Welcome to the new page for Mid Argyll Seed Coop!
The aim of Mid Argyll Seed Coop is to collect, share and grow a ‘collection’ of climate adapted seeds available (on donation) to growers, both hobbyists and on a community scale, to help you produce more climate adapted crops and become more resilient in your own food growing through learning and participation opportunities.
We also hope the ‘seed savers’ part of the co-op will be an opportunity for residents to connect with others, for new growers to gain new knowledge from existing growers and for everyone to be able to contribute to their local food system.
Look below for more about the project, why we feel local seed is so important and most importantly for upcoming events or opportunities to get involved 
If you’re already saving seed in Mid Argyll or you’d like to get involved with the coop we’d love to hear from you! Please email us on midargyllseeds@gmail.com
Our Seed Collection
We have been able to buy a small selection of seeds from ethical UK seed producers who focus on open pollinated, agreocological methods for producing their seeds. These along with some extra seeds donated by these suppliers, other local donations and seed saved last year from seed saving training has formed the basis of our ‘collection’ or library of seeds.
We have focused on buying varieties of veg & flowers that we believe will grow well in our damp, northern climate and/or are a heritage variety that was originally bred in Scotland.
We’ve also put a focus on a proportion of plant varieties that are easy to save seed from & we hope you might join us in trying to save some seed from these packets to donate back to our collection at the end of your growing season!
Seeds are available at seedswaps or on request by emailing us at midargyllseeds@gmail.com
In 2027 we hope to create an online ‘swapshop’ to preorder seeds and/or find an accessible location for our seed collection where residents can access seeds more readily.
Seed Swaps
We’ve finished our seedswaps for 2026. We ran seedswaps at Kilmartin Museum, Kilmartin Bookswap and Ford Village Hall sharing over 150 packets of open pollinated seed to over 40 residents of Dunadd or as far afield as Arran and Inverary!
Next year we hope to be able to offer an even bigger seed gathering for Mid Argyll along with local seed swaps and tattie days further afield or at similar events locally.
Do get in touch if you’d like us to work with your group on a seedswap in 2027!
Seed Saving Group
We are creating a seed savers group of Mid Argyll residents to help expand our seed collection and expand knowledge of seed saving. To participate you need to be able to dedicate space in your garden or community plot to grow plants for seed (you’ll still be able to eat parts of these plants though!)
You should have at least 1-2 years experience with growing food (& dealing with challenges like pests) and ideally the variety you will be saving you have grown (and liked!) before this year. You will be asked to attend a few zoom meetings to get started and provide a broader introduction to seed saving.
You will then be added to a whatsapp group to share updates through the season, including any wider growing challenges or questions you’d like our support about. We will ask you to complete a record about your seed crop and attend a late Summer gathering to process and collect in the seed for the coop (we’ve got the tools to help you).
Please get in touch if you’d like to join our Seed Savers Group, our first Zoom meetup was held on Monday 23rd March but there’s still time to get involved this season and we have a Whatsapp Seed Savers Group that can be joined at any time.
Collaboration with local Community Groups
As we’re starting out we are trialling a few ‘pilot’ projects working with other local community groups to support their seed saving journey with their community.
This year we are supporting ACT Maki Pups outdoor nursery and Green Shoots Community Garden to grow their first seed crops and also Glassary Primary with growing seed tatties.
If you’d like us to collaborate with your local community group on seed saving our broader food growing activites then we’d love to hear from you!
Useful Links & Resources for Growing Your Own or Seed Saving
- Vital Seeds seed catalogue
- Real Seeds seed catalogue
- Seeds of Scotland seed catalogue
- Heritage Seed Library catalogue and Garden Organic information resources
- Seed Sovereignty Programme from the Gaia Foundation – Beginner and year-long seed saving training for Scottish Growers
- Welsh Seed Hub seed catalogue
- Back Garden Seed Saving Book by Sue Stickland
- Glasgow Seed Library
Keep in touch – Facebook and instagram – Mid Argyll Seed Coop
Thanks to Dunadd Community Enteprise who are supporting the startup of this project & ABCAN (Argyll & Bute Climate Action Network) for our £1k seed grant .
