The Seed Savers’ Network, since 1986.
Start your very local Local Seed Network!

You too can easily save top class vegetable seeds for free! Why buy seeds when your locally adapted vegetable seeds are best for growing pesticide free food? ?

Offer The Seed Savers’ Handbook and a dvd, as a package!. The DVD is sent to your gardening friend at cost price. We pay postage charges within Australia.

Seed to Seed: Food Gardens in Schools

Bookshops, nurseries, Local Seed Networks, Permaculture groups and individuals obtain Seed Savers Handbooks at wholesale prices, up to 50% discount when they buy a box. Our books and dvds are translated in 8 languages…

Learn to save seeds: it’s a winner!

Learn why it is such a useful skill: you will never have to buy seeds again.

The Industrial Food Chain starts with Monsanto seeds

The bad news on food

Airbnb stays, group visits, outreach courses & internships

Visit our gardens in Byron Bay, as a group, or online

Seed Savers Shop

Purchase in-house publications and documentaries; pay support fees

Nourishing Peasant Food

Barefoot peasants feed their village with nutrition dense food.

Our most popular short video clips

+1.5 million views! View the best of our 1550 clips

Why not swap seeds in one of the 100 registered Local Seed Networks in Oz: Find them on the map below.

(click on this map, expand it to find your area)

Local Seed Networks share seeds, cuttings, tubers, how to’s and food from their gardens

Be the lucky one who host these seed share meetings. 100 groups just in Australia. Click here to find out more and register a Local Seed Network WITHIN Australia, Click Here to register a Local Seed Network OUTSIDE Australia

Our global seed work since 1986 as a not-for-profit org.

Riding donkeys in Africa, canoes in Papua, old buses in India, 4WD luxury cars with an NGO in Afghanistan, the intrepid Australian Seed Savers Jude and Michel Fanton have travelled a few months each year since 1989. The seed share effect is felt in forty-four countries.

Stay with Seed Savers in Byron Bay

Suite in Organic Urban Park

Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

Tranquil oasis in an organic food jungle. 50m2 apartment in an eco-house. Your own access, one bedroom with a queen bed, a kitchen, lounge/study and bathroom. Not visible from the road. 1 acre of p...

Book and stay with Airbnb

Seed news from around the world

Farmers seeds reduce to a handful
Over the last 15 years, new kinds of hybrid and GM seeds have already spread extensively in Pakistan through informal means, as well as the active manipulation of farmers by seed organisations that offer free sample seeds with productivity promises — without telling farmers that these seeds are genetically modified and can potentially contaminate neighbouring... Read More
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…
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Bill Mollison passed away peacefully in Tasmania.

Bill was such a big part of our family and our children.

Jude and Michel Fanton the founder of SeedSavers Network and Foundation visited him overnight two weeks ago in Hobart Tasmania.

“We had laughters, smiled, hugs, gave soft feet …
Read more →
Seed: The new untold story coming out

Trailer

This is just the trailer of a new doco on seeds. Our documentary is called “Our Seeds” a 57 mn doco was produced in 2008 in 11 countries. It is translated into a range of languages. Portuguese, french, chinese, …
Read more →
June and July Seed tour this european summer 2016

Jude and Michel will be travelling to Singapore, Turkey, Italy and France this coming June and July. Michel will visit his gardening family in Les Vosges and the southerm bighland of Les Cevennes in Le Vigan to celebrate his 70th …
Read more →

Seed Savers Twitter Feed

Tweets by @seedsavers

@seedsaversnetwork

Our #kitchen where all sorts happen. Various #fruitwines , steam #distillations, tinctures,#keffirs. More. #byronbay 2 comments 62 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Is it an Evernia I wonder...?We have tinctured/tested a number of local presume Lichens and also from Hokkaido(Japan) lichens are one of the fixatives we test. Will attempt to steam distillate it. Ask me, Michel about our trials. This one ... 0 comments 23 likes

seedsaversnetwork

8 10 years old White #osmanthus this austral winter ready for series of harvest. Poor blooms this #austral winter. Better now as rain stopped. Still lots of brown flowers, useless odor. 0 comments 24 likes

seedsaversnetwork

What alone wallaby can graze on a few new #jasmine #sambac double in #byronbay Australian East coast. Lat 28.3S. Byron more as the swamp wallabies are poor jumpers so 4 feet 1.15 m fence is plenty. 0 comments 21 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Tuberose lifting season in Oz subtropics, no frost sea level. Any one with experience growing for enfleurage? It is our first multiplication in Perfume gardens. 0 comments 17 likes

seedsaversnetwork

1769 in old french 2 comments 10 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Misbehaving teenagers testing at #mirabelle Plum #distillation, and cool water for condenser from #resurgence captured in an ever running fountain. Situated in #eloyes Les #vosges #loraine France (EU) 0 comments 24 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Wild bunch! 0 comments 15 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#taiwan industry near forest near #hualien 0 comments 13 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Single hand #harvest #ginger lily #hedichium sp #enfleurage 0 comments 32 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Painting in Taiwanese highlands. 1 comments 23 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Bunun tribal elder in Taiwan near Hualien. Early Polynesians cultivators #seedsavers and hunters-fishers. 2 comments 25 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Wedding in Taiwan. East meet West 0 comments 12 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Jasmin #sambac common flower in Taiwan. Maybe for traditional #enfleurage of tea leaves layers by layer of fresh jasmine without having to use toxic volatile solvents as done for 120 years. 0 comments 14 likes

seedsaversnetwork

yilan Taiwan urban market gardens. Intensive pity about #pesticides. Dangers are now known in #taiwan. 1 comments 34 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Car parking made beautiful in #taiwan. 0 comments 7 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#anka fungus #glutinous rice brew with #monascusanka in Taiwan 1 comments 11 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#bamboo #latiflorus in Taiwan. Note the hilling on rich #alluvial river flat. 0 comments 15 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Private #gardens on #pavements everywhere here in Yilan Taiwan in front of #soap making shop 2 comments 43 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#daikon radish drying in #taiwan 0 comments 20 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#tyres wall set in concrete in Yilan Taiwan 0 comments 7 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#dragonfruit in Taiwan have been pruned. Only this year growth is left to bear fruit. 1 comments 16 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Tourist invasion of privacy in Luang Prabang Early morning market. (ex Laos now Lao People Democratic Republic) All market stall holders do is look down in avoidance. 2 comments 23 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#power China dam construction very close to #luang Prabang Bering built. 0 comments 10 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#obama drinks #fresh #coconut in Luang Prabang #lao PDR. Sept 6 th 2016. #mekong in background. Meeting youth groups in Luang Prabang and speech on #legacyofwar. 580 000 #bombing missions they were 1964-1973 . 2 million tonnes #ordinances dropoed. Note ... 5 comments 32 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#smokefree City, Luang Prabang Lao PDR 0 comments 12 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Many Long Trucks full of watermelon boxes (seen in Laos near Vietnamese border) near #dien Bien Phu. Might be en route transiting to Thailand? 0 comments 10 likes

seedsaversnetwork

Ancient Lao tradition of cooking on cloth with steam underneath. Here Rice pancake in Luang Prabang Laos 0 comments 14 likes

seedsaversnetwork

French #colonial past in Laos here an old #citroen truck. 0 comments 12 likes

seedsaversnetwork

#smokefree #luangprabang Laos. 0 comments 10 likes

seedsaversnetwork

SeedSavers have produced 1500 short video clips/rushes: find our how experienced gardeners save their seeds worldwide and much more in 50 playlists, 2.5 million views.

Household names in SeedSavers: Mohamed Ali meeting SeedSavers in Cuba, and more.

Let us add you to the friends of SeedSavers: michel(at)seedsavers.net

Bill Mollison passed away peacefully in Tasmania.

Bill was such a big part of our family and our children.

Jude and Michel Fanton the founder of SeedSavers Network and Foundation visited him overnight two weeks ago in Hobart Tasmania.

“We had laughters, smiled, hugs, gave soft feet …
Read more →
June and July Seed tour this european summer 2016

Jude and Michel will be travelling to Singapore, Turkey, Italy and France this coming June and July. Michel will visit his gardening family in Les Vosges and the southerm bighland of Les Cevennes in Le Vigan to celebrate his 70th …
Read more →
Seed safe in gardeners hands: the Syrian war

Farrmers in Syria have their own networks to give and exchange vegetable and grain seeds. They always had.

How Syrians Saved an Ancient Seedbank From Civil War…
Read more →
Vanuatu. We Took Part In An Australian Aid Program. It Was More About Helping Your Country Than Ours

Australia has long held an ideological opposition to the way of life of my people in Vanuatu. Customary land, our traditions, our ‘subsistence’ culture and ‘informal’ economy are seen as inherent impediments to development. Our perspective and values are not …
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Miriam Makeba loves seed freedom

Miriam Makeba the champion of freedom who was married to a Black Panthers, felt that seed belong to peasant farmers not corporations. After her concert in Brisbane Australia she asked Michel and Jude for a drink at her hotel in …
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The peasant farmers of Papua New Guinea

They are the salt of the world. We got so much inspiration from PNG people who are one of the earliest horticulturists on the face of the earth. They feature prominently in Our Seeds the film documentary we produced on …
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Alfredo Bonanno: prolific illustrator

Alfredo grew all the plants so he had a life model to draw the hundreds of illustrations for the Seed Savers Handbook. It was a patient work of love where Alfredo spend more than 18 months to complete the projects: …
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Dorothy village visionary in Makira

Collecting banana varieties and species rare and endangered was Dorothy’s passion. She lived with husband a bush carpenter and their children in the island of Makira in a highland small and isolated village named Bagohane, five hour walk from coast …
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From pesticide pusher to Minister of Environment

One of the initiators of Rio in 1992, Jose Luzenberger (1926-2002), met with us in Bonn, Germany in April 1996. He decided on a walking meeting through the botanic gardens in Bonn and a visit to the museum of geology.…
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Alan Mordens “gives back” with Give peas a chance.

Alan Morden executive at Satchi n’ Satchi and his artist wife Denise gave seedsavers their best when they designed our logo (look up top of our page!). Alan discovered the now famous poster “Give Peas a Chance” in our archives, …
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Dorothy banana collection: 110 varieties premature death

Dorothy Tamasia, 19 collected and replanted in her school in the island of Makira, Solomon Islands.

She died off Malaria living a day walk from a clinic. She left two young children and a husband.She traveled by food and canoes …
Read more →
Jerry Coleby-Williams interviews SeedSavers’ Michel and Jude Fanton

Aug 9th 2014: on ABC TV Gardening Australia”A SeedSavers retrospective” with Jerry CW, long time friend & board member. Can be seen anytime on ABC IView, video on demand. Jerry is very personal to anyone he meets and forever answers
…
Read more →
Dr Liz multi talents at work

Dr Liz Elliot multi talented medical practitioner. She produced a few hundred illustrations in a very short space of time. Seedsavers is very grateful for her kind and pro-bono contribution to Seed To Seeds: Food Gardens in Schools. Because of …
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Transformational Film Assistance

Micheal Shaun Conaway and wife Alex Melnyk brought Our Seeds the documentary we produced and its message to the forefront with their rare story telling, film making and graphic artistry gifts. The rain seed shower in the documentary was a …
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Michelle Margolis Garden of Eden in Sydney

Michele Margolis is a very active educator and mentor in Australian Permaculture spheres, and a strong voice and living example when it comes to producing food from locally saved seeds and caring for others. Michele was a Local Seed Network …
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Mariko Hamaguchi a rice saver

Mariko san recently visited seedsavers in Byron Bay and told a crowd of locals how she and husband Nori san can keep alive 500 varieties of rice in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. Here she talks to Green Party MP Jan Barham …
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Rasa Dover Seed Fairy Extraordinaire

When Rasa lived in Japan she joined Seed Savers Network as a foundation member in 1999. When she returned to Australia she landed not far from Byron Bay and created her Local Seed Network. Byron Hinterland Seed Savers. Rasa supported …
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Sakaban-san Masami: The quite seed achiever

Masami has remain active in Japan since she worked with Seedsavers in Australia at the Seed Savers Network HQ, and during several of our tours of Japan. Masami-san was also part of a group of translators who help get the …
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Bill Mollison & SeedSavers since 1986: Bill died peacefully in Hobart Tasmania

Bill Mollison a great observer of nature

Permaculture’s founder Bill Mollison lived in Tasmania with his wife Lisa near the fishing village where he was born Stanley. He left us nine days after we spend two days with him …
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Walking with Satish Kumar

We had the pleasure of previously hosting Satish Kumar, at Seedsavers in Byron Bay, on one of his world tour. Satish has authored more than 10 books and is a great mentor to Michel and Jude. We met Satish again …
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Muhammad Ali Discovers Seed Savers in Cuba

In 1996, Jude and me Michel happen to cross paths with a humanitarian mission led by Muhammad Ali and a team of Latino optometrists delivering 20 000 vision glasses and consultations in a Havana hospital.
Jude and Michel happened to …
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Stuart Owen Fox and Einstein

Stuart Owen Fox 1942-2009, was an influential photographer for over 40 years who took a shine at Seed Savers. In the early 1940s Stuart while being walked by his father in California, met with the personal approval of possibly the …
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Christian Watts – Web Developer

Christian came aboard in late 2013 to create the new Seed Savers website, complete with a social network system to facilitate the Local Seed Networks, Forums, Shop and new layout.
Chris’ background is in photography, design, web development and tech …
Read more →
Dr. Vanaja Ramprasad

We met Vanaja at a seed meeting with Vandana in Inida and we became friends. She invited us to be leading a course on establishing community seed banks in Karnataka State and Tamil Nadu. She come to visit us in …
Read more →
John Brisbin – Consultant

When I first met Jude and Michel at the Vaucluse Open Garden Day in 1997 it was an encounter with the strong, organic energy of the living soil itself.

Since that time we have shared many adventures together: me from …
Read more →
Marvin the Ringneck

Marvin the Indian Ringneck comes in every day and sings songs from all the other birds he has learnt. He brings much joy and delight to the home of Seed Savers…
Read more →

The Seed Savers’ Network, since 1986. Start your very local Local Seed Network!

You too can easily save top class vegetable seeds for free! Why buy seeds when your locally adapted vegetable seeds are best for growing pesticide free food? ?

Offer The Seed Savers’ Handbook and a dvd, as a package!. The DVD is sent to your gardening friend at cost price. We pay postage charges within Australia.

Why not swap seeds in one of the 100 registered Local Seed Networks in Oz: Find them on the map below.

(click on this map, expand it to find your area)

Local Seed Networks share seeds, cuttings, tubers, how to’s and food from their gardens

Our global seed work since 1986 as a not-for-profit org.

Stay with Seed Savers in Byron Bay

Suite in Organic Urban Park

Seed news from around the world

SeedSavers have produced 1500 short video clips/rushes: find our how experienced gardeners save their seeds worldwide and much more in 50 playlists, 2.5 million views.

Household names in SeedSavers: Mohamed Ali meeting SeedSavers in Cuba, and more.

Let us add you to the friends of SeedSavers: michel(at)seedsavers.net

Aug 9th 2014: on ABC TV Gardening Australia”A SeedSavers retrospective” with Jerry CW, long time friend & board member. Can be seen anytime on ABC IView, video on demand. Jerry is very personal to anyone he meets and forever answers

The Seed Savers’ Network, since 1986.
Start your very local Local Seed Network!