Organic Seed Alliance

Save the date! Join us for a Seed Saving Field Day with Keep Growing Detroit Date | September 28th, 2024 Time | 12 - 3 PM Place | Keep Growing Detroit Farm, Detroit, MI Come out for a workshop on organic seed production and learn from experienced seed keepers! We will talk about the importance of seed saving and you’ll get hands-on experience with practical seed saving techniques. The afternoon will include a strolling lunch, seed cleaning demos, and featured speakers. There will be free seed saving kits and lunch provided for the first 50 attendees that arrive. Register now to grow your skills and network with fellow seed enthusiasts! Visit this link for more: https://lnkd.in/gwqXTU8P This event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP). #SeedSaving #KeepGrowingDetroit #OrganicSeed #MichiganFarming

OSA’s Washington field team is busy harvesting a diversity of plants to savor at the Culinary Breeding Network’s Variety Showcase this Sunday in Portland, Oregon! We look forward to connecting with plant breeders, farmers, chefs, and food enthusiasts as we celebrate cultivated diversity. This year's showcase spotlights culinary grains and dry-farming techniques. We’d love to see you there. Date | Sunday, September 8th Time | 3:00-7:00pm Place | The Redd on Salmon, Portland, OR #CulinaryBreedingNetwork #flavorbeginswithseed #varietyshowcase2024

We're excited to be collaborating with National Organic Coalition to support their pre-NOSB meeting on October 21st in Portland, OR. Will we see you there?

Join us for a day of seed-to-plate learning and culinary celebration! OSA’s Washington Field Day & Buckwheat Festival is right around the corner. Date | August 26, 2024 Time | 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; and 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Place | OSA's research farm at Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum, WA Morning: Farm Tour, 10 AM - 12 PM • Walk through carrot, spinach, tomato, sorghum, mung bean & buckwheat trials • Participate in a rainbow carrot tasting Afternoon: Buckwheat Festival, 2 PM - 6 PM • Co-hosted with Washington State University • Learn about buckwheat's potential in local diets & farm ecosystems • Hear from farmers, researchers, chefs & more • Enjoy demos, tastings & storytelling Don't miss this opportunity to exchange knowledge, celebrate, and taste with us! Visit the link in our bio to learn more and register. #OrganicSeed #LocalFood #FarmTour #Buckwheat

More than 15 years ago, Organic Seed Alliance held an onion field day in Northern California, which Jacques Neukom of Neukom Family Farm attended. Since then, Jacques and his partner Amy have grown a robust seed-saving practice, including the preservation of their Sweet Summer onion seeds. Jacques recently shared these photos from Neukom Family Farm in Willow Creek, CA, reflecting on the impact of that field day: "Our community is still benefiting from it." Known locally for their peaches and diverse produce, the farm employs organic, dry-farming methods and cultivates an impressive array of biodiversity. The final photo showcases eight varieties of seed-saved melons, fourteen varieties of seed-saved tomatoes, and onions just beyond view. We love hearing from farmers who continue to build on the knowledge shared at our field days and other events. How has seed-saving benefited your community?

Join Us for a Workshop on Organic Seed Production at Viva Farms! Organic Seed Alliance and Viva Farms are excited to invite you to our upcoming workshop focused on Organic Seed Production with a special emphasis on Seed Cleaning. Date: August 12th, 2024 Time: 3-5pm Location: Viva Farms (15366 Ovenell Road) During this workshop, we'll cover the basics of organic seed production, with hands-on demonstrations in seed cleaning. If you have seed that's ready to be cleaned, please bring it along for use in our demonstrations. This free event requires registration. Visit the event page to watch an informative seed cleaning video in preparation for the workshop and to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gmxx4ryQ If you need English-Spanish translation, please let us know by emailing [email protected], and we will happily provide it. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills in organic seed production! ¡Únase a nosotros en un taller sobre producción de semillas orgánicas en Viva Farms! Nos complace invitarle a un taller sobre producción de semilas orgánicas con énfasis en limpieza de semillas ofrecido por el Organic Seed Alliance en colaboración con Viva Farms. Fecha: 12 de agosto de 2024 Hora: 3-5pm Ubicación: Viva Farms (15366 Ovenell Road) Vamos a hablar sobre información básica de producción de semillas orgánicas y también sobre procedimientos de limpieza de semilla. Si tiene semilla lista para limpiar puede traerla para limpiarla durante el taller. Este evento gratuito requiere registro. Visite la página del evento para ver un video informativo sobre la limpieza de semillas en preparación para el taller y para asegurar su lugar: https://lnkd.in/gmxx4ryQ Si necesita traducción simultánea Inglés-Español déjenos saber enviando un correo electrónico a [email protected] y con gusto lo haremos. ¡No pierda esta oportunidad de profundizar sus conocimientos y habilidades en la producción de semillas orgánicas!

OSA’s Washington team had a sweet time with the incredible Bonnetta Adeeb recently, during her visit to the Pacific Northwest. Our time together included visits to several local food system participants: Chimacum Grainery, Wild Dreams Farm, Washington State University’s Breadlab, Viva Farms, Eldur Heron Farm, Pure Nelida Farm, and Kawamoto-Wipala Farm. Bonnetta is the founder and president of Steam Onward, a non-profit organization based in Southern Maryland. Steam Onward’s programs include the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA) and Ujamaa Seeds, among others. UCFA works to increase diversity in the US seed industry, guided by the principle of “Ujamaa,” or cooperative economics. The name "Ujamaa" comes from the Swahili language and is also the fourth principle of Kwanzaa. UCFA works to connect historically oppressed and marginalized seed growing communities with opportunities, support, and access to seed companies. We are honored to be collaborating with Bonnetta as she serves on the planning committee for OSA’s upcoming Organic Seed Growers Conference. We cherish Mrs. Bonnetta’s commitment to justice by any means necessary and the wisdom she holds and shares as an elder and a lifelong educator. We encourage you to learn more about her work with Ujamaa! https://ujamaafarms.com/

OSA had the pleasure of attending the recent International Carrot Conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina. Micaela Colley, OSA’s Research and Education Co-Director, presented a study comparing the performance of carrots under conventional and organic conditions. 🥕 The conference also included a Carrot Cultivar Demonstration trial and an Alternaria trial. Maybe you’re thinking, what is Alternaria? Alternaria is a fungal plant pathogen that causes carrot leaves and stalks to wither and fall off, and it can be spread via spores on carrot seeds. With the fields in North Carolina facing significant Alternaria pressure, in part due to the region’s humid summer heat, this trial was highly effective in testing resilience. Several promising carrot populations stood out, and Purdue University MS student Kayla Quintero collected roots for microbial analysis as part of her master’s thesis research on plant-soil interactions and Alternaria resistance. The conference, hosted by NC State’s Massimo Iorizzo, also highlighted the work of researchers and geneticists exploring nutritional value as it relates to different vibrant colors of carrots. We appreciate the opportunity to continually improve organic agriculture through this kind of collaborative research. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture project over the years, and who made this event a success! 🔗 41st International Carrot Conference https://lnkd.in/eGkFQKV4 #OrganicFarming #Carrots #CIOA #SCRI #OREI

Seed policy champion Kiki Hubbard has begun a new chapter! 🌱 After over a decade with OSA, including leadership on our State of Organic Seed reporting and policy platform, Kiki moved to University of Wisconsin-Madison last year. We caught up with her to learn about her work with USDA's Farmer Seed Liaison initiative. Kiki’s recent work is focusing on: 🌾 Enhancing seed marketplace transparency 🌾 Amplifying growers' voices 🌾 Promoting broader seed access for research and breeding And more! Learn how to support this crucial work and stay informed on seed policy in the full story here: https://lnkd.in/guYKdcuX #SeedPolicy #OrganicAg #FarmerRights

Hello seed enthusiasts! The clock is ticking on your chance to contribute to the 2025 Organic Seed Growers Conference. Only 3 days remain to submit your proposals! This biennial gathering, scheduled for February 26 - March 1, 2025, brings together seed growers, farmers, researchers, and passionate practitioners from around the world. Whether you're involved in seed production, breeding, research, policy, or storytelling, we want to hear from you! • Submissions close this Friday, July 19th • Multiple formats accepted: panels, presentations, posters, virtual tours, and more • Open to global participants • Proposals welcome in English or Spanish Don't miss this opportunity to share your experiences and shape the future of organic seed. Visit https://lnkd.in/ghZt3zP6 to submit your ideas today!