite activist groups or garden clubs to set up informational tables at the swap.
By now, seed donations should be rolling in. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place, in mouse-proof containers. Plastic tubs are fine, but large picnic coolers work great, and can be found at any thrift store for less than $5.
Set up an hour or two early. Bring tables, chairs, and whatever else you need, and display the seeds so they are easily accessible. It helps to organize them by plant family, so people know where to look, and where to put the seeds they bring. You may want to make small signs for the different types of seeds. Use recycled materials and get creative!
If possible, provide empty envelopes for people to stash small quantities of seed into. In addition, it is a good idea to set up a kid’s corner, with toys, coloring books, or educational activities.
As people arrive, the seed swap will probably take one of two shapes. The first will consist of participants setting up personal displays of their seeds and other goods. This is what I call the “marketplace” version of seed swapping, whereby people negotiate individual, material exchanges with each other.
The second, and much more recommended version is the “potluck” version, where people add their seed to what is out on the tables, perhaps with a note about the variety and growing procedures. Everyone just browses for a while, until it seems like a critical mass of people have arrived, at which point go around in a circle, saying his or her name and what types of seeds or goods he or she brought. This is also a great time to announce workshops or guest speakers, pass around a mailing list, and point out the donation jar. Then everyone just goes at it at once. The only rule is: Don’t take more than half of anything.
This version tends to be like stone soup: Everyone puts a little in, takes a lot out, and there is still a surplus left over. This surplus can be donated to a local seed bank or garden project, or stored until the next seed swap.
After the seed swap, spend some time evaluating the event. What worked? What didn’t? Write it all down while the experience is fresh in your mind, then put your notes, receipts, photos, the mailing list, and copies of the flyer and press releases in a file. If you’re hooked, you will want to use the file for planning another seed swap next year. If you don’t ever want to organize another event, then pass the file on to someone else. Whatever happens, everyone who attends is sure to leave with pockets full of potential.
I hope this will inspire and guide you to organize or participate in a seed swap in your town. This unique social activity truly changed my life, opening doors to new information and bringing new people into my family. In the past five years, I have traded seed for homemade lotions, teas, baskets, gourds, jewelry, vegetables, lodging, herbal medicines, and counseling services. Through face-to-face exchange, I have shared seed with over two thousand people, and that seed has surely been passed on again.
By this simple act, I am helping to build regional food security and learning about the stewardship of global genetic diversity. In addition, I am saving money, meeting interesting people, making good use of surplus resources, and having fun! I know my contribution is but a tiny piece of the puzzle, but it feels like something.
