"Heirloom seeds are food awaiting to happen." - Dr. William Woys Weaver

Our Story

Beginning in 2018, supporters for Roughwood and Dr. William Woys Weaver’s work came together and began planting the seed for an organization that would be dedicated to heritage foods from heritage seeds. Something unique and unlike any others out there. During 2021, The Roughwood Center for Heritage Seedways was formed, holding within it the Roughwood Seed Collection as a key part of its educational purpose.

For over 90 years, the Roughwood Seed Collection has safeguarded more than 5,000 heirloom seed varieties - living artifacts of Indigenous, African American, and Pennsylvania foodways.

Now, Roughwood is entering a transformational new chapter.

With the sale of our historic home in Devon, it was time to relocate the entire seed collection. We have now settled at our new home at Kutztown University, a long-term institutional partner that will provide:

• Permanent security and preservation

• Professional curation and research support

• Stronger infrastructure for seed storage and documentation

• Expanded public access and community programming

• Opportunities for volunteers, growers, and students

• A thriving environment for future growth

We are pleased to announce that Roughwood’s future is bright, secure, and full of possibility!

This transition is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to carry Roughwood’s mission into a stronger, more sustainable future. We plan to keep our growing partners propagating these historic seeds with us.

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Our seed and book sales will pause only briefly as our team conducts a full restock and reorganization of our seed collection. We will be restocking many of the seeds you’ve been asking for, as well as adding new varieties to our catalog! 

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Follow along with us.

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This is more than a move.

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This is an investment in the future of biodiversity, food history, cultural storytelling, and community resilience.

Thank you for helping us plant the next chapter.

Stay tuned for updates and event announcements on our website, Facebook and Instagram accounts.