About Us

The seed varieties that NS/S stewards are uniquely adapted to the arid landscapes that extend from southern Colorado to central Mexico. They have been selected over generations by Indigenous farmers and other agrarian communities to adapt to local growing conditions, developing a greater resilience to higher temperatures and lower rainfall. The varieties we steward are tied to the cultural heritage and farming knowledge of more than 50 Indigenous communities, as well as more recent settlers like Spanish missionaries, Mexican communities and Mormon homesteaders. While many seeds have become rare and endangered, some are increasingly grown and enjoyed today. These seeds represent and weave the unique history and cultural fabric of our Southwest region.

While NS/S also conserves crop wild relatives, the ancestral plants of domesticated crops, the organization is best known as a source for agricultural seeds. Corn, beans, and squash are at the heart of Southwestern Indigenous food systems, and they are the heart of the NS/S seedbank. The collection also includes chiles, melons, amaranth, and other traditional crops, along with plants for ceremony and craft like gourds and tobacco. These seeds and the knowledge of how to grow them represent sophisticated adaptations to the challenges of farming in the desert.

NS/S emerged in response to a growing disconnect from farming and traditional foodways, resulting in the loss of seeds. This loss was most profound amongst the region’s Indigenous communities due to the historic colonial losses of land and water access, physical displacement, and racial and environmental discrimination – issues that are still faced today. Today, NS/S is a model for regionally serving and publicly accessible seed banks and is a resource for gardeners, farmers, community gardens, and Indigenous growers to cultivate a vibrant, climate-adapted, and culturally connected food system.