Dear Supporter,

Join us for a special weekend at Seed Savers Exchange Heritage Farm July 19-21, 2013. You’ll have the chance to see old friends, learn new things and listen to international leaders in the seed movement.

Dr. Gary Nabhan, founder of Native Seeds/SEARCH, will talk about adapting food production to climate change; Rome-based Dr. Jeremy Cherfas will speak on the changing regulations governing seed production in the European Union; and Dr. Jack Kloppenburg of the University of Wisconsin will introduce the Open Source Seed Initiative, an alternative patent protection system for breeders. Combine this with workshops designed to give gardeners and seed savers the tools they need to improve their practices, and you have the makings of a got-to-be-there weekend.

We also have a special day planned for members. On Friday July 19, SSE will host our first Member Field Day, a chance for members to look behind the scenes at Heritage Farm: find out how we manage our collection; tour our lab facilities and preservation gardens; and meet staff and board members. Join us for a special day of activities before the conference starts.

Whether this is your first time to come to the conference, or your thirty-third, you’re sure to have a wonderful time. I look forward to seeing you all at Heritage Farm.

John Torgrimson Executive Director

PS Register online at www.seedsavers.org

About Seed Savers Exchange

Since 1975, SSE has worked to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants. Working with our members to ensure that these unique varieties are not lost forever, SSE encourages participatory preservation by sharing seed in the annual Yearbook exchange. Every year we invite our members to Heritage Farm to share their knowledge, projects, and a good time.

About Decorah, Iowa

Decorah is a small community of 8,000, located in the Driftless region of Northeast Iowa. Heralded for undeniable scenic beauty, Winneshiek County and Decorah offer a variety of things to do, see, and experience. Decorah has a vibrant local community with staples such a community food co-op, a microbrewery, and great restaurants. Canoeing, biking, and fly fishing are favorite summertime activities. Check out www.visitdecorah.com for more information on what to explore during your stay.

33rd Annual Seed Savers ExchangeConference & Campout Schedule of Events

RegistrationMember | Registration $75.00 x # attending $_______Member | Saturday Only Registration $50.00 x # attending $_______Non-Member | Registration $100.00 x # attending $_______Non-Member | Saturday Only Registration $75.00 x # attending $_______Dig & Discover Youth Conference $25.00 x # attending [includes meals] $_______ Check here if you are attending the 2013 Member Field Day

Workshop Materials Fee | Seed Screen Making (optional) $25.00 x # attending $_______Lodging OptionsCamping [Price includes one camp site (max occupancy 6 people), space for one vehicle for 2 nights (Fri. & Sat.). No single night

rates available. Primitive camping, no showers or elec.] $25.00 $_______

Luther College Reservation: Check a box to reserve your room. Linens included, children stay free. Payment will be handled separately by Luther College. We will send your name, e-mail and phone number to Luther College staff and they will contact you to collect payment after June 1.

Single room ($38/night, 1 per room) Double room ($70/night, 2 per room)

MealsAll Meals [Saturday Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Sunday Breakfast & Lunch] $50.00 x quantity $_______

~Or ~purchase meals individuallyBreakfast, Saturday ($5 x quantity) $_______Lunch, Saturday ($10 x quantity) $_______Dinner, Saturday ($20 x quantity) $_______Breakfast, Sunday ($5 x quantity) $_______Lunch, Sunday ($10 x quantity) $_______

Vegetarian Non-Vegetarian

Annual Seed Savers Exchange membership $40 $_______Friends of the Conference donation $_______

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: $_______

RegistrationComplete this form and mail in or register online at

http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/2013-Conference/

2013 Seed Savers Exchange Member Field DayOn Friday, July 19, members are invited to come to the farm early for a free members-only field day. The day will include behind-the-scenes tours of Heritage Farm, as well as membership discussions with SSE staff and board members. We are inviting you to get involved: learn more about opportunities for members, comment on the SSE’s developing accessions policy, and answer the question - how will SSE’s founding membership pass on knowledge - and seeds - to a new generation of seed savers? This event is free, registration required.

10 am Registration & Coffee10:30 am Welcome with

Executive Director John Torgrimson &Co-Founder Diane Ott Whealy

11 am Farm Tour: Preservation Lab & GardensNoon Free Catered Lunch1 - 1:45 pm Farm Tour: Seed House & Processing Building

1:45 - 2:30 pm

Farm Tour: Heritage Farm & Twin Valleys

2:45 pm Accessions Policy Presentation & Discussion3:30 pm Member Engagement Meeting4 pm Q&A with Board and Staff5 pm Conference & Campout begins!Register by checking the Member Field Day option available online and on print registration.

Our supporters and sponsors make the 33rd Annual Conference & Campout possible. Thank you!

Friday, July 19, 20134:00 – 7:00 pm General Registration and Hayrides

5:00 pm Apple Trail Hike or Seed Stories Presentation

6:30 pm Apple Trail Hike

7:00 - 9:30 pm The Garden Party: Bean Hole, Seed Swap, & Music

8:00 am – 4:00 pm Registration8:00 am – 9:00 am Continental Breakfast9:00 am – 9:45 am Toward Open Source Seeds: Free as in Speech, Not as in Beer Jack Kloppenburg

Tracks Seed Saving 101 Garden Tours/About SSE Community Seed Projects Workshops on Crop Types10:00 am - 11:00 am Seed Saving 101 Diversity Garden Tour

Intro to Robert Becker Memorial Library

Introduction to Community Seed Projects

Fruit Tree Care & Bud Grafting

11:00 am – 11:30 am Break11:30 am – 12:30 pm Cucurbit Hand

PollinationSSE for Newbies

Ancient White Park Cattle Tour

Seed Libraries Listed Member Panel: Seed Saving for Easy Crop Types

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Corn Hand Pollination Evaluating a Poultry Herd for Breeding

The Apple Trail

SSE & Seed Matters Present: Community Seed Resource Program

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vegetable Gardening

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm European Legislation: Is everything not permitted still forbidden? Dr. Jeremy Cherfas4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Seed Swap, Book Signing, Hayrides,

Commercial, Library, & Preservation Building Tours, Trial Garden Tour, Diversity Garden Tour

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Dinner 7:00 pm Keynote Address: Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan8:30 pm Barn Dance with Western Home String Band

7:00 am Bird Walk7:45 – 8:45 am Pancake Breakfast9:00 am - 10:00 am Wet Seed Processing Diane’s Garden Tour

Seed Stories

Seed Saving for Community Gardens

Becoming a Commercial Seed Grower

Heritage Poultry ALBC10:00 am – 10:30 am Break10:30 am – 11:30 am Dry Seed Processing and

StorageTrial Garden Tour

Participate!: M-GEN and the Yearbook

Hosting a Seed Swap Listed Member Panel: Seed Saving for Difficult Crop Types

11:45 am – 12:30 pm Building a Community Seed Movement Sara McCamant12:45 pm – 2 pm Lunch and Farewell

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

*Schedule is subject to change.*

Adult Registration Adult Name 1:_____________________________________________

Adult Name 2:_____________________________________________

Adult Name 3:_____________________________________________

Address: _____________________ City/State/ZIP: _______________

E-mail: ________________________Phone: _____________________

Dig & Discover Youth Registration: Name/Age of Youth 1:_______________________________________Name/Age of Youth 2:_______________________________________

Emergency contact while attending the conference (name, relationship & cell phone):

_________________________________________________________

Payment Options: ___Check enclosed (please make checks payable to Seed Savers Exchange) Charge my credit/debit card (circle one): VISA MASTERCARD DISCOVER AMERICAN EXPRESSCard# ____________________________Expiration Date: __________

Name as it appears on card: ___________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Cancellation Policy: All registration refund requests must be made by June 30, 2013. Refunds will be subject to a 15% processing fee. Register online at www.seedsavers.org or register over the phone 563-382-5990. You may also return this registration with your method of payment to:

Conference Registration • Seed Savers Exchange3094 North Winn Road • Decorah, IA 52101

Getting to Heritage Farm, Decorah, IowaNearby Airports:Rochester, MN - 50 mi.Minneapolis, MN - 124 mi.La Crosse, WI - 43 mi.

Train Station:La Crosse, WI

Hotels in Decorah:• Bluffs Inn, 563-382-8600• Country Inn, 563-382-9646• Hotel Winneshiek, 563-382-4164• Quality Inn & Suites, 563-382-2269• Super 8, 563-382-8771

Go to forum.seedsavers.org for Ride Share information.

Camping is available at Heritage Farm

Meet our featured speakersDr. Gary Paul Nabhan is a former board member and long-time supporter of SSE. He is an internationally celebrated nature writer, seed saver, conservation biologist and sustainable agriculture activist who has been called “the father of the local food movement” by Mother Earth News. Gary is also an orchard-keeper, wild forager and Ecumenical Franciscan brother in his hometown of Patagonia, Arizona near the Mexican border.

Dr. Jack Kloppenburg is a Professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of the influential First the Seed: The Political Economy of Plant Biotechnology, 1492-2000. Jack’s talk:

Toward Open Source Seeds: Free as in Speech, Not as in BeerCorporate appropriation of plant genetic resources, development of transgenic crops, and the global imposition of intellectual property rights are serious constraints on the free exchange of seeds and the development of new cultivars by public breeders and small seed companies. In response, legal and operational mechanisms drawn from the open source software movement have been proposed for deployment in plant breeding. In the United States, an Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) has been organized and promotes innovative plant breeding. OSSI encourages and rewards the sharing rather than the restriction of germplasm, to revitalize public plant breeding.

Dr. Jeremy Cherfas is a biologist and communicator. He worked to resurrect the Heritage Seed Library of Garden Organic in England and for a while ran a small seed company called Future Foods, which specialized in “weird and wonderful things for the edible garden.” More recently, he worked as senior science writer at Bioversity International, the international agricultural research center focused on agricultural biodiversity. He lives in Rome, and still saves seeds when he can. Jeremy’s talk:

European Legislation: Is everything not permitted still forbidden?The European Union’s restrictive regulations prevent people from marketing any crop variety that hasn’t been registered on a National Catalog. As a result, many of the activities that you take for granted—including seed swaps and selling small packets of seeds—are illegal. Some seed companies have incurred heavy fines for offering their customers a greater choice. Cherfas explores the history and future of EU seed regulations, and shows that despite the recent changes, they are Europe’s biggest obstacle to innovation and adaptation to climate change.

Rosalind Creasy is a garden and food writer, photographer and landscape designer with a passion for beautiful vegetables and ecologically sensitive gardening. Ros is the author of multiple books including Edible Landscaping. A long-time SSE supporter and board member, Ros chairs the SSE education committee. Rosalind’s talk:

Confusion in the Edible Garden: What Most Gardeners Want to KnowPlant breeders and nursery people know much about edible plants that seldom reaches the home gardener. Did you know that cilantro is a short day plant that needs cool weather? That’s why it always goes to flower when you plant it in the spring as the days get longer - instead plant it in the fall. Or, those large heirloom beefsteak tomatoes have many ovaries and most need warm humid nights to pollinate them all properly? That’s why they often grow poorly in cool or arid summer areas. How do you know which vegetables to grow in the cool season and which to grow in the warm season? There’s a rule of thumb: If you eat the leaf, tuber, or flower bud, the vegetable prefers cool conditions. If you eat the fruit or the seeds, it needs warm conditions to produce well. Join Rosalind and learn much more about growing your edibles successfully.

Sara McCamant has always used seed and gardens to bring people together and strengthen community. She hated having jars of seed sitting in the closet growing old so she began to organize ways to share and swap seed with neighbors. Sara co-founded one of the first community seed banks in the country and has been involved with building the resources and skills to strengthen the emerging community based seed movement through her work with Seed Matters.

Building a Community Seed MovementAcross the country, people are coming together to reclaim seed as a tool to build community resilience and stronger local food systems. Hear about what is happening in this exciting movement - how seed access plays a crucial role in giving people the ability to grow food and strengthen their neighborhoods. Saving and sharing local seed is bringing seed saving to a new generation of gardeners and seed savers. Come learn what new seed projects are sprouting up and find out how you can engage your community in the cycle of growing, gathering and sharing seeds.

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Adult RegistrationAdult Name 1:_____________________________________________

Adult Name 2:_____________________________________________

Adult Name 3:_____________________________________________

Address: _____________________ City/State/ZIP: _______________

E-mail: ________________________Phone: _____________________

Dig & Discover Youth Registration: Name/Age of Youth 1:_______________________________________Name/Age of Youth 2:_______________________________________

Emergency contact while attending the conference (name, relationship & cell phone):

_________________________________________________________

Payment Options: ___Check enclosed (please make checks payable to Seed Savers Exchange) Charge my credit/debit card (circle one): VISA MASTERCARD DISCOVER AMERICAN EXPRESSCard# ____________________________Expiration Date: __________

Name as it appears on card: ___________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Cancellation Policy: All registration refund requests must be made by June 30, 2013. Refunds will be subject to a 15% processing fee. Register online at www.seedsavers.org or register over the phone 563-382-5990. You may also return this registration with your method of payment to:

Conference Registration • Seed Savers Exchange3094 North Winn Road • Decorah, IA 52101

Getting to Heritage Farm, Decorah, IowaNearby Airports:Rochester, MN - 50 mi.Minneapolis, MN - 124 mi.La Crosse, WI - 43 mi.

Train Station:La Crosse, WI

Hotels in Decorah:• Bluffs Inn, 563-382-8600• Country Inn, 563-382-9646• Hotel Winneshiek, 563-382-4164• Quality Inn & Suites, 563-382-2269• Super 8, 563-382-8771

Go to forum.seedsavers.org for Ride Share information.

Camping is available at Heritage Farm

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