We’re pleased to announce the pilot year of GSN’s SOLIDARITY SKILLSHARE PROGRAM, an effort to match beginning seed savers with more experienced folks, starting with our Board of Directors (Irena Hallowell, Will Bonsall, Chris Hardy, Lisa Bloodnick, Alan Adesse, and Nate Kleinman). The purpose of the program is to facilitate sharing knowledge, seeds, and connections, and to encourage the next generation of seed savers. Click here to apply.

The purpose of this program is to match emerging seed keepers with GSN Board members (http://grassrootsseed.org/our-board/) and other experienced seed stewards to share skills, seeds, and more with each other. Seed-saving is both a science and an art, and we want to do whatever we can to ensure the next generation of seed-savers has the tools its needs to flourish.

All are welcome, but applicants from historically oppressed and marginalized communities (including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, People with Disabilities, LGBTQIA+ People, Immigrants, and others) are especially encouraged to apply and will be given priority should we get more applicants than we can handle.

This program was conceived of as a way to use personal relationship-building to improve access to vital seed-saving knowledge, skills, and connections, acknowledging that various structural inequities in our society have led to many people being excluded from organized seed-saving & farming circles (as well as access to land and other key resources). We recognize that this is but one small action we can take — offering ourselves as resources — but we hope it will lead to lasting and meaningful outcomes for all involved.

HOW IT WORKS

Once you fill out this application, the GSN board will work to match you with an experienced seed saver — ideally one who lives in your bioregion or is at least familiar with it — and put you directly in contact with them. They are committing to be available for up to an hour or two each month, by phone, text, email, or whatever platform the two of you agree upon. It’s that simple.

We hope these connections will result in long-term reciprocal relationships — because both parties will inevitably have things to teach the other.

If you’re an experienced seed-saver interested in joining our roster of such folks, please contact GSN board member Nate Kleinman at nathankleinman@gmail.com.

Thank you.

View the application form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQDe7b0T6zGKcPprPQ_d00xYPh81UvYAGUcO2BcAQRyfvs2w/viewform