Slow Seed
2024 Slow Seed Summit
March 1-2 · Virtual event
Slow Food USA hosted a two-day retreat into the world of seeds! Our virtual gathering on March 1-2, 2024, featured discussions, presentations and opportunities to connect with community about soil, human and planetary health.
SLOW SEED SUMMIT RECORDingS
The full archive of the 2024 Slow Seed Summit is only available for members and ticket holders. Email us at comms@slowfoodusa.org for access.
PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
ARCHIVE
The full archive of the virtual
2021 Slow Seed Summit
Books
Books recommended and referenced by speakers and participants of the 2021 Slow Seed Summit
Organizations & Projects
Seed Democracy Advocacy Toolkit – Sustainable Economies Law Center. A guide to help advocates raise awareness, build support, and effectively advocate for changes to state seed law that promote seed saving and sharing and protect our seed commons.
26 Global Organizations Working to Conserve Seed Biodiversity – Food Tank
“A Database of 5,000 Historical Cookbooks–Covering 1,000 Years of Food History–Is Now Online”
“Keeping seeds in our hands: the rise of seed activism,”
— Karine Peschard
“The Lost Forest Gardens of Europe”
“New Project Aims to Revive Ozark Cuisine”
“Slow Food’s Position Paper on Seeds”
“What is a GE Chile?” — Save New Mexico Seeds
Listen & Watch
“My Love Letters to the Jersey Tomato”, podcast by Jeff Quattrone
“The Native Seed Pod: an antidote to the monoculture” (podcast series)
“Kitazawa Seeds – Maya Shiroyama and Jim Ryugo on 100 years of selling Asian vegetable seeds” Delicious Revolution podcast
“The State of Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States with Dr. Devon Mihesuah”
Seed Stories Podcast, from Zachary Paige of North Circle Seeds
Seeds and Their People podcast, from True Love Seeds
Seed Saving & Sharing
Many states have seed laws designed for commercial seed companies that may restrict non-commercial seed sharing. These resources are intended to help you understand relevant state seed laws as they may affect seed libraries, swaps, and other community seed activity.
Seed Law Toolshed – a crowd-sourced state-by-state legal resource guide
Association of American Seed Control Officials – an organization of seed regulatory officials from the United States and Canada. Great resource to check out rules and regulations around seeds and sharing!
Seed Saving
Association of American Seed Control Officials
Seed Life Chart: How Long Will Seeds Last?’ Gardening Channel
Seed Exchanges
“Seed Swaps in the Time of Covid”
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Tips for Hosting a Seed Swap Safely During the Pandemic (youtube video/panel) – Washington Gardener Magazine.
Seeds in Schools & Community
Plant a SeedSeed Banks: Unlike their larger counterparts, community seed banks are less about long-term preservation and more about sharing seed season to season. For that reason they’re sometimes also called “seed libraries.” Seed banks are a central place where seeds (often locally grown) are stored and shared with local growers.
Micro-Seedbanking: A Primer on Setting up & Running a Community Seed Bank – Community Seed Network
How to Organize a Community Seed Bank – Community Seed Network
Seed Libraries: A seed library is a public collection of seeds where anyone can “borrow” a small quantity of seeds to grow. If the resulting seeds are saved, they may be returned to the library for the next grower!
What is a Seed Library? – Community Seed Network. Sample presentation with notes, can be used as a presentation template.
Seed Library Checkout, Sample Procedures and Guidelines – Seedlibraries.net
Disclaimer for Seed Libraries, Template – Community Seed Network
Seed Vendors
Growing Guides & How-tos
Build your own planter box – Edible Schoolyard. Building a planter box is a simple way to start gardening. This lesson from Edible Schoolyard will help you build your own planter box using a few simple items that you can get at any hardware or garden store or by upcycling things you have already.
Noxious Weeds – USDA. Check which plants your state considers noxious weeks (these are dangerous to local ecosystems and should not be planted)
Six Tips for Saving Seed – Seed Savers Exchange and Seed Matters
Seed Gardens, How to Organize – Community Seed Network. A seed garden is a garden intentionally designed for collecting and conserving seed. Seed gardens can be great for educational purposes and can also be overplanted so that some items can be harvest while others are allowed to go to seed for collection.
Train the Trainers – Seed Savers Exchange and Seed Matters. Tools for trainers and other seed leaders to use in presentations and workshops.