EFN Rare Seed Saving & Increases

EFN organizers have been building an impressive collection of rare seeds for nearly a decade. Most varieties come from government or private seed banks, while plenty were purchased from small seed companies, given to us by individuals, or in a few cases collected from the wild.

We could not possibly steward all of these rare varieties ourselves -- not only do we lack the time, but with just a few pieces of land at our disposal, we could never keep all of these varieties from cross-pollinating with each other. That's why we need volunteers. 

Depending on how much space you have available and your experience level, you might be sent just one or two packets of seeds, or you might be sent a dozen different seed packets along with a couple grape cuttings and some garlic bulbs. Most people will be sent annuals, but if your circumstances permit it, we might want to send you some perennials too.

Ultimately we hope this project will become something of a de-centralized seed bank, or perhaps more aptly a centralized seed bank with a de-centralized variety maintenance strategy, focused on preserving diverse landraces, hard-to-find old varieties, crop wild relatives, and potential perennial crops.

Joining this project is not a guarantee that you will be sent seeds, but we will try our best to send something to everyone.