Seed is the foundation of a thriving local agricultural economy and is essential to the development of Hawai‘i’s food production, future sustainability, and self-reliance. Hawai‘i currently imports nearly 90 percent of its food and 99 percent of its seed, creating a vulnerable and dependent state agricultural economy.

Restoring and revitalizing the local seed industry is the goal of the symposium. Farmers, gardeners, and seed experts from around the state and mainland will  share ways to grow, select, and save high quality seeds for both home and market. Participants will also help to plan a public seed initiative to support on-farm/garden research and expertise in seed variety trials, selection, saving and storage, and collaborate on the development of an open-pollinated organic seed industry for market farmers and home gardeners. Includes a seed swap.  

• History of Seed Industry Development
• State of Seed in Hawai‘i
• Seed Saving Basics/Reproductive Biology
• Separating the Seed from the Chaff: Seed Cleaning Basics
• Seed Storage
• Seed: a Farmer's Perspective
• Conducting On-Farm Variety Trials
• Fundamentals of Plant Variety Improvement and Breeding for    Organics
• Historical Perspective and Reproduction of Hawaiian Crops
• Variety Improvement and Breeding
• Creating Island Seed Working Groups
• Visioning Future Work Together

Informational tables are available to conference participants for a nominal fee. For full program details, speakers, and partners, see http://kohalacenter.org/seedsymposium/about.html .