Join us in raising £20,000 to place seed back in the hands of growers this #SeedWeek2026, with every donation doubled between 22 – 29 April ➡️ Click to donate or share with your network.
For millennia, our lives have been deeply intertwined with the food crops we’ve journeyed alongside. Yet, in recent decades, the profit-driven corporations that control the majority of today’s seed have carelessly erased these deep personal and cultural connections to our soil-dwelling kin.
Seeds and their stories are meant to be shared. As we pass on diverse grains with genetic memories of how to thrive, our own memories carry forward too; memories of how to sow, harvest, cook, and share, told as tips and tales to friends.
This #SeedWeek2026, members of our Seed Sovereignty team are sharing a story of a seed they hold close, and we warmly invite you to join us in this time-honoured ritual.
“What’s blown my mind about them is realising that of course they’re seeds, and they grow into crops, and they’re really important in and of themselves, but also they’re not just seeds and crops: they’re connections to people’s history and heritage and culture.”
Katie, our Wales Seed Sovereignty Coordinator, reflects on the Black Oat Quest she embarked on a few years ago, and the energy it sparked to revive more Welsh rare grains no longer found in the fields.
“Food has been one of the ways I’ve found home wherever I’ve moved to”
Randa, our former Southern England Seed Sovereignty Coordinator (who has recently moved overseas), shares a story of her relationship to the broad bean and speaks of the connection between biodiversity and cultural diversity she has found on her travels. Her words remind us to keep sharing regional seeds, recipes, and stories to nurture our sense of belonging.
“Sharing seeds in informal ways creates connection with each other and connection with the lands”
Louise, our former Scotland Seed Sovereignty Coordinator, now supporting our Wales network, tells us how these landrace parsnip seeds help her reflect on seed sovereignty. The patented seeds sold by ‘big ag’ cannot be saved and passed on, restricting the seeds’ ability to adapt over time and inhibiting our own sharing of food.
“There’s so much joy to be found in diversity”
In her seed story, our Future Resilience Seed Coordinator, Holly, emphasises the holistic benefits of increasing the diversity of our seed for climate resilience, and the delights of sharing these with others as part of the Crowd Breeding Network.
“Well, in Scotland, people say that dwarf French beans, they just don’t really take off. But this bean took off as if we were in the south of the UK.”
On his hunt for heritage Scottish beans, Seed Sovereignty Coordinator Richie happens upon what may be one of the best performing dwarf French beans for Scotland and Ireland’s cooler, wetter climates. But what is this miraculous small white bean, seemingly lost to corporate food production, that is out-performing so many others? Is it Glamis, Glen Lyon, or another bean entirely?
Join us in helping seed get the recognition it deserves between 22 – 29 April by sharing your own seed stories with friends old and new. By transitioning to a grower-led food system, we can rediscover our connection to seed and breathe life into the tales of their existence once more.
