About the project
The goal of this project is to produce seed of pollinator-friendly native plants from the Virginia Piedmont for the commercial seed market. There is increasing demand from both government agencies and private companies in Virginia for locally-sourced native seed. We hope to help meet this need by partnering with local growers who will grow the seed out in small-scale production fields (<1 acre) on their land, with the assistance of Virginia Tech and Roundstone Native Seed. This is a great opportunity for growers who want to produce a new crop with the assistance of regional experts and who want to join a rapidly growing industry!
Historically Underserved Producers are highly encouraged to apply!
The USDA defines Historically Underserved producers thus:
- Beginning farmers
- Limited Resource farmers
- Farmers from historically marginalized groups
- Veterans
How It Works
Growers convert a small area (typically <1 acre) of their land to native seed production. Growers are responsible for maintaining their seed production field from Spring 2026 through seed harvest at the end of 2027.
Roundstone Native Seed will clean, process, test, store, and help market seed that producers harvest
Virginia Tech will provide a minimum annual stipend, consultation, plugs, and technical assistance through the duration of the project.
Examples of plant species
Scaly blazingstar
Elliott’s bluestem
Toothed Whitetop Aster
In the News
Read more about the project in this Virginia Tech News article
Interested in getting involved?
Contact Information:
Phoebe Judge, Project Manager
jphoebe@vt.edu
