Seed Savers Exchange celebrates 50th anniversary

Seed Savers Exchange, one of Iowa’s most venerable and groundbreaking organizations, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025.

What started as a few gardeners growing and sharing precious family heirloom seeds in 1975 has grown to hundreds of gardeners sharing approximately 20,000 varieties today. The Mission is to save North America’s diverse, but endangered garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

These seeds compose an irreplaceable genetic resource that contributes to the security of our future food supply.

Started in Missouri, by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, Seed Savers Exchange moved to the outskirts of Decorah, Iowa in 1984 and has grown into the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind. Its home is a scenic 890-acre farm in Winneshiek County. The collection of seeds is backed up at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, further ensuring the saving of these varieties so that they do not disappear.

From the Seed Savers website: “The seed regeneration that takes place at Heritage Farm is important, but it is strengthened by the work of a community of seed savers. When gardeners grow a variety and save its seeds, the variety adapts to the growing conditions of the area. Without individual gardeners growing and saving seeds, we miss our chance to help seeds adapt to changing conditions. You can play an enormous role in preservation by growing out heirloom varieties for seed in your garden.”

Heritage Farm is a preservation hub for safeguarding the foundation of our food supply. In addition to growing and saving seeds, there are two heirloom apple orchards with 1,042 total trees, representing 337 unique named varieties and a small vineyard. A network of eight hiking trails through diverse landscapes, totaling 9 miles, traverses the property. Two herds of ancient white park cattle, a thousands of years old breed from the British Isles, were sent to North America for safekeeping during WWII and now reside at the farm, along with several heritage poultry breeds.

From Diane Whealy in the 2025 Seed Catalog: “It’s been a privilege to have this ‘homeplace’ for SSE, not just for the organization but for an ideal–a place to witness preservation of protected landscapes overflowing with gardens, to show people what our food heritage looks and tastes like. Heritage Farm has become a refuge that inspires hope and reaffirms our faith in nature.”

There are many ways to participate in the nonprofit work of this great organization. You can share your homegrown, open-pollinated seeds in the online seed swap, shop the seed catalog of over 600 open-pollinated seed varieties. In Fairfield, a select number of seed packets are available for sale on retail racks at Everybody’s and at The At Home Store.

Becoming a member or making a financial donation is another option if you’re not a gardener but want to support Seed Savers’ important preservation work. Check out the website for archived educational webinars and upcoming online events celebrating the 50th anniversary.

Lastly, take advantage of special educational and community activities on the farm this year: seed starting workshop March 22, heirloom plant sale May 9-10, anniversary celebration Aug. 8-9, tomato tasting Sept. 13 and orchard tour/heirloom apple tasting Oct. 4. For details of these and many other events, visit the website at: www.seedsavers.org.

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