Seed Swaps
Table of Contents
Introduction
"Seed swaps are a rewarding way to build community and share information about gardening, plant varieties, and each others’ projects. Most seed swaps happen in late fall, winter or early spring, when seed crops have been harvested and when it’s not too late to plant the seeds for the following year." - Southern Exposure: How to Host a Seed Swap
Share Responsibly!
It is unfortunately quite easy to accidentally buy non-native, or worse, invasive plants from vendors, especially bulk "wildflower seed" packages which often have a handful of native, but mostly invasive species in them. The best way to get your hands on a truly native wildflower pack is to check with your local conservation groups or other organizations focusing specifically on rewilding in your local region.
Be sure to check before planting or sowing. We have two international directories to help, one with native plants, and one that lists invasives.
International
Reddit: Seed Swap "Seed Swap is a community for sharing seeds between gardeners! Please be responsible and kind when swapping."
Africa
South Africa
South African Seed Exchange (facebook) "This is a seed-swap forum for South African seed collectors, growers, small-scale farmers, enthusiasts..."
Asia
India
Seed Satyagraha "Bija Satyagraha-Defending Farmers Seed Freedom Since 1991, when the Dunkel Draft Text of the WTO agreement were leaked Navdanya organised awareness campaigns and rallies to alert farmers across the country about the emerging seed monopoly through patents. Navdanya spearheaded the movement to protect the farmers rights to biodiversity, rights of seed saving and seed exchange. We have been organizing several seminars, yatras, signature campaigns to create awareness amongst the farmers and also to sensitize the policy makers and politicians of the country to defend seed freedom. We started organizing farmers through the Bija Satyagraha Movement to keep seed in farmer’s hands and refused to cooperate with unjust IPR and seed laws that make seed a corporate monopoly and seed saving and seed sharing a crime. In 1993, half a million farmers participated in a historic Bija Satyagraha rally at Bangalore’s Cuban’s Park. This was the first international protest against WTO Bija Satyagraha is
a grass-roots campaign on patent issues,
an assertion to people’s rights to biodiversity and
a determination not to co-operate with IPR systems that make seed saving and seed exchange a crime."
Europe
Greece
Ireland
Seed Sovereignty (Interactive Map) use this link to find seed swaps, libraries, seed banks and more throughout the UK including, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Seed Sovereignty (Interactive Map) use this link to find seed swaps, libraries, seed banks and more throughout the UK including, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Scotland
Edinburgh Seed Network "is a new project set up by a small volunteer collective to facilitate the sharing and celebration of seed among home and community growers in Edinburgh. We want everyone to have free access to growing food that’s good for the environment and good for us."
North America
Canada
Canada Plant and Seed Swap, Trade and Chat! (facebook)
Canadian Seed Swap (Reddit community)
Seedy Saturdays "are a remarkable phenomenon. They are not one event, but a series of separate events, which have sprung up across the country, each individually and uniquely organized under the same general themes of encouraging the use of open-pollinated and heritage seeds, enabling a local seed exchange, and educating the public about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices. They usually occur on a Saturday, hence the name, but also occur on Sundays and other days. Read more about Seedy Saturdays.
Seedy Saturdays are fun, inexpensive events where you can swap and exchange seeds, get exciting varieties that other seed savers are sharing (as well as the stories that come with them), attend workshops and talks, meet vendors and buy seeds from seed companies. Whether you are a first-time or master gardener, seed enthusiast or expert seed saver, there really is something for everyone."
Costa Rica
EcoMaste Hosts Seed Sharing Event
Terralingua Reviving Traditional Seed Exchange and Cultural Knowledge in Rural Costa Rica
Tinamastes Seed Festival Annual Seed Sharing Event
USA
Native Seeds/SEARCH "seeks to find, protect and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world."
Seed Saver's Exchange "Since 1975, we have grown, saved, and shared heirloom seeds and led a movement to protect biodiversity and preserve heirloom varieties. At the heart of our organization is a seed bank that houses a collection of 20,000+ rare, open-pollinated varieties. With gardeners like you, we can get these seeds where they belong—in gardens and on tables everywhere, for generations to come."
Colorado
Native Plant Swaps "serve our community—socially and ecologically. Whether you are giving or receiving native plants, all are welcome to participate.
Our Colorado Native Plant Swap events appeal to all gardening levels; newbies who want to try out native plants for the first time to seasoned gardeners who want to add to their native plant palette. Some come for a specific plant that attracts a certain pollinator! Wanting a shrub for that dry spot? A certain color flower for fall bloom? Come check out a native plant swap event!"
Iowa
Seed Savers Exchange: Find & Share Seeds "We’re a community of gardeners and seed stewards, sharing and swapping rare seeds you might not find anywhere else. The Exchange works to keep biodiversity strong and garden traditions thriving." You can search by category: vegetables; fruits, berries & nuts grains; herbs & spices, flowers; and miscellaneous, but you need to sign up/log in to offer or request seeds.
Minnesota
Urban Roots Hosts seed sharing events
Oregon
Native Plant Swap Allows Portland area folks to access free native plants from the gardens and yards of other community members.
Texas
Sow.Grow.ReapEat Program "Seed Library The El Paso Public Libraries are now seed libraries! Seed libraries are places that share or lend seeds. Each library has a collection of non-genetically modified fruit, vegetable, and herb seeds available for patrons to start their own edible gardens. “Check-out” up to 5 seed packets per season with your library card. The seeds are yours to keep (no late or lost fees!), but once you are a successful gardener, let some of your healthiest plants “go to seed.” Harvest the seed, save some for yourself, and donate some to the public library to keep our collections stocked."
Virginia
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange "We encourage cooperative self-reliance in agriculture. We promote and participate in seed saving and exchange, ecological agriculture, reducing energy use, providing locally adapted varieties, and regional food production. To further these aims, Southern Exposure offers: heirloom varieties to conserve and distribute rare and endangered varieties; open-pollinated varieties to encourage seed saving and exchange among gardeners; disease- and insect-tolerant varieties to reduce pesticide use; and varieties for local and small-scale growers to encourage regional food production."
South America
Columbia
Asociación Jardín Botánico Las Delicias "Ɵsik Waramik purƟ tapchik “Escuela Viva de la Naturaleza”"
Resources & Guides
How to Host a Seed Swap "Seed swaps are a rewarding way to build community and share information about gardening, plant varieties, and each others’ projects. Most seed swaps happen in late fall, winter or early spring, when seed crops have been harvested and when it’s not too late to plant the seeds for the following year."
Maps
Europe
Ireland
Seed Sovereignty (Interactive Map) use this link to find seed swaps, libraries, seed banks and more throughout the UK including, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
UK
Seed Sovereignty (Interactive Map) use this link to find seed swaps, libraries, seed banks and more throughout the UK including, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
South America
Columbia
Asociación Jardín Botánico Las Delicias "Ɵsik Waramik purƟ tapchik “Escuela Viva de la Naturaleza”"
Organizations
North America
Canada
Seeds of Diversity "We are a group of seed savers from coast to coast who protect Canada's seed biodiversity by growing it ourselves and sharing it with others. Every year, we multiply the most vulnerable seed varieties that we can, exchange seeds with each other, and keep those varieties alive and in cultivation for future gardeners to enjoy.
We are a membership organization with over 1000 members across Canada that make Seeds of Diversity a vibrant and visible part of the gardening and food security scene. Our funding primarily comes from charitable donations made by both members and non-members. [Become a member]
Besides multiplying rare seeds, we volunteer at over 150 Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday events across Canada, write articles for our popular magazine and monthly email bulletin, package seeds for community seed libraries, and help beginner seed savers learn the easy techniques for growing good seeds."