History
The Olympia Seed Exchange (OSE) began in the fall of 2007 as a website.
With the hope of strengthening the local farming and gardening community, Caitlin Moore and Michael Wilde collaborated to build this site where local food growers could freely exchange seeds.
In the fall of 2008 Caitlin joined up with Claire Ethier and the two plotted to create a physical exchange. They envisioned a space where community members could come to receive seeds free of charge, learn about seed saving, and donate seeds for use by other local gardeners. With a small selection of seeds and a dream of creating a seed sovereign community, the OSE – graciously hosted by Fertile Ground Guest House – opened its doors in the spring of 2009.
As word spread, many people came to use this new resource and seed donations began to pour in. Seed contributions from the Olympia Food Coop and supportive community members ensured that the Exchange was kept well stocked throughout its first season.
Realizing that there was a community need for seed saving skills, OSE developed and began to teach free classes. The free classes taught by Caitlin covered planning a seed-saving garden, the biology behind seed saving, pollination and fertilization, and the how-to of growing and processing seeds.
That year also saw the beginning of seed saving demonstration gardens. OSE began growing seed crops to supplement the seed donations with locally adapted varieties. OSE cultivated demonstration beds at Fertile Ground Guest House’s Community Garden and at the Wendell Berry Community Garden. Lentils, arugula, quinoa, radishes, fava beans, lettuce, calendula, and kale were all grown for seed. These gardens were also educational sites where the community could see seed saving in action.
As the community of seed exchangers grew, so did OSE. In 2010 every aspect of OSE expanded and new projects were taken on. Needing a bigger space to store seeds, OSE relocated to its current location at Chez Cascadia. The demo garden at Wendell Berry Community Garden doubled in size to grow runner beans, lettuce, kale, chickpeas, California poppy, and calendula. OSE began our first plant-breeding project, selecting for cold-tolerance in seeds from the previous season’s Lacinato kale crop. Volunteer Seed Stewards grew vegetables seeds for the Exchange on private land. And OSE collaborated with Sustainable South Sound, GRuB, and the Olympia Food Co-op to put on the free series of “Better Living” classes.
Today the OSE continues to flourish as a grassroots organization dedicated to seed sovereignty. For more details about our current projects, click on the tabs titled The Exchange, Education, and The Farm.
