About MNSEED

Empowering people through seed education: Collect, clean, save, swap, and grow native, local plants from seed

The MNSEED Project connects the power of seeds from native plants with the gardening community and local growers. This is a project, born during a pandemic, is from the heart of three St. Paul gardening educators ; Courtney Tchida, Dawn Lamm and Stephanie Hankerson to share knowledge about saving and growing seeds. Since 2021 our focus has been on creating a free, locally adapted, native seed economy by hosting events teaching people how to collect, clean, share and grow native seeds.

As MNSEED heads into is 5th season, we are grateful for continued support from Capitol Region Watershed District; and for 2024 collaborations and partners including Como Park District 10, Great River Greening, Springboard Arts, Lawns to Legumes, the Hamline Midway Coalition, Frogtown Green, and more! Other organizations that MNSEED has worked with in the past include

• Metroblooms,

• Urban Roots,

• Gibbs Farm

• Minnesota State Horticultural Society

• Hamline Midway Coalition

• Como Community Seed Library

• 21 Roots Farm

• Patagonia

• Emerging Farmer’s Conference

• Urban Roots

• Minnesota Tool Library

• UMN Bee Lab

• Donate Goods Eco-Fair

• Seed Libraries including White bear, Hosmer/ CANDO, East Side Dayton's Bluff/ Metrostate/, Land School and Nokomis!

iNaturalist as a seed saving tool

An additional seed saver’s tool is availble on iNaturalist for MNSEED participants use that helps identify and document the plants from which seeds are being saved. The first step in seed saving is knowing what you are growing. iNaturalist assists with that plus keeps track of your plants and gives you phenology clues so you don’t miss when plants are producing seed. Even if you do not get to a MNSEED event, you can engage with the program via its iNaturalist application/website.

Resiliency of Native Plant Seed

Native plants are especially adapted to their region and support a wide range of wildlife while also improving soil, air and water. Native plants also typically produce an abundance of seed that can be saved and shared gardener to gardener. This is why saving native plant seed is such a powerfully resilient act!