OUR WORK

Conservation Farm

On December 19, 1997, NS/S bought 60-acres of rich flood plain fields and uses the flood plain fields to grow and conserve native crops.
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Native American Outreach

Cultural Memory Bank
Cultural memory banking recognizes the intimate link existing between human cultures and their crops.
> more Cultural Memory Bank
Seed Program
NS/S provides membership and other benefits to Native peoples living in the Greater Southwest region.
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Sierra Madre
NS/S works with the land and Tarahumara peoples of Sierra Madre in northern Chihuahua.
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The Seed Bank

NS/S utilizes a 2-pronged approach to conserving crop genetic resources from the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. Ex Situ approaches involve conserving samples of crop seeds under frozen storage conditions, where they may remain viable (able to germinate) for long periods of time.
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R.A.F.T.

concern about the possible loss of specific foods and the culinary traditions associated with their preparation has emerged as a conservation priority.
> more R.A.F.T.

Heirloom Orchard

Established in 2005 at the Conservation Farm, the NS/S Heirloom Orchard currently consists of 25 young fig, quince, and white-seeded pomegranate trees donated through a partnership with the Kino Heritage Tree Project, a project designed to replant historically, culturally and botanically appropriate varieties of the fruit trees originally introduced to the New World by Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries to the southwest.
> more Heirloom Orchard

Safe Seed Pledge

Along with more than 80 seed companies, both large and small, NS/S is a member of the Safe Seed Initiative, urging a cautious stance regarding genetically engineered (GE) seeds and promoting alternatives to GE seeds for intererested customers. For more information, go to the Safe Seed Initiative's website.