Otepoti Urban Organics coordinates a seed savers network for Otago and Southland gardeners, known as the 'Symbiosis Seed Exchange'. We have sourced a range of heirloom and open pollinated vegetable varieties from various sources around New Zealand, having selected those suited to Soutern climates.
 
The seeds are distributed to local gardeners at a cost of $1.50 per packet. The network is run on a not-for-profit basis, with any proceeds above cost going into projects to futher enhance and develop the network, such as leasing land for breeding projects, aquiring new varieties, doing seedling giveaways and so on.
 
The network (and the vegetable varieties themselves) relies on the participation of local gardeners for its survival. Hence the name 'symbiosis'. You as gardeners become guardians of these special varieties. You preserve their genetics and continue to select strains for the local climate and seasons. You save the seeds and donate them back to the network for further sharing of these treasured resources. And in exchange, you get nourishment, enjoyment, and a greater connection with the food that you eat and the communities in which you live. People donating seeds back to the network recieve credits for free packets of seeds of their choosing from our catalogue. So if you've got any spares, get in touch to arrange a swap!
 
Otepoti Urban Organics is always developing more resources to assist in your seed saving endeavours, so check back soon for updates. Gardeners of all experience levels can save good quality vegetable

seeds from their own home gardens. However, some species require more care and attention to the methods used than others. Some of our rarest varieties are only avaliable to Otepoti Urban Organics network members, who essentially 'adopt' a variety and make a focused effort to multiply the seeds and further secure the continued survival of the variety. For anyone saving seeds and donating them back to the network, it is reccomended that basic notes are kept about the variety, growing contitions, planting times and other notes, so that we can keep track of how different strains do under different conditions and so on.
 
The key goals of the Symbiosis Seed Exchange are:

• Provide good quality heirloom and open pollinated vegetable seeds to Otago gardeners

• Continue to preserve and improve supplies of Otago-suited seed varieties

• Function as a central distribution point for seed swapping among local gardeners

• Provide information and resources about growing the varieties on offer, and how to properly save the seed from them to ensure the true characters of a variety are retained

• Coordinate and impliment specialised breeding projects around Otago to develop open pollinated vegetable varieties that are even more tailored to the region, and to gardeners needs.

• Continue to bring home gardening back to how it should be - a dynamic and interactive hobby in which the gardener develops a living relationship with the plants they grow, and is engaged in the whole cycle. Rather than the commercialised and expensive '6 pack of seedlings and a bag of yates soil' style of vegetable gardening that has become popular in recent years.

We have a wide range of species and varieties avalaible, all of which are heirloom or open pollinated varieties. Seeds can be ordered via email and posted to you, and will also be avaliable at various different events / markets / etc. that will are announced via the mailing list. To sign up to our mailing list, click here. To read our latest newsletter and seed list, click HERE.

 
Also be sure to check back here regularly for more updates as we are very busy at the moment making lots of changes and developing new resources to be placed here on the site.

If you have any questions about the seed bank or any other urban organics kind of things, feel free to head on over to the forums and make some posts, or drop me an email.
 
Cheers,

Bart Acres