On a windy afternoon in January, Masha Bluestein swings open the wooden door of the cob seed house, where hundreds of seeds are sorted into various glass jars. As the Garden and Nutrition Educator, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Bluestein knows the power of a single seed–let alone the power of hundreds of seeds.
The cob house makes sense as a place to store seeds: the seeds stay warm in winter and cool in summer, since the thick walls absorb heat. This little library plays a big role, too.
“We are storing seeds that are bioregionally adapted to our area,” Bluestein says during a tour of the Seed Library. “That way, we not only decrease our reliance on big ag for new seeds, but also increase our capacity to share seeds that thrive in this area, because they are adapted to grow here.”
The seed library is well-stocked, and for good reason, since the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Food Sovereignty Program (FSP), UC Master Gardeners of Inyo and Mono Counties, and Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) are partnering for a Seed Swap & Seed Starting Workshop happening on January 31. Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you have seeds to swap or not.
Above photo: Fava beans grow well in the winter garden managed by the team at the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Food Sovereignty Program.
Seed swapping is a powerful part of food sovereignty
At its most basic level, seed swapping is what it sounds like: sharing and trading seeds with each other. Unlike purchasing commercial seeds that often come from far away, swapping locally adapted seeds ensures that the plants we grow are resilient to our region’s unique climate and soil conditions. It strengthens community ties, as gardeners, farmers, and families come together to share their harvests, knowledge, and hope for the next growing season.
“I think of food sovereignty as community-building,” says Veronica Pallan, Cultural Botanist, Bishop Paiute Tribe.
Morgan Cox, Food Sovereignty Program Specialist, Bishop Paiute Tribe, adds that the seed library is a vital part of what food sovereignty looks like in practice.
“You know, we were originally farmers here. We farmed the land. We created ditches, we farmed taboose and other such crops. Having a place like the seed library helps to reclaim that heritage.” –Morgan Cox, Food Sovereignty Program Specialist, Bishop Paiute Tribe.
Through seed swaps, communities can keep traditional and heirloom varieties alive — crops that may otherwise disappear from use. These seeds represent both ecological diversity and cultural heritage. Sharing seeds also builds abundance: when growers exchange and redistribute seeds, they create a shared wealth that spreads throughout the community.
At the January seed swap, there will be an optional seed starting workshop too, with Laura Mogg and other local Master Gardeners, many of whom volunteer at the Bishop Community Garden.
“Anyone who attends will take home a seed starting kit,” Mogg shares. “Once you’re back home, you just need a warm, sunny window. It’s easy to garden anywhere–Bishop has plenty of sunshine! What you really need to have is some intention. Seed starting is a great way to do that.”
What begins as one gardener’s harvest can become many gardens the following year: a tangible expression of generosity, resilience, and collective well-being. In the Eastern Sierra, this practice reflects a shared commitment to a food system that is local, just, and sustainable.
Seed saving extends to conserving native plant seeds
Seed saving is not limited to fruits and vegetables. It is also a critical part of conserving native plant species that support pollinators, wildlife, and healthy ecosystems. In the Eastern Sierra, native seeds are precious. Local plants are adapted to this region’s high-desert climate, wind, and variable precipitation, but they are hard to come by.
Without a local native plant nursery near Bishop, community-led efforts to collect and share native plant seeds are especially vital. Groups like the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Bristlecone Chapter are also leading the way by growing and propagating local native plants. These combined efforts ensure that residents can plant species that will thrive here — reducing water use, supporting biodiversity, and strengthening our region’s ecological resilience.
Supporting food sovereignty is a natural extension of ESLT’s mission
At Eastern Sierra Land Trust, supporting food sovereignty is a natural extension of our mission to protect working lands and sustain the region’s rich natural and cultural resources. By partnering with local growers and organizations, such as the Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program and UC Master Gardeners of Inyo and Mono Counties, the team at Eastern Sierra Land Trust is strengthening the connection between large-scale land conservation and local food systems.
Through the Working Farms and Ranches Program, ESLT also helps ranchers and farmers conserve their land, keeping it in production while protecting critical wildlife habitat and open space. Conservation easements are a great tool for ensuring that land remains available for future generations to grow food and sustain livelihoods.
As the Community Connections Program Director, I’ve seen firsthand how the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project also supports food sovereignty at the local level. That project continues to empower people to grow native plants for pollinators, which in turn supports local food production. I hope that the workshops, garden tours, and native plant sales we facilitate also encourage residents to see their gardens as part of a larger ecosystem — one that sustains bees, butterflies, birds, and all the people who depend on them.
Cultivating a resilient future, together
Food sovereignty is about more than food. It’s about choice, connection, and care for the land. When we share seeds, we are investing in a future where everyone can grow what they need and celebrate where they live.
At Eastern Sierra Land Trust, we believe that protecting land is also about protecting the capacity of our communities to feed themselves in ways that are healthy, sustainable, and rooted in place. Each seed saved and shared is a small act of resistance, resilience, and renewal — a promise to the future of the Eastern Sierra.
We hope you join us at the next Seed Swap or upcoming event. It’s never too late to get involved!
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