The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that 75% of the worlds crop biodiversity has been lost. Research by the Rural Advancement Fund Inc. suggests that 93% of vegetable varieties have become extinct. In popular seed catalogues, whereas once (1903) there were 285 varieties of cucumbers available to gardeners, today only 16 remain; from 408 varieties of tomato only 79 remain. Similarly, 95% of cabbage, 91% of corn and 94% of pea varieties have been lost. (Seeds of Diversity, 2018). In 2008 the top 10 seed companies accounted for two-thirds (67%) of the global prioprietory seed market. (ETC Group, 2008)
Community Seed Bank (Australia) began in 2020 in response to a need for keeping our heritage seed varieties alive. Over the years, we have received many different heirloom and 'lost' varieties of seed which customers would send us. Seed which they have had in their families and passed down through the generations for us to grow out & redistribute. However with hundreds of different varieties in our care, the challenge became too much for us. Rather than let these varieties fade out, we started 'Community Seed Bank (Australia)'.
Many seed banks are simply places where seed is 'locked away' in vaults for future use. However, seeds are living and will slowly expire. Community Seed Bank (Australia) is a means where rather than seed being stored away for years it is regularly being grown out and replaced by fresh seed from home growers who are able to save the seed to sell back to us, and also obtain the benefit of the harvest as well.
'Seed knowledge is eroding even faster than seed biodiversity.'
(Matthew Dillon, Organic Seed Alliance)
For the home grower, the practice of saving seed, once common place due to necessity, has now largely been replaced by our reliance on the seed companies. We no longer hold the knowledge of how to save seed and keep it pure. It is simply easier to buy the packet of seeds from the store.
We recognise that the success of 'Community Seed Bank (Australia)' can only be achieved through the education of our registered home growers and members in traditional methods of seed saving.
By PURCHASING FROM OUR SEED BANK you are:
- supporting Australian home growers (just like yourself)
- helping us to obtain rare & heirloom seed from both within Australia and overseas for the purpose of introducing it back into the Australian market
- helping to educate home growers in traditional seed saving methods
- keeping our vegetable heritage alive
By BECOMING A MEMBER of Community Seed Bank (Australia), all well as all of the above you also:
- receive 10% off all seeds in the Community Seed Bank (Australia)
- receive from 4 to 6 free seed packets depending on which membership is purchased (a random sample chosen by us)
- receive our occasional newsletter on all things pertaining to seed, including seed saving tips and education
- gain access to our full range of step-by-step seed saving guides (currently a work in progress)
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Heirloom reputed to have originally been found in a cave in New Mexico in a clay pot sealed with pitch. The bean was then carbo
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$4.80
***NOT TO WA, NT*** (Zea mays) Ancient American Indian variety meaning 'Ancient One'. Medium sized cobs displaying multi-coloured kernels in varying
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$4.80
(Cucurbita maxima) Australian heirloom. Large, yellow fruit with thick, dry, orange flesh & small seed cavity. Weighs up to 6kg. Stores well. 90-
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Heirloom. Bright yellow, small, pear shaped fruit to 4cm long with meaty, zesty, mild but sweet flavoured flesh. High yield
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$4.80
By BECOMING A MEMBER with Community Seed Bank (Australia) you are supporting Australian home growers (just like yourself)
helping us to obtain rar
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From $25.00
80 seeds (Lycopersicon esculentum) Swiss heirloom. Rounded, medium to large, red to pinkish fleshy fruit with rich tomato flavour. Great for all ar
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$4.80
(Cucurbita pepo) Heirloom. Attractive, small, pear shaped fruit, strikingly green on the bottom & golden yellow on top with smooth skin and extremel
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$4.80
(Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum) Heirloom originating in Barbados. Also known as 'Christmas Bell' or 'Jokers Hat'. Small, red, bell-shaped fruit w
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$4.80
(Cucurbita moschata) Rare & unusual Japanese heirloom. Highly attractive, small to medium, flattened round fruit with heavy ribbing. Begins black in
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$4.80
***NOT TO TAS*** (Pisum sativum) Dating back to 1907; also known as 'Laxtonian' or 'Hundredfold'. Large, curved pods to 10cm long with pointed ends
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Originally sourced from Wild Boar Farms. Small, cherry type fruit 1-2cm across with rich, deep purple, almost black colour
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$4.80
***NOT TO TAS*** (Pisum sativum) Heirloom dating back to Holland in 1863 and developed by the Capucan monks; with earlier references dating back to
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$4.80
(Phaseolus acutifolius) Ancient heirloom. Small pods producing tan and blue-grey spotted beans which resemble a small pebble. Unique, mild flavor c
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$4.80
(Brassica rapa) Super small bok choy fitting in the palm of a child's hand! Heirloom originating from the small village of Hak Tau in Hong Kong. Le
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$4.80
(Cucurbita moschata) Heirloom. Large, mottled green/grey pumpkin with thick orange flesh up to 2.5kg produced on sprawling vine. Very high yields.
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$4.80
(Capsicum annuum) Bulgarian heirloom. Bright orange (almost fluorescent) fruit looking exactly like a carrot! Strong, fruity flavour with high heat
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Handed to us by Patrina Nuske-Small co-founder of 'The Dwarf Tomato Project' - a group of volunteer, amateur, hobby gardene
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$4.80
(Cucumis sativus) Heirloom originating in Southern Russia. Cylindrical, light to dark green, medium sized fruit. High yields. Use fresh in salads
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$4.80
(Cucurbita maxima) Heirloom from North Dacota dating back to 1920. Acorn shaped, dark green, striped, flattened fruit 2-3kg & 20cm across, with thin
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$4.80
(Cucurbita moschata) Similar to regular butternut pumpkin but with a much longer neck. Ideal for soups, pies, or roasting. Great for spiralising.
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$4.80
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Old Italian heirloom first discovered in Calabria, Italy. Attractive bean best left to mature for use as a dried bean. Ideal f
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$4.80
(Capsicum fruitescens) Heirloom. Large, bell-shaped fruit with thick walls. Colour ranges from green to red. Plant to 60cm high. Popular variety. Int
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$4.80
(Capsicum annum) European heirloom dating back to 1827. Long, thin, cylindrical, green to red fruit to 20cm with pointed end on plant to 70cm high.
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$4.80
(Lactuca sativa) Heirloom. A lettuce variety largely grown for its thick, wide stems that remain crunchy, tender and juicy even as they reach their
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Originating as a seedling from Cherokee Purple then stabilised by Craig LeHoullier. Large, dark, crimson red fruit with br
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Large, green, beefsteak type fruit with yellow-orange colouring on the blossom end when ripe. Strong, acidic tomato flavou
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$4.80
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Heirloom originating from the Cherokee as they marched from the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma by the Federal Government in 1839 ov
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$4.80
(Cucurbita ficifolia) South American heirloom. Also known as 'Fig-Leaf Gourd', 'Malabar Gourd', 'Siam Pumpkin', 'Thai Marrow', 'Shark Fin Melon', 'Ch
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$4.80
(Raphanus sativus) The sweet radish! Heirloom from Northern China. Bright green, cylindrical root with green, super sweet inner flesh. Flesh is so
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$4.80
(Cucurbita pepo) Italian heirloom. Bush. Pale green, long, cylindrical fruit with dark green stripes. 30 seeds
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$4.80
(Cucurbita pepo) Italian heirloom. Delicious, rich, nutty flavoured, pale-green fruit with slight ridges. Popular variety. May be used like regula
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$4.80
(Cucurbita pepo) Heirloom variety handed to us by a local seed saving group. Oval, mid to dark green, cylindrical with slight ridges. Best harveste
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$4.80
(Vicia faba) Rare, heirloom variety dating back to 1778. Highly attractive, crimson coloured flowers producing green, medium sized, flat pods. Flowe
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$4.95
(Lactuca sativa) Heirloom. Also known as 'Erthel'. Upright, green leaves with serrated edges forming a compact head; plant to 45cm high. Unusual a
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Heirloom. Pink, beefsteak type fruit weighing up to 500g. Highly impressive flavour. 80-85 days. 80 seeds
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Cherry tomato produced on trusses. Excellent tomato flavour. Produces fruit right up until first frost. Hardy. Prolific
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$4.80
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Dutch heirloom. Long, slender bean to 18cm with rich, heavy purple fleck produced on compact bush to 70cm high. Excellent flav
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$4.80
(Lycopersicon esculentum) Originally produced by Bruce Bradshaw from California and named after Wilfred LeHoullier after a humorous mispelling of his
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$4.80
(Foeniculum dulce) Heirloom dating back to 1677. Forms a large, flattened, cream colour bulb at base of plant; leaves fine & ferny. Leaves & bulb u
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$4.80
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Rare. Originating from the variety ‘Beautiful’. Green, medium length, stringless, slightly stumpy, flat pods with highly attract
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$4.80
120 seeds (Lycopersicon esculentum) Italian heirloom with vines reaching 4-6m high. When grown with overhead supports bush may be pruned to have a '
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$4.80
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Heirloom with beautiful, plump, rounded, maroon and white painted seeds which when cooked have a creamy, smooth, velvety texture
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$4.80
(Cucurbita moschata) Heirloom. Large, long-necked, cylindrical, trombone shaped, bluish-green fruit to 60cm with pale green striping ripening to ora
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$4.80
***NOT TO TAS*** (Pisum sativum) English heirloom. Large, deep green, slim, straight pods to 12cm length produced on bush to 140cm high. High yiel
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$4.80
(Physalis ixocarpa) Also known as 'Mexican Husk Tomato'. Greenish yellow fruit to 6cm across on plant to 1m high. Commonly used in mexican sauces a
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$4.80
(Lactuca sativa) Smaller sized green leaves with reddish brown outer tinge. Crisp & tender leaves with very sweet & nutty flavour. Easy to grow bei
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$3.95
(Cucurbita pepo) An old heirloom variety also known as 'Mexican Zucchini'. Light green, straight, cylindrical fruit with grey flecks. Excellent flavou
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$4.80
(Capsicum chinense) Attractive, bright orange fruit 6cm x 3cm across with a spicy, fruity, floral flavour. Hardy bush with very high yields. A very
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$4.80