Plant breeding and seed issues are of growing importance in organic farming, but more regionally specific information is needed. In 2012, we surveyed Wisconsin organic vegetable growers regarding: a) general characteristics and farm practices; b) challenges in accessing organic seed; c) plant breeding priorities; and d) improving access to appropriate plant breeding and seed systems. Results suggest that growers had more difficulty accessing satisfactory genetics than seed quality, and that seed access was more problematic for growers with larger farming operations. Diverse plant breeding priorities, combined with prevalent variety trialing and seed saving, suggest a good fit with participatory plant breeding.

Plant breeding for organic systems is a growing field that is attracting a new cohort of graduate students in land-grant plant breeding programs. In 2012, the first Student Organic Seed Symposium (SOSS) was organized by and for graduate students and held in Greensboro, VT. This three-day symposium brought together graduate students and plant breeding professionals in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Organic plant breeding offers an exciting new niche for public breeding programs, with the potential to develop unique opportunities and partnerships. Participation in the symposium demonstrated that graduate students are enthusiastic about engaging in organic plant breeding and building a community of support for their work. This new cadre of researchers represents one opportunity to collectively move towards a more sustainable agricultural future, and underscores the necessity of building and maintaining strong public plant breeding programs that can facilitate this work.