Helping Gardeners To Become Seed Keepers! Free the Seeds!

The Seed Savers' Network was established in 1986 to preserve local varieties of useful plants by an French-Australian couple Jude and Michel Fanton. The organisation is known for its community seed action in thirty-seven countries within community groups, indigenous organisations, Transition Towns and also with interested individuals wanting to spearhead seed action. Contact Jude and Michel if you too would like to create a seed network in your region or in your country.

The Seed Savers Foundation is a non-profit registered as a charity in Australia, funded by courses, supporter fees and the films and books we produce, available from our online shop. Jude and Michel travel and conduct dynamic training on how to create a Local Seed Network, produce quality seeds and and prepare lesser-known vegetable and fruit varieties. They also teach how to teach seed saving.

John Brisbin, our long time webmaster and friend, has fashioned the banner above. We are continually adding slides. Next time you visit us check out the links.

If you would like to see how Seed Savers started choose the tab About Us then an overview of our activities, our story so far with archives of our work and our work around the world, most recently in Malaysia and Portugal.

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Our Permaculture Roots

We have also been evolving Permaculture strategies since 1978, the time of its inception, and have given presentations in over thirty-five countries on the relevance of Biodiversity in Permaculture. Around Australia we have decentralised to ninety Local Seed Networks that scout for local fruit and vegetable varieties suited to the organic and no-spray home gardener.  Local Seed Networks collect, multiply and re-distribute seeds and cuttings at no cost in their area.

How We Can Help You

Seed Savers produces resources such as a one hour documentary, "Our Seeds" - the trailer is in the player above - three books, posters and other educational material available at our online shop. Some are at no charge to you.

Our Global Impact

We continue to visit groups we helped to start and are available to travel and assist new local seed networks. Countries where we have helped include Cuba, Afghanistan, East Timor, Cambodia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, Taiwan and Portugal. We assist groups to start up local seed exchanges so they can find, collect, multiply and redistribute local varieties of food plants. Here are two examples of our work.

Tour of New Zealand and Presentations at Australasian Permaculture Convergence 11

Founders Michel and Jude Fanton gave four presentations at the Australasian Permaculture Convergence 11 in Turangi in April 2012, including a 90 minute slide show on "Food Sovereignty Starts with a Seed" to a standing ovation of the 600 participants.

They visited and filmed four community gardens and have uploaded eighty film clips made on their travels in NZ to youtube.com/seedsavers

Launch of Malaysian Seed Network

Michel and Jude Fanton were in Malaysia in January attending meetings with civil societies, giving workshops, talks and screening "Our Seeds", our one hour documentary.

On 28th January they launched a Malaysian seed network with Eats, Shoots and Roots run by Sabina Arokiam, Shao-Lyn Low and Juergen Soecknick.

They were interviewed on a national television show and taught on a Permaculture Design Course on Permacutlure aspects of biodiversity.

Tour of Portuguese and Spanish Seed Networks

Michel and Jude Fanton were on a seed roadshow, in Portugal in November 2011 and in Andalucia, Spain, early December 2011. They presented Seed Savers documentary "Our Seeds" and gave workshops and presentations. The Sementes Livres campaign was strengthened and expanded through this visit. See our blog report on Portugal.