Seed Savers Exchange

Seed Savers Exchange We steward Americaʼs culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy.
(1584)

Seed Savers Exchange was founded in Missouri in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy. Diane's grandfather entrusted to them the seeds of two garden plants, ‘Grandpa Ott's’ morning glory and ‘German Pink’ tomato. These seeds, brought by Grandpa Ott's parents from Bavaria when they immigrated to Iowa in the 1870s, became the first two varieties in the collection. Diane and Kent went on to form a

network of gardeners interested in preserving heirloom varieties and sharing seeds. Today, with 13,000 members and 20,000 plant varieties, Seed Savers Exchange makes its home on 890 scenic acres in Winneshiek County, Iowa, at Heritage Farm. Seed Savers Exchange conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year. These seeds (and tissue cultures or other plant materials, depending on how a plant reproduces) have the power to withstand unforeseen pestilence and plant disease, climate change, and limited habitat, and to stop dinnertime boredom forever.

Get ready for garlic! September 21, orders will open at 9am.
09/03/2026

Get ready for garlic! September 21, orders will open at 9am.

What do you think these tiny seeds will become? Comment below!
09/03/2026

What do you think these tiny seeds will become? Comment below!

Coming in at 6-9’ tall, it’s no wonder the to***co plants hid our farm team as they worked. The leaves themselves are 2 ...
09/02/2026

Coming in at 6-9’ tall, it’s no wonder the to***co plants hid our farm team as they worked. The leaves themselves are 2 feet long! Beautiful pink flowers attracted bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds before producing the seed pods our SSE team is collecting today. Thank you, Farm Team, and thank you, Frank the farm cat, for excellent supervision!

Wendell Berry had a special relationship with Seed Savers Exchange and Heritage Farm, having become friends with our fou...
09/01/2026

Wendell Berry had a special relationship with Seed Savers Exchange and Heritage Farm, having become friends with our founders in the mid 1980s.

He came to Seed Savers Exchange in 1994 and gave that year’s Campout Keynote Speech, in which he admitted to the crowd: “This is my first visit to Heritage Farm, but it is certainly not the first time I have thought about it. This farm has been a necessary place for me from the beginning, and I have fastened my mind to the ground here, and thought about it many times because I have needed reassurance of such places.”

Today we fasten our minds on his words, his poetry, his accurate view of the world around him, and miss him in many ways. Rest assured we are still here, continuing the work you spoke of so eloquently.

Last week, our new Monnit Alta Wireless sensors, installed to continuously monitor temperature and humidity in our long-...
09/01/2026

Last week, our new Monnit Alta Wireless sensors, installed to continuously monitor temperature and humidity in our long-term seed storage, alerted staff to a potential problem. That early warning allowed us to call for help and make repairs before the issue became more serious. A huge thank you to Casper Plumbing and Heating for the quick response!

Good morning, Pest Control Coordinator. Whose helping your garden these days? Please comment below!Frogs and toads are a...
09/01/2026

Good morning, Pest Control Coordinator.

Whose helping your garden these days? Please comment below!

Frogs and toads are always a good sign of a healthy garden ecosystem, plus they are natural pest control, so we were happy to find this fellow patrolling outside our administration building.

Is it a Gray Tree Frog or a Cope’s Tree Frog? It is, in fact, impossible to tell by sight. Both frogs are highly variable and able to change colors from green to brown to gray. The only way to tell them apart is by their mating call, and there won’t be any singing from frogs until next spring. Either way, we appreciate the visit!

What flowers are your Monarchs loving? Please comment below!Many gardeners know that Monarch Butterflies are most attrac...
08/31/2026

What flowers are your Monarchs loving? Please comment below!

Many gardeners know that Monarch Butterflies are most attracted to brightly-colored flowers and prefer yellow, orange, pink, red, or purple blooms. Color preference alone makes Zinnias the perfect flower for our pollinator friends, but here are four more major reasons that Monarchs love Zinnias:

🌺 Zinnias bloom throughout summer and into early fall
🌺 Zinnias have strong stems that create a stable perch
🌺 Zinnias have flat, easy to navigate flower heads
🌺 Zinnias have short tubular corollas for easy nectar access

Check out our stories for Zinnia seeds and more information on garden pollinators!

🌱 Our 2025 Impact Report is officially here! Supporters like you make it possible to keep seeds safe in the hands of peo...
08/30/2026

🌱 Our 2025 Impact Report is officially here! Supporters like you make it possible to keep seeds safe in the hands of people.

Your support helps us grow and save heirloom seeds, share seeds with gardeners, and care for Heritage Farm and the thousands of varieties entrusted to us.

In 2025 alone, 51,050 seed packets were donated to community gardens and schools, 14,206 unique varieties were offered through the Exchange, and 14,000+ people visited Heritage Farm.

Read more to learn about the impact that members and donors make in supporting gardeners, connecting people with seed, and preserving our heirloom seed supply.

https://seedsavers.org/seedsavers/about/2025-impact-report/

The work that began 50 years ago continues to grow - thanks to you!

A whole garden of blooms without ever leaving the couch! Check out our stories to see what we found in the gardens this ...
08/29/2026

A whole garden of blooms without ever leaving the couch! Check out our stories to see what we found in the gardens this week.

Thank you, Northern Gardener, for sharing our story!
08/28/2026

Thank you, Northern Gardener, for sharing our story!

Address

3074 N Winn Road
Decorah, IA
52101

Telephone

+15633825990

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Seed Savers Exchange posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Seed Savers Exchange:

Shortcuts

Share

Category