Seed saving is an effective strategy for farmers who want to improve farm resilience and biodiversity. Farmers expressed a desire to reduce dependency on national seed suppliers whose cultivars are often poorly adapted for Florida’s subtropical climate and were eager to improve their seed saving skills. This SR-SARE funded education project focused on farmer training and documenting seed saving methods was led by Working Food in collaboration with UF and three established small farm operations in North Central Florida. Activities and deliverables from the project included farmer training, photography, video recording and editing, seed processing demonstrations, farmer interviews, and community workshops. Throughout, farmers provided opinions on the ways that seed saving can or might improve their operation’s management and economic viability, as well as the constraints associated with seed saving such as longer rotations and additional labor for seed harvest and processing. Interviews and video recordings for this project occurred during summer 2024 through spring 2025. Story boards were developed to guide the organization of content and images needed before video recording began. Over 640 hours of recording and editing were completed using editing software programs Premier Pro and Canva. Seven educational materials were created including three farmer interview videos, two dry seed processing videos with Working Foods, and two slide shows that detailed the process of seed saving for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), pepper (Capsicum annuum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and winter squash (Cucurbita moschata). Growers engaged in tasting panels to provide farmer-informed observations regarding which locally adapted varieties seemed best and ultimately most viable for their farming operations. Farmers expressed positive feedback, noting consumers were enthusiastic about purchasing locally adapted cultivars and often expressed a preference for their flavor. Overall, challenges faced by the farmers included labor and storage constraints, lack of experience growing crops to maturity. Despite these barriers, participants who had prior experience with traditional farming practices or access to community support were more likely to adopt seed-saving practices. Farmers cited reduced production costs and more control of their crop selection as benefits of seed saving. Ultimately, seed saving has the potential to reduce external inputs, increase product diversification and cultivate stewardship for locally adapted and culturally important crops.
