Donations help to conserve a vast array of crops uniquely adapted to the challenging growing conditions of the Greater Southwest. These crops present resources toward global food security concerns, and also the heritage associated with the growing and use of those crops.

Make a donation today.

At Native Seeds/SEARCH, we depend heavily on our volunteers to help grow, conserve, and distribute the seed which is at the heart of our organization. The work we do offers volunteers the opportunity to help in a variety of ways – at our store, the Conservation Center (seed bank), on our farm in Patagonia, at special events, and more. There are opportunities for both groups and for individuals, short term and longer term.

Legacy Giving

Share your legacy with Native Seeds/SEARCH and ensure that future generations benefit from past generations' conservation of this region's rich agricultural heritage. After you have provided for your family, you may wish to consider a bequest to Native Seeds/SEARCH. Depending upon the type of gift, you may consider using the wording below:

Wills with a specific bequest:

"I hereby give and bequeath to Native Seed/SEARCH, a non-profit Arizona corporation located at 3584 E. River Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85718, Tax I.D. #94-2899356, the sum of $______ to be used for its general operations."

For a gift other than cash simply describe the gift or gifts.

By becoming a member of Native Seeds/SEARCH you are helping to conserve a vast array of crops uniquely adapted to the challenging growing conditions of the Greater Southwest. These crops present resources toward global food security concerns and the heritage associated with the growing and use of those crops.

Individual annual memberships provide vital support for Native Seeds/SEARCH’s innovative efforts. Your annual membership also comes with certain benefits:

• A subscription to our newsletter, The Seedhead News, which will keep you informed on upcoming events and happenings at our store and timely articles about our work
• Our monthly E-lert news
• Our annual Seedlisting
• A 10% discount in our Tucson and online stores (applies to all course registrations and products except sale items)

From squash to sunflower, every membership counts! Thank you for your support!

Select your membership level online.

We are constantly working to enhance our ability to meet the growing demand for seed preservation, seed production and increased seed collection.

Native Seeds/SEARCH has built a new $1.5M conservation facility that provides a larger, safer and more secure location to house our seed collection. As a result, we will be able to not only continue our work but also expand the work we do. Although we've raised nearly $1.1M as of April 2010, we still have a way to go. Please read below to see if you would like to join the campaign effort.

Highlights of the new NS/S Seed Bank:

• Increased seed safety and security with back-up generator, security system and sprinkler system.
• Nearly 5,200 sq. feet of work space including administration and conservation offices, a state of the art seed vault, cold storage and a seed processing area big enough to accomodate several staff and volunteers.
• Partnership with Pima County to create demonstration gardens, historic orchards, community classroom space, a retail outlet and a commercial kitchen.
• Active and passive green construction features, including solar energy, recylced blue jean insulation and infrastructure for a rainwater harvesting system.
• A beautiful hand tiled donor wall to recognize our Campaign supporters.
• Located at Tucson’s new Brandi Fenton Memorial Park in the Binghampton National Historic Landscape, this site is listed on the National Register of Historic Landscapes because of its extensive agricultural legacy.

In December of 1997 Native Seeds/SEARCH purchased 60 acres in Patagonia, Arizona. And not a second too soon: of our nearly 2000 seed collections, almost half were over ten years old. This is the “industry standard” limit used for getting seed back in the ground before they lose viability. Since then, we’ve focused on cultivating those seeds most at-risk for extinction due to old age. Large-scale production began in earnest in 2001. So far we’ve produced fresh, viable seed for about 85% of our collection. Our goals: to maintain the seeds in our collection, to ensure their availability for generations to come, and to have plentiful stock to provide even more seed to more people.

By adopting a crop you directly support native plants in the field, keeping their seeds alive for future generations.

After harvest, we will send you a report about your crop, including a picture and information on your chosen plants growth to maturity. For a donation of $100 or more we will send you a packet of the newly harvested seeds!

Download the 2011 Adopt a Crop brochure.

Choose your crop to adopt and make your donation.