Jan 24, 2025 - News

Iowa nonprofit hosts seed swaps Saturday across the U.S.

Jason Clayworth

A photo of lettuce. — Lettuce of the Feuille de Chene variety is grown and displayed at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah. Photo: Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) in Decorah is uniting people who save heirloom seeds with other gardeners — all for the price of postage.

Why it matters: The effort, which involves thousands of varieties of seeds, is helping preserve the culturally diverse and endangered genetic history of food crops, the New York Times reports.

Driving the news: Saturday is National Seed Swap Day.

SSE is hosting in-person swaps across the U.S., including in Decorah and Chicago.

Catch up quick: The nonprofit started 50 years ago and is dedicated to saving heirloom seeds.

SSE's headquarters are on the nearly 900-acre Heritage Farm, which includes about 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to its gardens, orchards and cattle pastures.

Zoom in: People can purchase seeds or participate in the Exchange, allowing registered account users to set up a wishlist and swap seeds with other participants.

Between the lines: The Exchange has specific listing guidelines.

Only open-pollinated seeds are allowed.
Hybrids and those that are potentially cross-varieties are prohibited.

If you go: Saturday's Iowa event is 1-3pm at the Vestheim Commons in Decorah.

It's free and includes seed-saving presentations.

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Iowa nonprofit hosts seed swaps Saturday across the U.S.

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