“Our nation’s seed resources are in need of the same kind of wise management and conservation warranted by other natural resources, such as timber and oil.”
- Edward Toth, Director
MARSB’s mission is twofold.
1) To conserve and wisely manage the region’s wild seed resources, through scientific sampling, ethical collection, and banking and curation to national standards. MARSB’s efforts will increase the availability of genetically appropriate native seed across the Mid-Atlantic for use in conservation, land management, ecological restoration, and horticulture.
2) To encourage and actively contribute to the development of the Native Plant Material supply chain throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The supply chain in the mid-Atlantic, though it has existed for over forty years, is significantly underdeveloped and largely informal. MARSB seeks to stimulate the development of a more mature, sustainable supply chain.
MARSB’s Six-Point Native Plant Supply Chain Program
Species Lists
Identify the Need
Develop ecoregionally-based species lists for critical habitats in all mid-Atlantic states; promote their wide use among end users; provide technical assistance to individual end users in understanding their needs.
Online Marketplace
Organize and Focus the Marketplace; Manage Demand
Seek consensus among end users around essential, workhorse species. Focus demand around the most essential species for wide commercial production. Organize and quantify need into an Online Marketplace where demand is easily understood.
Seed Collection
Collect the Seed
Focus seed collection on consensus species for each state of the mid-Atlantic region. Make ecoregional collections; maintain a sustainable supply to feed commercial production.
Image courtesy of Megan Homison
Seed Banking
Clean, Bank, and Warehouse the Seed
Build and operate a seed cleaning facility for the region, in part as a fee-based cooperative to NPMD growers; operate a seed banking and warehousing facility for the region, in part as a fee-based cooperative to end users to hold increased seed at the ready for their defined needs.
Technical Assistance
Support and Develop Suppliers; Assist Growers; Encourage and Support New Growers
Provide technical assistance to established growers on protocols specific to native plant species production; encourage, train, and support a cadre of new growers to sustainably enter the marketplace to help meet the demand.
Supply Chain Network
Facilitate a Communication Network of all Sectors of the Supply Chain