50 for 50 Day 35: Seed Savers Exchange
It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 35. Just over two weeks more. Crazy how time flies when you are…well, time just flies.
The background of this wacky project: because I feel so blessed and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).
I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. One thousand thanks.
This one is kind of selfish. I love food and I love discovering interesting vegetables and fruits, and Seed Savers Exchange is an organization that helps preserve our genetic food heritage.
If we want those cool old “heirloom” varieties, someone has to preserve them. Seed Savers facilitates gardeners exchanging seeds, but also grows and propagates them at their farm.
Once a variety is lost, it is lost forever, so I think this is important work. Even food varieties that aren’t great for eating can contribute other valuable genes, like disease or pest resistance, to new varieties.
Here’s what they say they are doing:
- Maintaining thousands of varieties of different plant types-from amaranth to watermelon-in one of the largest seed banks of its kind in North America.
- Regenerating seed in isolation gardens and storing them in ideal conditions.
- Documenting valuable cultural information on varieties and their histories.
- Distributing heirloom varieties to members and the public through the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook and the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog.
- Storing varieties in back-up locations at the USDA Seed Bank in Fort Collins, CO and at Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. These off-site deposits remain the property of SSE.
You can become a member, which gives you access to this amazing seed bank. You can also donate to support the collection.
Previously featured organizations:
MAP International
The Fresh Air Fund
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International
Comments are closed.
Suebob's Red Stapler 
You know, I had no idea they were a non-profit. Huh.
Me neither!