Seeds of Resurgence

Partnering with the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library (PHSL), we are developing a research-based, public education program dedicated to the preservation of indigenous seeds and the cultural memory that they transmit. Founded in 2014, the PHSL works to protect and give new life to Palestinian heirloom varieties under threat from war, occupation, and industrial agriculture. We join them in cultivating three branches of land-based knowledge. First, we establish a mentorship program for new stewards of Palestinian heirlooms on Turtle Island. Named Saransil [سناسل ], after the Arabic word for the rocky terraces that Palestinians build to conserve soil and encourage agricultural abundance, this program weaves together the cultural dimensions of seedkeeping with practical guidance on caring for Palestinian seeds, as they take root far from their native soil. Second, we create a digital archive that maps where the PHSL’s seeds have travelled and grown. On this platform, PHSL seed protectors from across the world will be able to share knowledge, stories, images, and song. Third, we host a series of local, public workshops featuring teachings in Palestinian (agri)culture with particular relevance to the Santa Cruz region of Northern California, land long stewarded by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.