Snake River Seed Cooperative is a collective of family farmers in the Intermountain West who work together to produce a wide diversity of locally-adapted seeds. We believe that sharing seed saving knowledge with farmers in our region is vital to growing a robust, regional seedshed. Click here to view a full list of our growers. 

Are we certified organic?

Many of our growers are certified organic, but several are too small or don’t own the land they farm, which makes certifying impractical. This means that Snake River Seed Cooperative cannot label our packets as certified organic. Each of our growers has taken a pledge to keep their field or garden free of any synthetic herbicide, pesticide, or fertilizer. We strive to be the best possible stewards of the land under our care. Our seeds are grown in low-input systems that more closely mirror most home gardens. This ensures that the seeds in our packets will perform well in any garden. 

Are our seeds Non-GMO?

We will not sell any genetically modified seeds. We believe genetically modified organisms (GMOs) pose significant threats to our agriculture, culture, and democracy itself and we do not grow or sell GMO seeds.  We have taken the SAFE SEED PLEDGE:

"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms poses great biological risks, as well as economic, political and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities."

Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI)

We believe that seeds should remain a part of the public commons and we do not knowingly grow or sell varieties that are patented. However, we believe continued plant breeding is crucial to the progression and adaptation of high-quality organic seeds that can thrive in a changing climate. Therefore, we pay voluntary “royalties” of 10 cents per packet we sell to the plant breeders who spend years creating new varieties and then release them open-source into the world for other farmers like us to grow and save seed from. If a breeder of a variety isn’t specifically mentioned as a royalty beneficiary of a variety, but you know the breeder (or ARE the breeder!) please let us know.

Our Values

Sacred Relationship with the Earth

• We work together to assist the seeds and their ecological collaborators by growing, saving, and sharing them.

Seed Sovereignty

• We believe that each region should build a local seedshed that provides for their community.

Producer Driven Economic Models

• We want farmers to be in control of what they grow, and we look to them for guidance on how to operate our co-op.

Anti-Racism

• We actively seek out ways to be anti-racist and pursue anti-racist policies in our business and communities.

Local Economy

• We support and sustain our regional economy through a network of independent businesses.

Our Employees

Reiley Ney

Reiley's first seed memory is separating red clover seeds from chaff as a very young child on a plate in her grandparents' kitchen. As a young adult, she began gardening and completed the internship program at Earthly Delights Farm in 2015.  She started working with Snake River Seed Co-op in 2016 as a seed packer and has continued to take on more roles throughout the years. She farmed seed crops in Boise under the name Flowers with Rye from 2017 - 2020. She now manages seed production at Snake River Seed Co-op and grows seed crops in her home garden.

 

Cassie Hill

Brennan Henry Allsworth
Seed Cleaning Specialist 
Owner, Winnower Farm

Henry has been working in agriculture for his entire adult life. He recently started his own farm, Winnower Farm, and grows seeds for the co-op as well as corn and wheat for flour. Henry joined SRSC as a seed packer and now helps growers clean their Co-op seeds, makes beautiful seed screens, and staffs our booth at the Boise Farmers Market.

Melissa Dittrich 

Community Outreach Coordinator

Melissa grew up lucky enough to eat  tomatoes straight off the vine from her dad's backyard garden. As such, she has been passionate about homegrown fruits and veggies and native pollinators since she was a child. She has only continued to grow more passionate over the years, and now advocates for social, racial, and food justice. At SRSC, Melissa boosts important causes in our marketing, fulfills Community Seed Donation requests, and does inventory on our supply to be sure we can continue to serve communities in need with locally grown, regionally adapted seeds. 

 

Ana Sigler

Bookkeeper

Owner, Plum Shed Seeds

 

Ana started working with Snake River Seed Co-op in September 2020 after excitedly growing SRSC seeds over the past couple seasons. She has adored plants her entire life and over the past 10+ years has fully dedicated her career to them wherever she ends up residing. She is very happy to be working with seeds, specifically, again and brings that enthusiasm to looking after our books and managing grants! In her free time, she loves to bake copious amounts of treats and work on her hand embroidery projects.