# Increasing Community Seed Returns-- Ideas **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** community, seed-library\ **Created:** [June 10, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609 "2024-06-10T04:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![UnicornEmily](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/unicornemily/32/530_2.png) [@UnicornEmily](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/UnicornEmily)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:40am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/81 "2024-06-25T04:40:13Z")
There’s also a growout of rare peanut seeds for GTS this year, too, right? I received a few seeds from three accessions, and I’m happy to report I have a few plants of each growing now. 🙂 I made sure to put them in my “permaculture zone 1” bed, a.k.a. “the one I remember to water the most frequently.” 😆 ---
**Author:** ![markwkidd](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/markwkidd/32/297_2.png) [@markwkidd](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/markwkidd)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/82 "2024-06-25T15:38:15Z")
@VeggieSavage if you haven’t already, you may want to visit [the forum thread for the ongoing USA Serendipity Seed Swap](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/serendipity-seed-swap/570) By coincidence, in the next week or so it will arrive here and it’ll be my turn to make seed withdrawals and deposits from the traveling box. If you are also in the United States, you could consider signing up to receive it. That forum thread is the place to discuss what seed contributions are appropriate, but the criteria is much broader for that seed swap and I think other folks than me would be interested in what you have to offer. ---
**Author:** ![jens](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/jens/32/569_2.png) [@jens](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/jens)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 9:43am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/83 "2024-06-26T09:43:12Z")
Side note: I’m really stoked you have access to so many cool fruits in your local food stores and are willing to take the time to figure out how to share those seeds! I hope we’re all able to grow those out and add that incredible variety of genetics to the seeds we all share. What an incredible resource! Your wild forage list is enviable! 🤩 It’s easy to see how passionate you are about this. Thank you for offering such an impressive array of seeds. 🙏❤ ---
**Author:** ![VeggieSavage](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/veggiesavage/32/3383_2.png) [@VeggieSavage](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/VeggieSavage)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/84 "2024-06-26T16:50:11Z")
> [@jens](#): > > I’m really stoked you have access to so many cool fruits in your local food stores and are willing to take the time to figure out how to share those seeds! I hope we’re all able to grow those out and add that incredible variety of genetics to the seeds we all share. What an incredible resource! Thank you! I’m eager to share these seeds with everybody, DM me, I’m sure you’ve got things I’d like. I’m curious to see how they preform in a wide range of climates but also because I can’t have a garden, i can at least have joy in seeing others garden the very seeds I sent. > [@jens](#): > > Your wild forage list is enviable! 🤩 It’s easy to see how passionate you are about this. Thank you for offering such an impressive array of seeds. Thank you! You are most welcome, I’ve got plenty more of different types of Wild Seeds, this list was just things I thought y’all find interesting (I’ve gathered so much more, especially tree seeds), just DM me & we can trade. ---
**Author:** ![rylan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@rylan](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/rylan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/85 "2024-06-26T17:58:52Z")
Any way we can get a category for okry? I think some of us in the south will contribute. ---
**Author:** ![anna](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/anna/32/1868_2.png) [@anna](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/anna)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/86 "2024-06-26T20:04:27Z")
okra? yes, I’m hoping to add okra in 2025. You’re welcome to send seeds in any time. [Contributing Seeds – Going to Seed](https://goingtoseed.org/pages/contributing-seeds) ---
**Author:** ![APUCommunityGarden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@APUCommunityGarden](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/APUCommunityGarden)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/87 "2024-06-26T20:46:46Z")
I should have some of my house grex (started with some good old Clemson Spineless, a couple red varieties, and a kibbutz-bred, selecting for flavor and drought tolerance without too many spines). ---
**Author:** ![Patate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@Patate](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Patate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/88 "2024-06-27T00:03:52Z")
I can’t contribute (yet?) from Canada, but I’m excited to see the list of stewards and their projects for 2025!! I am wondering if any thought had been put for seed pooling projects in Canada, whether formal or informal. ---
**Author:** ![MaartenFoubert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@MaartenFoubert](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/MaartenFoubert)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/89 "2024-10-16T16:34:06Z")
> [@anna](#): > > okra? yes, I’m hoping to add okra in 2025. You’re welcome to send seeds in any time. [Contributing Seeds – Going to Seed](https://goingtoseed.org/pages/contributing-seeds) I have nothing to add, just wanted to respond so it pops up as a new post and helps people to remember to send their seeds in before Nov 22. Maarten ---
**Author:** ![anna](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/anna/32/1868_2.png) [@anna](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/anna)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/90 "2024-11-01T16:04:00Z")
Thanks Maarten, for this post and the seeds you sent in. 🙂 @Patate we are accepting seed from Canada this year! And I would be willing to help organize a Canadian Seed Share, but that requires a dedicated Canadian to do shipping, receiving, and organizing, and so far no one has stepped forward. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to discuss with you what goes into organizing the program. ---
**Author:** ![Patate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@Patate](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Patate)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/91 "2024-11-01T21:33:14Z")
Hi Anna, could you let me/us know in the thread or in a DM what you think this could look like? I’m wondering what GTS could provide in terms of seeds, shipping logistics and other kind of support. Great to hear seeds from Canada are accepted now! ---
**Author:** ![anna](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/anna/32/1868_2.png) [@anna](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/anna)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/92 "2024-11-03T16:16:13Z")
Hey @Patate - happy to give an overview here. What GTS could provide: - website infrastructure: I’d create parallel shopping pages like our existing ones for canadian mixes. [Goingtoseed.org](http://Goingtoseed.org) would hande orders, payment processing, purchase of shipping labels. I’d set up a canadian “warehouse” on the platform from which the canadian mixes would ship and train organizer(s) in using that to process and ship orders. - seed intake forms and process guide: I’d train canadian organizer(s) in how we receive and organize contributions - packaging and shipping supplies: not sure if this makes sense, but we might provide the seed packets and mailers that we use in the US program. I’d have to do some research to figure out the most cost effective way to do this. What canadian organizers would need to do: - receive and organize seeds - curate and package the mixes, germ testing and other qualilty control measures as needed - provide content for the website - process orders – put seeds into mailers, print packing slips and shipping labels, drop them off at the post office I’d recommend starting with a limited pilot, maybe 5 or so mixes, maybe a smaller ordering window of a few weeks, to keep things simple. If anyone is interested, I’m happy to talk further. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Lutz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/ashley_lutz/32/10015_2.png) [@Ashley\_Lutz](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Ashley_Lutz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/93 "2024-11-03T17:08:19Z")
Hi Anna, I can volunteer to be a Canadian organizer. I would have the capacity to receive seed, organize it and process orders. ---
**Author:** ![Patate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@Patate](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Patate)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/94 "2024-11-03T23:20:06Z")
I could be an organizer too. I think the idea of starting small as a pilot project is great. I was also wondering if GTS would be able to provide some seeds to help jump start the project. I have personal interest in broad appeal species such as Moschata, Maxima and tomatoes and could provide some seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Lutz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/ashley_lutz/32/10015_2.png) [@Ashley\_Lutz](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Ashley_Lutz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/95 "2024-11-04T03:38:12Z")
I think a small pilot is a really good idea too. I have maxima and TPS that I was planning to submit to GTS but could use to start up a Canadian GTS mix instead. I also have a ton of winter pepo seeds but so far I’ve only selected the population for early maturity and cold soil emergence not taste. ---
**Author:** ![Patate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@Patate](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Patate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:14pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/96 "2024-11-04T13:14:53Z")
I have lots of (pepo) Candystick delicata seeds; I could contribute some. ---
**Author:** ![julia.dakin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/julia.dakin/32/12_2.png) [@julia.dakin](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/julia.dakin)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/97 "2024-11-04T13:46:32Z")
This is great news. I have enough of the early melons and beans to contribute some. It might be a cool exercise/gain Canadian buy-in to do a survey on what priority crops and traits would be. I’m planning on doing this ‘diversity wheel’ exercise at our fall event in my community, I got the idea from guidebooks about starting community seed banks in Africa (this is Zimbabwe but saw this in other startup guides). > **[The roles of community seed banks in Zimbabwe](https://issdafrica.org/2022/06/23/the-roles-of-community-seed-banks-in-zimbabwe/)** > > Manata Jeko and Nobleman Zvirevo of CTDO reflect on the multiple key roles of community seed banks for the Zimbabwean seed sector and beyond _These crops and varieties, which are tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, are carefully selected and propagated by farmers and breeders through Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB). The initial step in the PPB process involves a comprehensive diagnostic exercise using a tool called the diversity wheel. This allows farmers to identify crops and crop varieties with the required traits that suit their preferences and local ecological conditions._ ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Lutz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/ashley_lutz/32/10015_2.png) [@Ashley\_Lutz](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Ashley_Lutz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/98 "2024-11-04T13:53:05Z")
Maybe there’s a way we could have all Canadian contributions routed to a Canadian address then we could make the mixes out of those contributions plus our own. Just an idea, but that way they’d already be adapted to Canadian growing conditions. I have a fairly robust stash of purchased seed as well I could add some to a mix if it needed more but I also know that people are hoping for diverse seed so I wouldn’t want to do that too much. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Lutz](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/goingtoseed.discourse.group/ashley_lutz/32/10015_2.png) [@Ashley\_Lutz](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Ashley_Lutz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:58pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/99 "2024-11-04T13:58:58Z")
I really like that idea! ---
**Author:** ![Patate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@Patate](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/u/Patate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 10:07pm UTC](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609/100 "2024-11-04T22:07:47Z")
Ya good idea, I’ll let the GTS leaders give some input on what could work best for seeds. I personally have been importing from the US for my projects so I think there’s some value with importing some genetics, even if they are not always ideal for northern conditions. In terms of priority crops, we could survey the canadian community here. Additionally, I see priority crops being a cross between popular homestead/garden crops, easier to breed crops, and seed steward interest. It’s probably easy to also check what seeds are popular in the GTS store. For example, the main 3 squash species will likely fit these criteria. On the other side, TPS is a more difficult one to get into (but worth it if a group is into it) [Previous page](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609.md?page=4) [Next page](https://goingtoseed.discourse.group/t/increasing-community-seed-returns-ideas/2609.md?page=6)