We are a charitable trust with about 100 members and run by a small team of volunteers.
We facilitate the exchange of seeds between gardeners by receiving seeds from seed saving
gardeners and producing seed lists for members to receive seed at no cost except for membership
subscription. We provide information on seed saving. We are interested in local cultivars
(cultivars which have adapted to their locality), occasionally finding seed saved for many
years by gardeners. We are also interested in lesser known nutritious food plants. Most of
the seed on our seed lists would be classified as local cultivars, and some as heritage or
heirloom cultivars, seed that is no longer available commercially, some of which have been
saved in a family for a number of generations.
We have two forms of membership:
i) Standard membership costs $20 / $10 (low income) per year. Members are able to order seed
for as many cultivars as they wish from our No. 1 Seed List at no extra cost. Members are not
obligated to save or return seed (but we encourage you to give it a go!)
ii) Guardian membership costs $10 per year and is for members who have made a commitment to
look after one or more of our cultivars, and return seed to us. Cultivars requiring guardians
are listed in our No. 2 Seed List. Guardian membership also applies when you gift a
local/heritage cultivar to the exchange.
We have about 500 different cultivars (some in poor state due to age and not being
maintained by anyone).
We encourage growing using organic methods.