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Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, but the real story begins long before that. In 1883 Diane’s great-grandparents emigrated from Bavaria to St. Lucas, Iowa. They brought with them two of their favorite garden seeds, a plump pink tomato and a showy deep purple morning glory with a white star in its throat. Today, those varieties are known as Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory and German Pink Tomato. Diane’s grandfather, Baptist Ott, gave those seeds to Diane and Kent shortly before his death in 1974. The staggering diversity of heirloom vegetables and plants that are grown annually at Seed Savers’ Heritage Farm is unmatched. Seed Savers Exchange maintains the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States that has the goal of making varieties accessible to the public. We permanently maintain thousands of rare and unique vegetable and fruit varieties! As you may have guessed already, the mission of Seed Savers Exchange is saving seeds – but not just any seeds! We save seeds from heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables that have been passed from generation to generation. What is an heirloom seed? Heirloom seed can be described as any vegetable plant that has been passed down through families; never genetically altered in any way. These seeds are not standard commercial hybrids. In fact, many were dropped from commercial catalogs over the years because they were not huge sellers. Why is saving heirloom and non-hybrid seed so important? Heirloom varieties breed true and stand the test of time. Their flavor is intense, they can be higher in nutrients, some are heat–and–drought tolerant, and others resist pests and diseases. By saving seed, we are working to insure a pure, healthy food source for generations to come. Many varieties are in danger of becoming extinct; Seed Savers Exchange hopes to keep these heirloom seeds available to the public forever! Seed Savers Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States. The vast seed collection maintained at Heritage Farm includes thousands of vegetable varieties, many of which are rare and heirloom seeds. Members receive many special benefits, including a 10 percent discount on purchases online or at the Lillian Goldman Visitor’s Center, four quarterly publications and access to thousands of heirloom varieties not available in the public catalog. Check our website at www.seedsavers.org or call (563) 382-5990 for membership information.
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