Seed Savers Exchange

The Seed Savers Exchange manages the culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop heritage of the United States for present and future generations. We educate and connect people by collecting, regenerating, and sharing heirloom seeds, plants, and stories.

Since 1975, the Seed Protector Exchange Center has been dedicated to preserving and sharing seeds for gardeners. Watch the video "Introduction to Seed Protector Exchange Center" to learn more information.

The Seed Protector Exchange Center was founded by Diane Ott Whiley and Kent Whiley in Missouri in 1975. Diane's grandfather, Baptist John Otter, entrusted them with the seeds of two family heirloom open pollination varieties, namely the "Otter Grandpa" morning glory and the "German Pink" tomato. These seeds were brought by Grandpa Otto's parents when they immigrated from Bavaria (Germany) to Iowa in 1884, and were also the first two varieties collected by the center.

Diane and Kent continued to form a gardener network, now known as The Exchange, dedicated to protecting heirloom varieties and enhancing biodiversity. These dedicated gardeners shared their own heirloom seeds and donated them to the Seed Protector Exchange Center. For decades, seed collection has steadily grown, and now SSE has the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States (approximately 20000 varieties) on its 890 acre heritage farm in Wennabego County, Iowa. Here, we not only protect these varieties for future generations, but also encourage gardeners and farmers around the world to plant, harvest, and share heirloom seeds, and tell inspiring stories behind them. We also impart horticultural knowledge and the long-standing and crucial practice of seed preservation to gardeners.