Northern Seed Sovereignty - UK

04/06/2026

There will be further tales to tell...

Just back from a fab few days in North Yorkshire with the RISE project, which is bringing together regional grain networks in the UK for shared learning and support.

We visited the UK Grain Lab wheat trials near Northallerton, spent a day at Botton Village in the North Yorkshire Moors workshopping, visiting Esk Seeds and the Camphill Bakery (both of whom are kindly helping with cleaning and storing the trial grains), and rounded off with a tour of Tockett's Mill in Guisborough.

Hosted within our capacity of supporting the Yorkshire Grain Alliance, we also had folks from the Sheffield Wheat Experiment, Common Grains in Scotland, Llafur Ni in Wales, the East Anglia Grain Alliance, South East Grain Alliance, Nottingham Mill Coop and the Real Bread Campaign (with notes to take and share with the South West and West Midlands Grain Networks who sadly couldn't make it 😔)

Huge gratitude to those that have made this possible, including those mentioned above xx

16/05/2026

07/05/2026

We have a teeny tiny community of fibre flax seed growers in the north who, this year, are cutting their teeth with this wonderful crop at various different scales and getting to grips with growing, harvesting, processing and storing practices.

They've each received a small amount of seed to be sown at slightly different rates. A proportion is more densely sown to encourage the long stems needed for fibre; the remainder more sparsely which encourages branching, more flowers and therefore more seed! We'll be learning what works and what doesn't as we go.

There will be an opportunity to learn some simple fibre processing techniques, but the focus is the seed and with increased experience, they'll hopefully move onto more rare and heritage varieties next year. There's a major shortage of UK-grown fibre flax seed - most is imported from Europe and most is one, patented variety. The last two year's crops have failed too, so there's ground to make up!

Everyone has sown and we now eagerly await the typical 100 days before optimum harvest!

05/05/2026

A little more work supporting the Common Ground project at today - the first seeds have gone in the ground!

Everything in this tiny urban garden will tell a story of movement - the Saltburn (Irish) Preans originated in Ireland and found their way to north Yorkshire where they've been grown and shared since; and Trail of Tears beans carry the sad story of forced migration and loss to the Cherokee Nation. More significant varieties to the diaspora communities of Teesside will follow!

30/04/2026

Whistlestop visit to check on progress with the Common Ground project in Middlesbrough.

This small garden is nestled against an industrial backdrop - railway line behind, car park to one side and a thundering dual carriageway just in front - and next to the Auxiliary arts space.

We're supporting the project with seed to seed growing advice, working with local diaspora communities to weave in stories of movement; the varieties we've chosen are all connected by tales of migration and displacement.

The incredible sculpture is the work of Alia Gargum: "The concept and aim of the work is to facilitate a conversation between the local, migrant and diaspora communities within the spaces the sculpture inhabits, based around the tensions present in themes of nationality, being displaced from a homeland and life under oppression."

We can't wait to be working around it, turning these beds into productive spaces, capturing stories and empowering people to grow seed that has meaning. This is the before shot; the after will follow soon!

17/04/2026

Little seed swap against the backdrop of the display at Norton Library (thanks Susan at for being so helpful and supportive in organising these!)

Advice for growing in a back yard, flowers for bees, the best tomatoes and contacts for local wool spinners 🤣 delivered, together with abundant gifts of seeds given out.

Also with gratitude to for supplying their conflict-free seed guides, which have inspired many beautiful and sympathetic conversations around seed sovereignty in our most challenged regions of the world. Chats that are well worth having. Appreciated 🥰🙏🏾

14/04/2026

Last Teesside seed swap for the season this Friday. Pop along if you're handy!

We'll be working alongside Jamie from Sow Northern, a former trainee and long term Seed Sovereignty ally 😁

Swap, share or takeaway, or come along to find out more about us and what we do.

10/04/2026

Lovely little seed swap in Yarm Library in Teesside this morning with lots of seed saving advice given out and plenty of seedy exchanges!

There's something really special about mystery envelopes, misspellings and dogeared packets though, isn't there?

And something about glancing at a table and seeing the contributions of not just the people visiting, but of seed allies too: - with gratitude for leaflets, mushy pea recipes and, of course, seeds!

08/04/2026

We're back in Stockton on Tees for our library-based seed swaps, our penultimate local visit, on Friday morning.

All welcome - come along for swaps but plenty of advice about saving and sharing too!

02/04/2026

What a joy to spend another evening with our 2026 trainees! And in the company of Catrina, who manages the Heritage Seed Library and speaks with such knowledge and such clarity - we always learn something new. Thank you all!

We have 25 trainees from the north of England this year, which is a record and doubles the size of the cohort from 2025. And they all arrive with skills and experience that form a super strong foundation to their learning. It's just one indication that the northern seed network is gaining in depth, breadth and number, year on year. A real tipping point!

Our year-long training intake is now closed until 2028, but that's because there are exciting new opportunities coming to expand seed knowledge in the network soon. Keep watching and we'll share as they come!