An Idaho seed circus and seed schools are coming to a town near you

by Casey O’Leary, Idaho Capital Sun
June 13, 2025

Where do the seeds you plant on your farm or garden come from? Why does it matter? The Snake River Seed Cooperative is hitting the road this summer to bring organic seed production education to Idaho producers large and small, thanks to a grant from the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program, or TOPP.

Seedsman Bill McDorman famously said, “When you plant a seed, you plant the entire agricultural system that produced that seed.”

Less than 100 years ago, virtually all farms in the country saved some or most of their own seeds. Now, nearly all the seed planted on Idaho farms and gardens is trucked in from off-farm, increasing input costs and reducing farm self-sufficiency. Further, mass-produced seeds supplied by global supply chains often lack regional adaptations and diverse genetics that will allow those seeds to withstand increasingly erratic local weather conditions.

Snake River Seed Cooperative is on a mission grow a robust regional seedshed for the Intermountain West. The co-op works with small farmers and gardeners around the region to reclaim this vital skill, increasing the region’s seed sovereignty and resilience by rebuilding our regional seed infrastructure and getting more organically-grown, locally-adapting seed into more Idaho farms and gardens.

Amid trade wars and uncertain global markets, farmers are increasingly turning to the certified organic domestic market as an alternative outlet for their crops — one that promises higher prices while safeguarding their local watershed and ecosystem. Certified organic farms must purchase and use certified organic seed where available, giving certified organic seed producers a competitive edge in the market.

Each stop on the traveling seed circus will feature a field day at one of our certified organic Snake River Seed Co-op grower’s farms. These farms are some of the most successful small-scale, direct-market agricultural enterprises in the state, including several of the founding farms who helped to create the organic program in Idaho in the 1990s. Each stop will include a light meal, opportunities to learn from experienced growers, and network with others.

“We are thrilled to host the Treasure Valley Seed School field day at our farm because everyone interested in agriculture and sustainability should be empowered to participate,” says Jackie Sommer of Purple Sage Farms in Middleton. “Learning new skills that help the local community, building connections with like-minded individuals and the land, as well as creating food security and independence, is essential. Local, organic agriculture that invigorates soil ecosystems and strives to grow nutrient rich plants is the answer for our future.”

Field days will be followed by a two-day Seed School, a deep dive into the world of organic seed production. Participants will learn seed saving basics, get hands-on practice with cleaning seeds, explore the larger seed industry and the opportunities and limitations contained within it, and connect with others who are working to strengthen our regional food and seed systems.

While the basic educational components will be similar across the various schools, the seed school in each region of our agriculturally-diverse state also features additional field trips and guest speakers, and local food and beverage purveyors unique to that region.

In total, the seed circus will connect attendees with over 30 different Idaho organizations and individuals who are playing a vital part in rebuilding our regional seedshed, including farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, governmental and public seed entities, native plant and seed producers, and more.

Each of the people who attends seed school becomes woven into the network of people skilling up to rebuild our regional seedshed.

People are so eager for connection and community right now. We keep hearing from folks who are feeling increasingly isolated and also increasingly anxious about what the future will bring, and they’re looking for something they can tangibly DO to make a difference.

Learning to save some of your own seeds is hopeful, but it’s not just abstractly hopeful. It’s incredibly powerful. It literally roots our communities. It grows and feeds us healthy food, and gives us something to share with each other. And also, it’s fun and mind-blowing and interesting — that’s the stuff that makes me happy to be alive!

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.