2025 Restock & a Sneak Peek Inside Our New Store

2025 restock

Many of you have been with us since the store first opened at the end of 2019. We saw each other through a pandemic, you witnessed our growth, and much of that momentum came from your support.

We restocked almost 400 varieties, with more still being added. We continue to hand-pack every seed packet we sell, so every order makes a meaningful difference while we build the next stage of the company.

Making moves: meet Bertie County Seeds

When we launched the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers in late 2019, we imagined a small venture supported by friends and family—a way to keep culturally significant agricultural work moving.

We did not begin with land, capital, or inherited infrastructure. We began with seeds, responsibility, and the determination to help restore traditional agricultural practices.

The public seed store became necessary because institutions often celebrate Indigenous work without funding the systems that keep it alive.

The store helped create an independent economic engine for seedkeeping, community work, and cultural responsibility.

During COVID, demand for garden seed changed dramatically. We were operating from a tiny apartment in downtown Richmond while more people were trying to grow food at home. The support was overwhelming, and we remain deeply grateful for it.

Why the storefront name changed

Growth also brought confusion. Some people saw the word “seedkeepers” but not the Native people, relationships, and responsibilities behind the work.

Bertie County Seeds became the public-facing store brand under Alliance of Native Seedkeepers.

The organization remains the mission holder, while the store serves as the economic engine supporting ancestral seed work, community access, and grower relationships.

Our new base of operations is in Colerain, North Carolina, along the Chowan River.

In August 2024, we purchased our first storefront. While electrical and remodeling work continued, the seed operation still depended heavily on the smaller seed shed at home.

The building—and the production equipment planned for it—was meant to expand our capacity to serve gardeners while giving the mission stronger infrastructure.

Building a home on Main Street

The same local team connected to Colerain Appliances began replacing the electrical system. Their shop sits behind the store, making the renovation part of a much larger network of local relationships.

Community members brought practical knowledge, labor, and encouragement into the hardest parts of the renovation.

We were excited simply to get inside and begin cleaning, repairing, and imagining what the space could become.

We wanted the finished space to feel welcoming, useful, and connected to the people who made it possible.

A new chapter, still in progress

At the time of this update, there was still a long way to go. But the building represented something we had been trying to reach for years: a place with walls, public visibility, room for the work, and a future tied to Colerain.

As a thank-you during that 2025 restock, we shared the promotional code COLERAIN10 for qualifying orders. Promotions mentioned in archived stories may no longer be active.

Follow the continuing story through our company history and visit the seed catalog to see what is currently available.