Skip to content
FREE US SHIPPING ON SEED ORDERS $25+!
FREE US SHIPPING ON SEED ORDERS $25+!

Birth of the Alliance

Wedding photo of co-founders of Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, smiling in front of guest in traditional regalia.

Sprouted from the collective dreams of Victoria Persinger Ferguson, Dwayne Painter from the Monacan nation, Beth Roach of the Nottoway Tribe of Virginia, and Fix of the Skarù·ręʔ, the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers was birthed in a humble apartment pulsating with life's promise. Now, we've grown into a flourishing micro-farm which serves as both our home and the epicenter of our mission.


The Sanctuary We Call the Seed House

Our seed store is an extension of our mission and is unique in its focus. Beyond a place of commerce, it's a sanctuary that celebrates the rich culture of indigenous seedkeeping traditions. Each seed sent out is a capsule of heritage and ecological wisdom, carefully selected and ethically sourced. Moreover, our store serves as an educational hub, offering workshops and resources on indigenous seedkeeping practices, ecological farming, and environmental justice. Every purchase directly funds our broader initiatives, from community education to legal battles for indigenous land rights.


Our Mission

We are keepers of something far greater than a seed enterprise; we are guardians of ancient foodways and sacred seed stories, working to mend the severed ties between indigenous communities and their irreplaceable seeds.


The Power of Partnerships

Our work is enriched by invaluable collaborations with indigenous communities across the nation. Through shared learning, we not only revitalize but evolve our collective seedkeeping heritage.


Our Trials

Our path has been strewn with the thorns of systemic injustice, violence, and intricate land rights disputes. But every challenge we face only fortifies our resolve, making our mission not a choice but a calling.


The Echo of Our Seeds

Our seeds are more than biological specimens; they are living libraries of ecological sagacity, inherently resilient to our planet's evolving challenges. Through their propagation, we are not merely cultivating; we are healing the Earth.


Shifting the Paradigm

We stand in bold defiance against an industry that often marginalizes indigenous wisdom. Our commercial triumphs fuel our activism, from policy advocacy to nurturing awareness about the richness of indigenous agricultural biodiversity.


Visioning Generations Ahead

Inspired by the traditional wisdom of seven-generational thinking, we envision a future where our children and theirs can thrive in harmony with the Earth, cradling their culture and justice in equal measure.


An Invitation to A Revolution

When you join us, you aren't just a customer; you become a co-traveler on a transformative journey towards a more balanced, sustainable world.

We are the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers—a testament to the unyielding spirit of our community and culture. Join us in planting the seeds of a revolution.

Seed Sourcing and Selection at the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

At the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, we understand the importance of diversity in our seed offerings. Our seeds are sourced from various growers and larger companies within North America, specializing in quality seed production. This approach allows us to offer a wide variety without the significant expense and complexity of growing everything in a single location. Our focus on maintaining crop isolation practices and preventing pests and diseases is paramount.

As our business expands, we plan to source more rare seeds from overseas, ensuring that our supporters have access to unique varieties at reasonable prices. This expansion will enable us to continually enrich our catalog and provide you with a diverse range of choices.

Our Commitment to Non-GMO and Fair Trade Practices

In our quest to provide the best, we prioritize sourcing NON-GMO, open-pollinated seeds. While our focus remains on open-pollinated varieties, we respond to our community's demand by occasionally including hybrid types. Fair trade practices are a cornerstone of our sourcing criteria, ensuring ethical and sustainable practices throughout our supply chain.

Growing Within Our Community

Many of the seeds we offer are grown directly by us, ensuring they meet our high standards. As we increase our capacity, we aim to contract more growers within our communities. This not only supports local agriculture but also provides our customers with seeds that are already acclimated to their specific climates. In the future, we plan to provide a list of our growers, further enhancing the connection between our seeds and your gardens.

Quality and Variety for All Gardeners

Our primary focus is on quality. We aim to cater to individuals and communities who grow food for themselves and others, offering seeds that are proven to be productive and reliable. While we do offer some rare and novelty items for the enjoyment of our gardening enthusiasts, our main goal is to support sustainable food production.

Rigorous Quality Assurance

Every seed batch undergoes initial germination testing either from their source or on-site. We routinely perform germination tests to ensure ongoing quality. Our seeds are meticulously cleaned to reduce debris and fillers, and our open-pollinated seeds adhere to strict isolation practices to ensure they are true to type. We stand behind our seeds with a one-year warranty from the time of purchase, guaranteeing they will be true to type and meet high germination standards, or we'll offer a refund and replacement.

Product Representation at the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

At the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, we understand the importance of visually presenting our seeds and products. However, as a small team primarily focused on growing and sourcing quality seeds, we sometimes face challenges in accessing professional photography. In instances where we lack high-quality photographs of our products, we turn to artistic renderings as placeholders. This approach ensures that we don’t delay offering you a wide variety of seeds just because of a photograph.

Collaboration with Artists and Designers

To create these artistic images, we collaborate with talented artists and designers who use their unique mediums and skills. We provide them with detailed descriptions and various reference photos to ensure that these renderings are as accurate and representative of the actual product as possible. This collaborative process helps bridge the gap between the lack of photographs and the need to visually showcase our products.

Community Contributions

We are always on the lookout for real photos from our community, growers, and customers. If you have grown our seeds and captured their beauty through your lens, we would love to hear from you. Contributing your photographs not only enhances our product representation but also strengthens the bond within our community. We warmly invite anyone interested in photography to contact us to explore potential collaborations.

Transparency in Representation

To maintain transparency, we clearly indicate when an image is an artistic rendering rather than an actual photograph. These notations are included in our product descriptions, ensuring you are fully informed about what you are viewing. While these images are artistic interpretations, we strive to make them as close to reality as possible, reflecting the true essence of our seeds and products.

Shipping Processes at the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

At the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, we primarily use USPS for all our shipping needs. In special circumstances, we can arrange for UPS or FedEx deliveries, particularly if a customer is unable to receive USPS packages. However, we're currently refining our shipping options as part of a software transition, aiming to include more carrier choices in our checkout process soon. We appreciate your understanding and ask that alternative shipping requests be made only when necessary to avoid potential delays.

Order Processing and Shipping Timelines

Our team strives to ship orders daily or every other day. As a small, home-based business, we occasionally experience delays, especially during high-volume periods. While our new warehouse management software has significantly improved our efficiency, we are still fine-tuning the system. Please be patient if your order takes a bit longer to process, particularly during peak seasons.

Peak Seasons and Expected Delays

Our busiest times begin in mid-to-late November, peaking in February, and gradually slow down by April or May. A smaller peak occurs in late July and August. During these periods, shipping delays can extend up to three weeks, though this is improving with our new software. We are also planning to introduce a pick-to-light system and hire additional staff to expedite order fulfillment.

Geographic Considerations

Being located in rural North Carolina, our local postal services have limited operation days, which can affect shipping times. Orders to distant locations like the West Coast, Canada, and other international destinations may experience longer shipping times. Most domestic orders arrive within 3-5 days after leaving our facility, while international orders can take 3-8 weeks.

Handling Delays and Backlogs

Our journey began just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and we've been growing steadily ever since. Handling delays and backlogs is a learning process for us. We're constantly improving our methods, and our new software, along with community-sourced engineering solutions, is helping us streamline our operations. What once took us the same time to process 20 orders, we now manage 100 orders, a testament to our evolving efficiency.

Communication and Updates

We understand the importance of keeping you informed. Updates on potential delays are posted on our website, and we also send email notifications to our customers. Our system ensures that you receive regular email updates throughout the processing of your order, and if your package has tracking, you'll be notified upon delivery.

Packaging Materials at the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

At the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, we are deeply committed to environmental stewardship, which is reflected in our choice of packaging materials. Our efforts are focused on using recycled, recyclable, and compostable materials, minimizing our ecological footprint. Through rigorous testing, we've optimized our packaging not only to be sustainable but also to reduce overall material usage.

Eco-Friendly and Responsible Packaging

Our seed packets are crafted from materials sourced from sustainable and responsible forestry practices. This choice aligns with our dedication to preserving natural resources and supporting eco-conscious initiatives. In our efforts to further reduce waste, we have transitioned to a paperless picking process in our warehouse.

The inks used on our packets are vegetable-based, aligning with our eco-friendly ethos. Recently, we have shifted towards simpler packet designs. While these may not be as colorful as our previous versions, they significantly reduce ink usage and provide more comprehensive information about our seeds.

Constant Evolution in Sustainable Practices

Our journey towards sustainability is ongoing. We are continually exploring new and better methods for packaging and shipping that align with our environmental values. This evolution ensures that we not only meet our current sustainability goals but also set new benchmarks for eco-responsibility.

Recyclable and Compostable Options

The majority of our packaging materials are recyclable or compostable, with the exception of shipping labels. We encourage our customers to recycle or compost our packaging, contributing to a circular economy and reducing waste.

Staffing and Operational Capacity at the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

At the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, we are a small yet dedicated team. Our full-time staff member Fix, juggles numerous responsibilities, from seed packing to order fulfillment, web-design, seed packet design, growing seeds, marketing, and much more. Beth, although employed full-time elsewhere and actively involved in her tribal council, contributes significantly to our operations by maintaining finances and picking up the slack behind Fix. We also have a part-time team member, a full-time student, Chandler, who manages our communications, checking messages several times a week. Additionally, we have one person, Elena helping Beth manage our finances and another, Rahib, assisting with software and development.

Customer Service Approach

We strive to be as efficient as possible in customer service. In an age where instant responses and fast shipping are often expected, we may not always meet these standards. However, we compensate by offering a personal touch, treating each customer like a friend and often remembering repeat customers by name. We ask for understanding and realistic expectations regarding shipping and response times.

Order Processing and Challenges

Currently, without a seed packing machine and with a diverse product range, we often find ourselves packing seeds concurrently with shipping orders. This can lead to additional delays. However, we're optimistic that future investments in machinery and software modifications will significantly streamline this process.

Product Availability and Inventory Management

Our operational capacity does impact our product range and availability. We manage our inventory carefully, ensuring we offer a diverse range of seeds despite our capacity constraints. As we grow, we plan to expand our offerings and improve our inventory management processes.

Growth and Future Plans

Our vision for the future includes expanding our team and operational capabilities. We aim to invest in equipment like seed packing machines, which will allow us to hire more staff and expedite our processes. This growth will not only enhance our efficiency but also enable us to serve our customers better and expand our product range.

Compare products

{"one"=>"Select 2 or 3 items to compare", "other"=>"{{ count }} of 3 items selected"}

Select first item to compare

Select second item to compare

Select third item to compare

Compare