Our seed saving project uses seeds as a springboard to learn about botany, plant genetics, seed sovereignty, and provides free seeds to Western Students and the broader community through free seed libraries and seed swaps. In our pilot year of the seed saving project we grew and saved seed on 13 varieties of beans, 10 varieties of flowers and herbs, as well as tomatoes, peas, and corn.

Seed saving provides a tactile opportunity for students to contemplate the stories of plants; the way seed varieties are patented and protected, honored or abused, brought, sold, gifted, resuscitated, revered.  Saving seed inspires students to contemplate who the people were who brought these seed varieties here, and how we can be responsible seed keepers and honor the people who have kept these seed varieties alive for generations. Seed keeping encourages us to be stewards of the future by showing commitment to the relationships we have with the soil, with the seeds and with our human and non-human neighbors.