974: Creating our Local Seed Economy

A Seed Chat with Bill McDorman

Join our live monthly Seed Chat at SeedChat.org

In This Podcast: Greg Peterson and Bill McDorman explore why building a local seed economy is essential for resilient food systems. They share the origin story of the Great American Seed Up, how communities can distribute seeds affordably, and why seed diversity matters in the face of climate change and fragile global supply chains. The discussion highlights grassroots strategies—from seed libraries to neighborhood seed events—that empower communities to grow their own food. They also dive into the science of epigenetics and local adaptation, explaining why saving seeds from your own garden improves future crops.

Key Topics & Entities

1. Local seed economies
2. The Great American Seed Up
3. Seed Up in a Box
4. Community seed distribution models
5. Seed libraries and the Seed Library Network
6. LocalSeeds.org
7. Regional seed companies and seed exchanges
8. Climate change and food system resilience
9. Seed saving and landrace gardening
10. Epigenetics and plant adaptation
11. Joseph Lofthouse’s Landrace Gardening
12. Barbara McClintock and epigenetics research
13. Community gardening and food security
14. Cowpeas and volunteer plants

Key Questions Answered

What is a local seed economy and why does it matter?

A local seed economy means seeds are produced, saved, and shared within a region. This strengthens food resilience because local varieties adapt to local conditions and communities are not dependent on global supply chains.

Why isn’t storing seeds in one “seed bank” enough?

A centralized seed bank doesn’t build resilience. The real solution is thousands of people growing and saving seeds. When many gardeners are involved, knowledge spreads and communities collectively maintain crop diversity.

How did the Great American Seed Up begin?

The idea emerged from a conversation about getting seeds into as many homes as possible. Inspired by a community seed distribution organized by a church group in Idaho, Greg Peterson created a large event where gardeners scoop bulk seeds into their own packets—dramatically lowering costs and increasing access.

How can communities distribute seeds affordably?

Buying seeds in bulk eliminates most packaging costs. At seed events, participants scoop seeds from bowls into small bags, often receiving 3–10× the amount found in retail packets for less money.

What is Seed Up in a Box?

Seed Up in a Box is a packaged kit that enables small groups to run their own mini seed distribution events, making it easy for neighborhoods, libraries, and community groups to share seeds locally.

Why are seed libraries important?

Seed libraries allow gardeners to borrow seeds, grow them, save new seeds, and return them to the community. This builds regional adaptation and spreads genetic diversity.

What role does epigenetics play in seed saving?

Plants can adapt to environmental stresses like heat or drought within a single generation. Through epigenetics, those adaptive traits can be passed to the next generation, meaning seeds saved from resilient plants become better suited to local conditions.

Why do volunteer plants often grow better?

Volunteer plants come from seeds already adapted to the local environment. Over several seasons, natural selection and epigenetic responses help them become more resilient.

Episode Highlights

1. A single church community in Idaho organized a bulk seed distribution so hundreds of families could access seeds cheaply.
2. The Great American Seed Up events allow hundreds of gardeners to scoop bulk seeds into their own packets.
3. Eliminating packaging reveals that many seed packets contain only about 13 cents worth of seeds.
4. During COVID, the Seed Up concept evolved into Seed Up in a Box so small groups could run their own seed distribution events.
5. Seed libraries and local seed exchanges are growing worldwide as grassroots solutions for food resilience.
6. Volunteer plants and locally saved seeds often outperform commercial varieties because they adapt to specific climates.
7. Epigenetics shows plants can quickly adjust to stress and pass those adaptations to future generations.
8. Even a few plants can produce abundant food—three volunteer cowpea plants produced three pounds of beans.

Resources

Attend Seed Chat Live

Seed Chat — https://seedchat.org

Urban Farm Podcast

Podcast episodes and archives — https://urbanfarmpodcast.com

Seed Up in a Box

Community seed distribution kits — https://seedupinabox.com

Seed Library Movement

Seed Library Network — https://seedlibrarynetwork.org

Regional Seed Sources

Local Seeds directory — https://localseeds.org

Seed Community Resources

Going to Seed — https://goingtoseed.org

Visit UrbanFarm.org/974 for the show notes and links on this episode!

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