This year the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) is more than a half century old. It continues its mission of preserving seeds and sharing the fascinating stories of the immigrants who grew them. SSE is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the country, striving to keep seeds safe and viable while promoting diversity. The seed bank contains more than 20,000 unique varieties at its headquarters in Decorah, Iowa. The nonprofit’s 2026 online catalogue (seedsavers.org) features vegetable, flower, and herb seeds.
SSE also facilitates a totally online seed swap called the Exchange (seedsavers.org). Here gardeners (listers) from all over the country offer open-pollinated, non-hybrid seeds from their own gardens. In addition, SSE contributes more than 4,000 varieties from its own seed bank to the Exchange.
The seeds on the Exchange (also apple scions, potatoes, sunchokes, vegetative alliums and grape cuttings) can be accessed by simply setting up an account with your email and a password. Once logged in, you can explore six categories. Take time to browse 14,079 vegetables; 362 flowers; 358 fruits, berries and nuts; 59 grains; 115 herbs and spices; and a miscellaneous category with 43 listings.
All listings describe the plant, what state it is grown in, USDA hardiness zone, contact and payment information for the lister and even some photos. Today 316 listers on the Exchange share unique seeds to preserve diversity. Some gardeners are new to the Exchange while others have offered seeds for forty years.
At the Exchange, you order directly from the lister of the seeds. Once you put in your request and receive the seeds, you grow the plants in your garden. The seeds you save can be shared with family, friends, and neighbors to further expand distribution to multiple locations. Seeds eventually become regionally adaptive while creating more resilient communities. If you choose, you can then offer your seeds on the Exchange in a subsequent year and continue the tradition to increase the number of sources for that particular seed.
According to SSE, “participants in the exchange have saved thousands of rare heirlooms from extinction by connecting with new seed stewards to carry on seed saving traditions to the next generation. This grassroots seed-saving community is saving and sharing America’s gardening heritage for future generations. The more people that participate, the stronger it will be.”
Detailed information about buying and selling on the Exchange is explained on the website and is worth reading. You can also watch the “how to” video. Who knows, maybe you will discover a seed that connects you to your ancestral heritage. Then you can continue the tradition of growing it for your children and grandchildren to enjoy.
So, if you choose to share your seeds with gardeners online or just purchase a few packets of unique seeds for your own garden, the Exchange is a seed lovers dream.
SO MANY SEEDS, SO LITTLE TIME!
INDIGENOUS SEED KEEPERS
allianceofnativeseedkeepers.com
Bertie County Seeds had a humble beginning in 2018, starting out in an apartment in Richmond, Virginia. Beth Roach and Frank “Fix” Cain, both Native American farmers, have been planting seeds for some time. Roach is vice chair of the Nottoway Indian tribe of Virginia’s Tribal Council and co-founder of the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers. Cain has been actively working on developing a seed bank. The alliance, formed by two Monacans, a Nottoway, and a Tuscarora, is dedicated to the mission of restoring ancestral seed varieties and creating seed farming jobs within tribal nations. The seed sanctuary holds ancestral seeds from members’ own and other Native communities. These seeds are not for sale. The Native American farmers believe that familial seeds should first be widely available within their communities of origin before being accessible to anyone else. Committed to working with fellow Indigenous communities, the couple set up shop on the ancestral lands of the Tuscarora in Colerain, North Carolina. The store serves as a hub for e-commerce, education, community-building, and sustainability. The 2026–2027 season will be its seventh year in operation. As Native seedkeepers, they are dedicated to helping communities rediscover and reclaim their culinary traditions that have nourished people for generations. They believe everyone should have access to high quality seeds while ensuring their prices remain fair and accessible (generous seed packets are $2). Peruse the online store offering 438 veggie, 57 herb, and 69 flower seeds. As part of their mission to promote sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty, they donate thousands of seed packets each year to both tribal and non-tribal communities.
The Path is a nonprofit organization in Estancia, New Mexico, whose mission is focused on seed preservation and distribution. Through education, Grandmother Flordemayo gets people to think about “where their food comes from.” According to Lee-Ann Hill, lead seed keeper at The Path, “simply put, we need to preserve the seeds, as they are a living library. Seeds that have been adapted for the different soils and climate of an area, with all their qualities and characteristics, are the results of generations of meticulous care and dedication. If we keep these seeds alive, we are keeping our heritage alive.” The Path offers free seeds to anyone interested in helping grow corn, beans, squash or grains.
SEED LIBRARIES
Many seed libraries have sprouted up over the years in local public libraries across Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. They distribute free seed packets to library patrons including flower, vegetables, and herb, some even offering fruit seeds. Most libraries in the list below limit the number of seed packets to four per person, while others allow five, six or ten packets. A few libraries have no limit. Several of the libraries restock their seeds in March or April, while others have seeds available all year long. For continued success of all the seed libraries, patrons are encouraged to donate seeds back to the library throughout the season when they harvest seeds from their own garden. Be sure to check your library’s website for current information about availability. Many libraries post information on their Facebook and/or Instagram pages as well. This year, make it your goal to give back twice as many seeds as you “borrow.”
Buffalo, New York
Audubon Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/audubon-branch
Vegetable, herb, and flower seeds are available all year.
Boston Free Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/boston-free-library
Seeds are available all year. It is first come, first serve.
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Central/Downtown
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/central-downtown-buffalo
Patrons can borrow up to four packets of vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds per year.
Clarence Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/clarence-public-library
Patrons may borrow up to four packets of vegetable, herb and flower seeds per year.
The Garden Friends of Clarence helps sort and prepare the seeds for distribution all year long.
Concord Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/concord-public-library
Patrons may borrow up to five seed packets per person. Vegetable, herb, and flower seeds are available all year.
Elma Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/elma-public-library
Patrons may borrow up to ten free seeds packets. It is first come, first serve.
Hamburg Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/hamburg-public-library
Hamburg Library Seed Share is located in the “Little Library” outdoor box. It is first come, first serve.
Lancaster Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/lancaster-public-library
Patrons may borrow up to four seed packets per growing season.
Orchard Park Public Library
buffalolib.org/locations-hours/orchard-park-public-library
The seed libraries are located inside the library in the “Book Nook” and outside in the “Little Library” outdoor box. Volunteers appropriately named the “Seedlings” prepare seed packets for March/April distribution.
Rochester, New York
Chili Public Library
Seeds are available all year long with no limit. According to library director Jennifer Lowden, “In 2025, 1,849 seed packets were borrowed while the library experienced an increase in seed donations back.” The Lions Club of Chili is a generous supporter of its seed library.
Gates Public Library
Seeds are available all year long and usually replenished in the spring. The seed library is upstairs next to elevator doors.
Hamlin Public Library
Patrons may borrow up to five seed packets. Seeds are available all year.
Henrietta Public Library
Patrons may borrow up to six pre-filled seed packets. The seed library is located on the second floor at the beginning of the adult nonfiction section. The library has partnered with the Henrietta Garden Club.
Irondequoit Public Library
Patrons may borrow up to five seed packets. Vegetable, herb, and flower seeds are available starting in March.
Ogden Public Library (Spencerport, NY)
ogdenfarmerslibrary.org/seed-library.html
Patrons may borrow up to five seed packets. Seeds are available all year long with a relaunch in March.
Parma Public Library (Hilton, NY)
There is no limit to the number of seed packets per patron. The seed library is located in the center reading lounge.
Scottsville Free Library
There is no limit to the number of seed packets per patron. The seed library is located in main area of library.
Webster Public Library
There is no limit to the number of seed packets per patron. The seed library is located near the returns desk.
Syracuse, New York
Petit Branch Library
onlib.org/locations/city-libraries/petit-branch-library
Patrons may borrow up to five seed packets. Request the seed box at the reference desk. Flower, vegetable, herbs, and native plant seeds are available.
Baldwinsville Public Library
onlib.org/locations/suburban-libraries/baldwinsville-public-library
Patrons may borrow up to three seed packets. The seed library is near the circulation desk.
Manlius Library
There is no limit to the number of seed packets per patron. The seed library is located near the new books shelves.
SEED VAULTS
National Seed Vault
ars.usda.gov/plains-area/fort-collins-co/center-for-agricultural-resources-research
The National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation (NLGRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado serves as a primary backup for American agriculture. It stores millions of seeds, animal genetics, and microbes to protect against disasters and support ongoing research. It was established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the 1950s. Bar-coded white pouches fill ceiling high shelves in endless rows. It is estimated that billions of seeds fill 600,00 seed packets.
International Seed Vault
Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located deep inside a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. Its primary mission is to secure the world’s crop diversity by providing long term storage for duplicate seeds. The facility has the capacity to store 4.5 million different varieties of crops. As of June 2025, nearly every country globally safeguards over 1.3 million seed samples. A virtual tour of the Seed Vault is available on its website so unauthorized personnel (gardeners) can get a glimpse of the most important room in the world!
Colleen O’Neill Nice is a horticulturalist who is passionate about plant propagation and enjoys nurturing her garden in Clarence, New York.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Upstate Gardeners’ Journal.
Views: 35
