Seed viability is only the beginning…

Gedakina’s growing seed bank is nurtured by community care and shared knowledge, centered on heirloom varieties like Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—alongside other traditional plants such as tobacco and calendula. Many of these seeds are gifted or traded through relationships with fellow seed savers, reflecting a deep commitment to cultural preservation and mutual support.

We collect our seeds to offer longtime farmers, small-scale gardeners and single-pot cultivation to combat food insecurity and replace it would self-reliance, dignity and a bountiful harvest. Communities on reservations in Maine receive our seeds along with individuals across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Yesterday, we began our seed viability tests of some of the varieties we will consider growing in our gardens here locally in Vermont. We typically reach for seeds that we have the smallest inventory and use the methodology pictured below. Three - four seeds are wrapped in a paper cloth, saturated with water and tucked into a bag. The bags are then labeled with the seed’s variety and the date. We hang our seeds on a east facing window which also allows light to shine through the cloth (or paper) highlighting the germination process. Today as I write this, condensation has formed in the baggies and the seed development process has begun. Next we will start some of our seeds in peat pots growing them into plugs. Once the soil begins to warm up, we will be sowing our seeds in the gardens.

The photo above shows a rectangular door frame and long glass pane filled with a grid of transparent baggies taped to the glass with blue painters tape. Inside each of the twelve bags is a squared-off folded paper napkin that has been saturated with water such that the seeds are visible through the square. Each bag is labeled with a seed variety and date. The door opens up onto a deck with frost saturating the shaded portion of the decks’ boards. Half the deck is hit with sunlight. We will easily be able to detect whether or not the seeds are viable, observing the process over the next week or two.