Birth of the Alliance

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.

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.

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.