Saving Seeds, Saving Ecosystems
Seed Savers Exchange is a small non-profit that’s making a big difference. For a half century, they’ve been saving seeds, getting them out into gardens, telling their stories — and cultivating biodiversity that has been diminished with the rise of corporate agriculture and seed production.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the best way to save seeds is to plant them, according to Mike Bollinger, executive director of Seed Savers Exchange. While the non-profit does maintain a seed bank, much of their work is devoted to getting seeds out into the world, into gardens and farms where they can thrive and multiply — and nourish those who grow and share them.
Located in Decorah, Iowa, Seed Savers has a large farm where they cultivate genetic diversity, including vegetables, flowers, fruits, and even heritage livestock. You can get and share seeds through their exchange and their seed catalog.
More Episodes
Episode 179 – Virtual Fencing: New Technology that Benefits Ranching and Land Conservation
Virtual Fencing: New Technology that Benefits Ranching and Land Conservation The Nature Conservancy partners with ranchers on virtual fencing, a new technology that keeps animals in delimited areas through GPS collars — resulting in labor saving, wildlife...
Episode 178 – Regenerating a Desert Wetland Oasis
Regenerating a Desert Wetland Oasis Don Boyd spent a year on the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico, photographing, living, and finding a deep connection to land, water, and animals — including the many migrating birds that live part-time...
Episode 177 – The Awe-inspiring Beauty Hidden in our Food
The Awe-inspiring Beauty Hidden in our Food Robert Dash‘s new book, "Food Planet Future: The Art of Turning Food and Climate Perils into Possibilities," features photo collages of foods from all over the planet. Combining images from a scanning electron microscope...