Organic Seed Alliance

What Organic Seed Alliance does

Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Port Townsend, Washington, that advances organic seed systems in the United States through an integrated four-pillar model of education, research, advocacy, and outreach. Its education pillar delivers multiple online courses (Organic Seed Production, On-Farm Plant Breeding for Resilient Organic Systems, Asynchronous Organic Seed Production, and a Midwest regional course) plus field days, webinars, and publications. Its research pillar is anchored by the OSPREY project — a multi-year, USDA NIFA-funded, multi-location replicated trial program running across seven states with Oregon State, University of Vermont, Cornell, Colorado State, and other university partners — and the State of Organic Seed monitoring initiative. Its outreach pillar is built around the biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference (the largest organic seed event in North America, drawing 413 in-person and 286 virtual attendees from 36 states in 2025), regional seed summits in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, California, and Southeast, and quarterly community calls. Its advocacy pillar focuses on organic seed policy and intellectual property rights, with formal influence via a seat on the National Organic Standards Board.

OSA's underlying technology consists of free web-based tools — the Organic Seed Producers Directory (a B2B matching platform), Variety Trial Tool (Shinyapps-based analytics), Seed Economics Toolkit (enterprise budget calculators), Seed Cleaning Toolkit, and Organic Seed Commons (community network) — together with a substantial content library of manuals, how-to guides, proceedings, and reports. The SeedLinked platform, integrated into OSPREY field days, supports participatory variety evaluation.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. Operating revenue derives primarily from charitable contributions, federal grants (USDA NIFA OREI, SARE, TOPP), modest conference registration fees (with free or deeply discounted tiers for peer-reviewed speakers), and freemium publication distribution. There is no equity, no parent company, and no fundraising rounds; the organization is governed by a board of directors and led by Executive Director Laurajean Lewis with a staff of 11-50 across programs, research, policy, and outreach.

Name

Organic Seed Alliance

Legal name

Organic Seed Alliance

Website

https://seedalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Organic Seed Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances organic seed systems in the U.S. through online courses, the biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference, multi-state research (OSPREY, State of Organic Seed), free web-based farmer tools, and federal-level policy advocacy serving organic farmers, seed growers, plant breeders, and seed companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Research

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Seed Production & Plant Breeding (Certified Organic Seed) (AFAGAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foundation Seed Production (AFAGAIAA), Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

Keywords

• Organic seed education
• Plant breeding courses
• Seed production research
• Seed policy advocacy
• Organic agriculture services

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Townsend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Organic Seed Alliance relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. EIN 51-0175667.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference registrations, including in-person tickets ($150 for discounted speaker rate) and virtual tickets ($15 for discounted speaker rate)
3. Publication Sales: OSA regularly publishes and distributes resources including manuals, record-keeping materials, conference proceedings, policy reports, and webinars, many available free of charge with donation support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Organic Seed Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers education, research, advocacy, and outreach programs to advance organic seed systems. Its offerings include online courses on organic seed production and on-farm plant breeding, the biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference, regional seed summits, the OSPREY research project, the State of Organic Seed monitoring initiative, online toolkits (Variety Trial, Seed Economics, Seed Cleaning), the Organic Seed Producers Directory, the Organic Seed Commons network platform, and policy advocacy resources.

Product overview

Organic Seed Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers an integrated suite of education, research, advocacy, and resource programs rather than a single commercial product. The core education offerings include the Organic Seed Production Online Course, On-Farm Plant Breeding course, and Asynchronous Seed Production course. Research is led by the OSPREY project (Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield) and the State of Organic Seed monitoring initiative. The organization hosts the biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference (the largest organic seed event in North America) alongside regional summits and quarterly virtual calls. Publications include conference proceedings, how-to guides, and manuals. Resource tools include the Organic Seed Producers Directory, Variety Trial Tool, Seed Economics Toolkit, Seed Cleaning Toolkit, and Organic Seed Commons online platform. Advocacy efforts focus on seed policy and intellectual property rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Seed Production Online Course
• On-Farm Plant Breeding for Resilient Organic Systems (Online Course) Online course teaching farmers how to grow and select locally-adapted plant varieties through participatory breeding methods.
• Midwest Organic Seed Production Online Course
• Asynchronous Organic Seed Production Course Self-paced, interactive course exploring organic seed production techniques and practices.
• Organic Seed Growers Conference Biennial gathering, the largest event in North America focused solely on organic seed, convening seed growers, plant breeders, researchers, and advocates with workshops, demonstrations, farm tours, lightning talks, and networking.
• Regional Seed Summits Regional events including California Organic Seed Summit, Midwest Organic Seed Summit, and Pacific Northwest Organic Seed Summit for community building and education.
• Virtual Open House Quarterly Calls Regular virtual calls bringing together farmers, seed stewards, and industry stakeholders for connectivity and knowledge sharing.
• OSPREY (Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield) Project Multi-year research initiative addressing critical needs in the organic seed sector through replicated trials, economic tools, and participatory research across four model crop categories.
• State of Organic Seed Project monitoring the status of organic seed in the US and providing a roadmap for increasing the diversity, quality, and integrity of organic seed available.
• Seed Cleaning Toolkit Practical how-to guide for beginning and experienced seed growers on seed cleaning techniques and equipment.
• Seed Economics Toolkit Economic decision-making tools and resources for organic seed producers including enterprise budgets and breakeven price calculator.
• Variety Trial Tool Online tool for conducting and analyzing variety trials for organic seed evaluation.
• Organic Seed Producers Directory Online directory connecting organic seed producers with seed companies and wholesale seed buyers.
• Organic Seed Commons Online network platform for seed people to connect, collaborate, and access seed community resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 413 in-person and 286 virtual attendees from 36 states and internationally at 2025 conference
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Oregon State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Research partner in the OSPREY (Organic Seed Production Research on Economics and Yield) project, contributing to multi-location replicated seed yield trials and participatory research.
• University of VermontcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Research partner in the OSPREY project conducting replicated trials and developing economic decision-making tools for organic seed producers.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Research partner in the OSPREY project contributing expertise in seed production research and organic systems.
• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Research partner in the OSPREY project, including hosting field research trials at CSU Extension.
• Carolina Farm Stewardship AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Regional partner in the OSPREY project supporting organic seed stakeholders in the Southeast region.
• SeedLinkedcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2024Technology partner providing the SeedLinked platform for participatory variety evaluation during field days and research trials.
• Highland EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Partner developing seed enterprise budgets and breakeven price calculator tools for the OSPREY project.
• North Carolina State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2024Collaborating institution for the Organic Seed Growers Conference 2027, co-presented with Organic Seed Alliance in Asheville, NC.
• Nature and Nurture SeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2023Co-host of Midwest Regional Seed and Plant Breeding Field Day at their farm in Dexter, Michigan. Farm-based seed company offering heirloom vegetable, flower, and herb seeds.
• Seed to Kitchen Collaborative (University of Wisconsin-Madison)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2023Ongoing partnership with university researchers for collaborative plant breeding projects in the Upper Midwest, including participatory variety trials and breeding programs.
• Finnriver Farm & CiderycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for OSA's Northwest Research and Education farm at 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA. Co-hosts field days and community events.
• Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with USDA's TOPP program for mentoring seed growers and supporting transition to organic seed production through the Seed Mentor Guidelines program.
• Culinary Breeding NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Variety Showcase events bringing together plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, and consumers to explore the role of seeds in the food system.
• eOrganiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for webinars and educational content on organic agriculture topics through the eOrganic platform.
• College of the RedwoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for OSA's California Research Field at the College of the Redwoods Organic Farm in Pescadero, CA.
• Washington State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for seed saving workshops and educational programs through WSU Regional Small Farms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seed Savers Exchange: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving heirloom seeds and promoting seed saving. Directly comparable to OSA in mission, nonprofit structure, education focus, and community-based model, with a larger collection-based focus and broader consumer membership.
• Organic Farming Research Foundation: A nonprofit that funds organic farming research and advocates for federal organic agriculture policies. Comparable as a small nonprofit combining research funding, policy advocacy, and education for the organic agriculture community, with overlapping grant funder relationships and policy goals.
• Native Seeds/SEARCH: A nonprofit seed conservation organization based in Tucson, Arizona, focused on preserving indigenous and arid-adapted seed varieties. Comparable as a nonprofit seed steward with a regional focus, community education programs, and conservation mission, though specializing in Native American seed traditions.
• Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES): A nonprofit that provides education and resources to organic and sustainable farmers, with a strong focus on the Upper Midwest region. Comparable in nonprofit education model, conference hosting (Organic Farming Conference), and farmer-facing resources, though with broader crop and farming focus beyond seed.

Emerging players

• Open Source Seed Initiative: A nonprofit initiative that develops and releases open-source plant varieties, freeing them from patent restrictions. Comparable in mission to protect seed freedom and counter IP restrictions, though focused specifically on plant breeding and variety release rather than education and research programs.

Others

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): A USDA-funded program that funds sustainable agriculture research and education projects. Comparable as a funder and program partner for organic seed research (OSA receives SARE funding), with overlapping research themes and audience, though operating as a federal program rather than an independent nonprofit.
• The Organic Center: A nonprofit research and education organization that conducts and convenes peer-reviewed research on organic agriculture. Comparable as a research-focused organic agriculture nonprofit with federal relationships and peer-reviewed output, though with broader organic systems focus rather than seed-specific mission.
• eOrganic: An online community of organic agriculture researchers and extension specialists that distributes webinars and educational content. Comparable as a channel partner for organic agriculture education and content distribution, with overlapping content topics and audience, though broader in scope beyond seed.

Broad incumbents

• Crop Trust: An international nonprofit focused on conserving crop diversity through seed bank support and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Comparable as a major seed-focused nonprofit, though operating at global scale with a conservation mandate rather than the farmer education and participatory research model that defines OSA.
• Rodale Institute: A larger, well-established nonprofit focused on organic agriculture research and education. Comparable as a major organic agriculture nonprofit with research farm infrastructure, federal grant relationships, and education programs, though with a broader whole-systems focus rather than seed-specific mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@seedalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/Organic.Seed.Alliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/organic-seed-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/organic_seed_alliance
• Xx.com/Seed_Alliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Organic Seed Alliance