Native Seeds/SEARCH in Arizona

Native Seeds/SEARCH is a nonprofit conservation organization based in Tucson, Arizona. NS/S works to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seed, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwestern and northwest Mexico.

Their mission began in 1983, springing from the nexus of cultural longing and impending loss of genetic diversity. Today they safeguard 2000 varieties of arid-land adapted agricultural crops. Some, like watermelons, were adapted from seeds brought by early Europeans. Most of their collection consists of varieties of indigenous crops developed over centuries or millennia to suit the needs of their human partners. They promote the use of these ancient crops and their wild relatives by distributing seeds to traditional communities and to gardeners world wide.

Currently they offer 350 varieties from their collection, grown out at their Conservation Farm in Patagonia, Arizona. They also work to preserve knowledge about the traditional uses of the crop we steward. Through research, seed distribution and community outreach NS/S seeks to protect biodiversity and to celebrate cultural diversity. Both are essential in connecting the past to the future.

http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php