Provide a Helping Hand
Virtual helping hand on the farm
Whilst we would love for our members to be able to pitch in on our farm, unfortunately that is not always feasible.
Instead, you can also make a general donation that will be used to help cover the costs of running our seed saving programs.
Through our partnership with The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, your donation is tax-deductible.
Actual helping hand on the farm
Corporate program coming soon ....
Become a Seed Supporter
Help Diggers preserve heirloom seeds for gardeners of the future. As a Seed Supporter you'll receive:
- A certificate of your support
- A tax deductable receipt
- Updates on grow-outs and seed collection
- Opportunities to join seed harvesting days
- Free seed samples of your chosen variety
- Invitation to Diggers Foundation donor events
- Recognition on the Diggers website of your supported variety
Select a seed
There are 18 unique opportunities available, which have been chosen as they are exclusive to Diggers and require support to help fund the ongoing cost of preservation.
To support a seed, simply browse the available varieties below and email our foundation@diggers.com.au with your chosen variety. We will be in touch with you to confirm your support, answer any questions you may have and provide details on how to receive your tax-deductible donation.
Tomato 'Black Plum' (Organic)
Grown in our Heronswood trials in 1998 and preserved in our Seed Vault, this unique truss tomato made it onto the production list because of its flavour, form and yield, and proudly became available to members in spring 2022.
Support for $1,000
Tomato Leicester Jones
Lindy Campbell, from Island Herbs in Snug Tasmania, generously shared the seed of this variety with us, as she was closing her business and wanted to ensure the perpetuity of this variety for all Australian gardeners (especially those in Tassie).
Support for $1,000
Tomato 'Mini Amish' (Organic)
Donated to us by Judy Cameron and trialled by The Diggers Club at the inaugural tomato taste test back in 1993, this Australian heirloom, bite-sized version of Tomato 'Amish Paste' received great acclaim then and has remained on our list ever since.
Support for $1,000
Tomato Nonna's Italian Passata
Donated to The Diggers Club's Seed Preservation Program by Peter Alchin, the original seed was shared with him by a co-worker in Sydney from seed saved by his Nonna and brought to Australia when she immigrated. Peter and his wife grew this same variety for over 10 years, growing whopping fruits up to 1.4kg.
Support for $1,000
WHY IT MATTERS
Why do we need to save heirloom seeds?
To save seeds is to preserve the very essence of culture.
Heirloom crops wouldn’t exist if not for the gardeners and farmers who meticulously grew and saved seeds and passed them down from generation to generation.
At Diggers, we have helped preserve and revitalise many varieties of heirlooms over the years, bringing many heirlooms from other parts of the world to Australia to ensure their continued success, including popular varieties available today such as Tuscan Black kale, ‘Moon & Stars’ watermelon and Australia's favourite tomato - 'Tommy Toe' tomato.
Diggers has also been pivotal in preserving important Australian family heirloom varieties too, including ‘Uncle Tony’s La Stupenda’ tomato, 'Nonno's Italian Pear' tomato and ‘Franks’ pea, holding them all in our seed bank and passing them on to future generations and heirloom gardeners around the world.
This unbroken chain of observation, selection and cultivation is under constant threat with the increasing power and influence of agricultural and chemical companies who operate the world seed trade.
Frighteningly, just four companies control over 60% of global proprietary seed sales and these mega-businesses are not interested in preserving cultural and biological diversity.
Here in Australia, there is no government or institutional body that supports the preservation of heirloom vegetable and flower seeds. It is now and always has been, the community of gardeners and small-scale farmers who are the stewards of this valuable and precarious diversity. This has created a situation where it is left to individuals and not-for-profit organisations like Diggers to undertake this vital task, but it comes at a cost.
Tomato 'Uncle Tony's La Stupenda'
Pea 'Franks'
Watermelon 'Moon And Stars Red' (Organic)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How does it work?
When you become a Seed Supporter, you will be funding the cost of labour and equipment needed for the seed preservation cycle.
Heirloom seed preservation is an involved process starting with cultivation, germination tests, transplanting, crop management, harvesting and taste tests, digital record keeping, dry-conditioned storage, incubators and seed cleaning, and then back through the cycle starting with cultivation once more.
By becoming a Seed Supporter, you are helping to secure the future of your chosen variety, and ensure that the seed preservation cycle can continue.
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