New On Our Blog

Connecting with Dimeglio Arugula

December 10, 2018 | Liz Fairchild

By Liz Fairchild, Seed Distribution Coordinator. Some days, our work at NS/S is mundane: data entry, weeding, grant writing. Other days, we are viscerally reminded that what we do touches deep into the past, and can rekindle connections with those long gone, whose work and effort we may have forg...

How to Save Your Tomato Seeds

October 10, 2018 | Laura Neff

By Laura Neff, NS/S Education Assistant. Tomatoes are not only one of the most popular garden veggies to grow, but the experience of saving their seeds is a unique one that won’t soon to be forgotten. The whole production is a tactile and olfactory wonder. These tasty nightshades are “double di...

Adopt-A-Crop 2018: News from the Field

July 30, 2018 | Nicholas Garber

With summer obviously in full swing in Tucson, this seems like a perfect time for an update on our Adopt-a-Crop tepary beans! These low-desert survivors thrive in the monsoon season and show that the monsoons are a season of abundance, which can reward working hot, muggy mornings with cooling gre...

Steps to a Water-Wise Garden

July 22, 2018 | Melissa Kruse-Peeples

In the desert Southwest, much of our attention is focused on water. When we tell people from outside the region that our annual rainfall ranges between 6-10 inches we are met with looks of disbelief. Annual rainfall in my hometown in Nebraska is three times that amount, not to mention the moistur...

Pollinator Week

June 21, 2018 | Store Staff

THE BEES OF SUMMER: WHO TO LOOK FOR IN DESERT GARDENS AND WILD SPACES By Bill McGuire, Board Member. It's National Pollinator Week, everyone! So, it's time to call out our native bee species. While the Sonoran Desert summer is a challenging time, desert native bees and introduced Western honey b...

Types of Corn

June 12, 2018 | Laura Neff

Many people know that maize, known more commonly as corn, is one of the most culturally important crops in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico, but the true diversity of corn as well as its many culinary uses are unknown to many. At Native Seeds/SEARCH we steward 1,900 different accessions of seed, ...

Pima 60-Day Corn

June 06, 2018 | Sheryl Joy

It may not be as colorful and photogenic as some, but this corn is truly a star. Among the most unique and important low desert crops in the NS/S collection are accessions of 60-day corn varieties from the Tohono O'odham and Akimel O'odham people. These fast growing, short-stature corn varieties ...

Fun and Inspiring Introduction to Seed Saving Workshop!

May 18, 2018 | Betsy Armstrong

By Carly Herndon, Program and Outreach Coordinator. Published May 18, 2017. The Introduction to Seed Saving workshop held in early May was an exciting educational opportunity for all participants of different backgrounds. The workshop provided valuable lessons for educators, community garden p...

Tohono O'odham Cowpeas: Growing, Harvesting, and Cooking

May 14, 2018 | Melissa Kruse-Peeples

As spring turns into summer, gardeners are asking what crops can be planted that will actually survive the impending burning inferno that is Southern Arizona’s summer. At Native Seeds/SEARCH we encourage gardeners not to be afraid of the summer heat but to embrace the arid-adapted varieties of th...

Trip Report: Supporting Native Farmers

April 27, 2018 | Nicholas Garber

The work of Native Seeds/SEARCH focuses on empowering local seed stewardship through education and putting agricultural biodiversity in the hands of regional farmers. After all, what good is the agricultural diversity if no one is growing, eating, and stewarding these crops in their places of or...