The biannual Organic Seed Growers Conference is moving out of the Pacific Northwest for the first time in its history and coming to Asheville, North Carolina. Save the Dates of March 26-27, 2027, for the main conference (with pre-conference intensives and farm tours still being planned). 

The request for proposals is currently open, with a deadline of July 1st. Check it out here and submit an application. If you want to talk through an idea or suggest a topic that you're really interested in, feel free to reach out to chat about it. As conference co-chair, I'd love to have a strong representation of southeastern voices at the conference! 

Conference Tracks:
Acknowledging that seed systems are multi-modal, the 2027 conference sessions will primarily be organized into the following 5 “tracks”.

• SEED PRODUCTION: Seed production nuts & bolts for both beginning and experienced producers, including new and novel models for organic seed production, field practices, seed cleaning, treatments, processing, quality assurance, and packing. Economic topics might also include sales and contracting, enterprise development, and commercializing new varieties (e.g., alternative approaches to intellectual property).

• Beginning (For those who have grown seed at farm scale for 0 – 3 years)

• Advanced (For those who have grown seed at farm scale for 3 or more years)

• PLANT BREEDING: Advancements in plant breeding and variety trials for resilience, biodiversity, organic systems, climate change adaptation, and/or grower-led and participatory breeding projects.

• SEED STORIES: First-person seed storytelling and interactive sessions on emerging topics, culturally significant crops and varieties, and subjects tied to current events.

• ADVOCACY & POLICY: Emerging policy and advocacy topics essential to expanding organic seed systems. Sessions focused on seed equity and justice are encouraged to apply.