9 - 9:30 a.m.

9 :30- 10:00 a.m.

10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

Led by Emigdio Ballon

10:15 – 11:15 AM

Participatory Opening Session with Tim Galarneau and Héktor Calderón-Victoria, UCSC Center for Agroecology

11:15 - 11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. - 1:— p.m.

Locations: HayBarn and Lifelab Amphitheater

Session 1 (11:30am-12:10pm)

• A: Seed care and stewardship - Emigdio Ballon, Kanoa from Feral Heart Farms, Moderator: Rebecca North

  • High-quality seed begins with proper care after harvest. Join Emigdio and Kanoa teaching the essentials of seed stewardship, including effective seed cleaning techniques, drying, storage conditions, and best practices for maintaining seed quality and viability over time. Participants will learn practical methods to preserve healthy, vigorous seed while supporting the long-term resilience of organic seed systems. 

• B: Art of growing for seed - Kellee Matsushita-Tseng Moderator: Héktor Calderón-Victoria

  • Growing crops for seed is both a science and an art, requiring careful observation, planning, and an understanding of plant biology. Join Kellee and Hektor as they explore the principles and practical techniques of seed production in organic systems, including crop selection, isolation, maintaining varietal integrity, harvest timing, and post-harvest seed handling. Participants will gain insights into producing high-quality, resilient seed while supporting biodiversity, regional adaptation, and the long-term stewardship of organic seed.

Session 2 (12:20-1:00pm)

• C: Backyard Gardeners to Fields of Organic: Seeds and Channels of Stewardship - Larry Jacobs, Renee Shepherd, Moderator: Tim Galarneau

  • Join Larry Jacobs and Renee Shepherd for a conversational workshop exploring how seeds move into home gardens and larger networks of organic production and how business operations require clean and accurate seeds for production. Participants will learn how gardeners, farmers, and seed companies each play a role in selecting, preserving, and sharing high-quality organic seed. The session will highlight practical pathways for strengthening seed diversity, supporting organic growers, and building resilient regional food systems and what the business case is for this.

• D: Indigenous seed saving and planting practices - Emigdio Ballon & more

  • Join Emigdio Ballon for a 50-minute, hands-on workshop exploring Indigenous seed saving and planting practices at the UCSC Haybarn. Participants will learn how seed selection, planting, cultivation, and preservation can support cultural continuity, community sovereignty, and ecological regeneration. The session will highlight the relationships among seeds, land, food traditions, and the responsibilities growers carry across generations. Designed for farmers, gardeners, educators, seed stewards, and food sovereignty advocates, the workshop will offer practical knowledge that participants can bring into their own growing and community practices.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

3:30 - 4:10 p.m.

4:10 - 5:00 p.m.

Don Davidson is a Santa Cruz–based drum circle facilitator, rhythm educator, and founder of Rhythm Well, with deep roots in the UCSC community and decades of experience using participatory rhythm to build connection, creativity, and community. A longtime practitioner in the Village Music Circles tradition, Don was an early student and collaborator of pioneering drum-circle facilitator Arthur Hull and has facilitated rhythm experiences locally and around the world. Don will close our Seed Conference by leading an inclusive rhythm-building circle, inviting participants to listen, connect, improvise, and create a shared groove together as a joyful culmination of our day.