SOSS 2022 Announcement
After a two-season hiatus, we are pleased to announce that the Student Organic Seed Symposium (SOSS) will be hosted by West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV during summer 2022! SOSS is an annual gathering of graduate students,…
New Board Members!
We are very pleased to announce that two new members have joined the board: Lane Selman and Cristiana Vallejos. Lane Selman grew up on a citrus farm that her Sicilian great-grandparents planted in 1919 on Florida's space coast. She…
Variety Showcase!
Founded in 2011 by Lane Selman, a Professor of Practice at Oregon State University, the Culinary Breeding Network (CBN) stems from the idea that plant breeders, farmers, buyers, chefs, distributors and eaters have a lot to teach one…
SOSS/SOSP events update!
Despite having to cancel SOSS in 2020 and 2021, and all of the challenges this past year has thrown at all of us personally and professionally, we’ve been excited about the new community building and knowledge sharing opportunities that…
SOSP Inclusivity Intensive
Social and racial justice have dominated conversation this year, prompting individuals and organizations alike to discuss internal diversity, racial bias, and inclusivity efforts with the hopes of developing targeted actions toward curbing…
Cooperative Gardens Commission
In the midst of the cascading chaos happening around the world due to COVID-19 and the resulting economic and supply chain disruptions, shortages of critical supplies and food items are already happening. In response, a group of some 400…
Seed Story Reflection
I looked down at the seed in my hand. Wide at one end and tapered at the other, with alternating gray and white stripes, this was the seed I had chosen to represent the story of how I became involved in seed work. We know that seeds are…
SOSS 2019
Seed Stories: Narratives of Self, Science, Spirit, and Social Context The 2019 Student Organic Seed Symposium was held this August 22-25 in at Bethel Horizons Retreat Center near Dodgeville, WI. The symposium’s theme was “Seed Stories:…
SOSS Reflections from Hannah Swegarden
Six years ago, I would have wrinkled my nose at the thought of “networking” for professional purposes. Networking felt like a contrived, artificial interaction among professionals looking for an advantage or an edge in their field. It…
The SOSP Strategic Plan
The Song of the Lark by Jules Breton, at the Art Institute of Chicago Two years ago, the SOSP board officially formed. We coalesced around our desire to extend the sense of community, camaraderie, inspiration, and intellectual curiosity…