Native Seeds/SEARCH
Native Seeds/SEARCH is a seed conservation organization based in Arizona dedicated to conserving the heirloom seeds of that region, which are specifically adapted to the arid environment. Their mission statement reads “Native Seeds/SEARCH seeks to find, protect and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world.” Their current collection of seeds holds over 2000 varieties of traditional heirloom varieties, many of which are rare or endangered. About ¼ of these varieties are freely distributed to native families and community gardens. They’ve been in operation for almost four decades, and after having collected and revived so many seed varieties, are now also able to focus on delivering the sustenance these seeds promise into the hands of farmers, gardeners, and communities.
Especially considering the region that these seeds generally hail from, the Native Seeds/SEARCH project is interesting in how it opens our understanding of the richness of the land. While the arid Southwest is generally considered poor quality for agriculture based on Western notions of farming, the seeds and farming practices offered by Native Seeds/SEARCH show us that this land is just as rich and fruitful as land considered desirable by big ag. How else would so many native nations sustained themselves and thrived on the land for millennia?