Conserve a Crop

As we face ever increasing drought and higher temperatures, protecting arid-adapted seeds is more urgent than ever. These heirloom seeds provide healthy food and thrive in our dry, desert climate.

Your gift of $35 or more will ensure these seeds are grown, saved, and shared with gardeners and farmers throughout the Southwest.
Help conserve these threatened crop seeds so they are available in our gardens, on our plates, and for future generations.

Texas Chiltepin

Chiltepins are the wild ancestors of most cultivated chiles available today. This tiny but fiery pepper was wild harvested near Wimberley, TX in 1982.

Unlike annual peppers, chiltepins are perennial plants that can take years to mature. After being established at our Conservation Center in Tucson in 2024, these plants produced their first harvest this winter and spring.

Yet, more mature plants need to be grown to increase seed availability so it can be available to growers and gardeners.

Conserve this wild chile>>

Navajo Orange Hubbard Squash

With colors ranging from pink to orange, and shapes from elongated to round, no two of these beautiful squash look exactly alike.

Purchased at a Navajo fair in northern New Mexico in 1995, this rare variety has rich orange flesh.

Partner farmer Erik Gensler in Concho, AZ, is growing this variety for the first time in 15 years to help replenish seed supplies in the NS/S Seed Bank.

Conserve this squash>>

Hopi Pinto Bean

Collected in 1990 in Moenkopi on the Hopi Nation, this classic brown and beige pinto bean has long been dry-farmed in northeastern Arizona.

It’s early-maturing and produces hearty beans suited for soups and traditional dishes.

Being grown for the first time since 2002 by partner farmer Lori Lawrence in Caballo, NM, this grow-out will help preserve an important traditional food crop and increase seed supply for the future.

Conserve this bean>>

O'odham Ke:li Ba:so Melon

Sweet, fragrant, and perfectly suited to the desert, this traditional O’odham melon was added to our seed bank in 1984 from Santa Cruz village on the Tohono O’odham Nation.

Last grown in 2021, it was part of a taste-testing project with Tohono O’odham elders to identify and save seed from melons matching memories of traditional flavor and shape.

Now growing again at the Conservation Center, this planting will help will help restore the traits selected by these elders.

Conserve this melon>>

Hopi Pink Corn

Unavailable since 2004, this striking corn produces ears with kernels ranging from white to deep pink and red. Many kernels are marked with soft pink caps and stripes, giving each ear a distinct pattern.

From Hotevilla, AZ, this drought-tolerant, high-elevation corn has traditionally been used for meal and parched corn.

In partnership with a high desert farmer, a grow-out of this Hopi corn is crucial to provide refreshed, healthy seed after more than 20 years!

Conserve this corn>>

Conserve All 5 Crops

Saving a seed is a small act with lasting impact.

These crops are uniquely adapted to heat and drought—traits we urgently need as the climate warms.

Conserve all five of these threatened crop seeds so they are available in our gardens, on our plates, and for future generations.

Conserve all 5 crops>>