Seeding resilience: Social dimensions of the Northern Great Plains native seed system

Photo Credit

Photo provided by Elena Friedman (South Dakota State University)

Elena Friedman worked with native seed collectors as part of this project, learning about the challenges of hand collection.

Native seed system resilience is necessary to ensure post-disturbance restoration can happen at scale. There are many partners, including government agencies, NGOs, and businesses, who are developing a range of native seed approaches, including those that are commercial and Tribally-informed.

Native seed system resilience is built not just on technological, ecological, and economic components, but cultural as well. People and their appreciation of prairie landscapes for biodiversity, food and medicine, are the backbone behind building out a native seed systems that meets the needs of present and future generations.

Native seed system resilience depends not only on more funding, infrastructure, and technical support, but also on stronger social foundations. Investments in relationships, peer learning, public support, and respectful partnerships with Tribes and other native seed actors may strengthen the foundations necessary for more resilient native seed systems.

There are few research projects focused on the social role of people within native seed systems, and none focused on this within the Northern Great Plains. Here, the native seed economy is underdeveloped. As the country seeks to build out more energy infrastructure and build up American farming capacity, it is critical to build out a robust native seed system that address future needs. Results may be transferable to restoration contexts in other parts of the country, in particular as post-wildfire restoration needs continue to grow.