Nevada Native Seed Forums

The Nevada Native Seed Partnership hosts the annual Nevada Native Seed Forum (Forum). This event typically rotates through regional areas of Nevada to allow for diverse, statewide participation. The Forum brings federal land management agencies, state partners, current seed producers, prospective seed producers, seed collectors, conservation groups, and seed buyers together to learn how the Nevada Seed Strategy and National Seed Strategy are supporting restoration efforts in our state. The inaugural Forum was in 2017 and the Nevada Native Seed Partnership has hosted a Forum every year since. Access the following files and videos from past Forums below:

Access all presentations from each forum here:

2023 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

Click here to view the 2023 Forum video and find the video about government contracting here.

2023 Presenters:

  • Stephen Kielius (NDA), Nevada Foundation Seed Program

  • Michael Bouck (Utah Crop Improvement Association), UCIA Foundation Seed Program

  • Craig Rigby (Logan Agricultural Research Service), Native Seed Production

  • Kevin Badik (TNC), Seed Needs Forecasting

  • Alison Agneray & Ian Steinheimer (BLM), BLM Strategy for Native Seeds & IDIQ Contracts

  • John Rice (Apex Accelerator), How to Apply for Federal Contracts

  • Timothy Jacobs (USDA– Risk Management Agency), Crop Insurance

  • Brittany Trimble (NDOW) & Cory King (NDF), State Seed Purchasing Options

2022 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

Click here to view the 2022 Forum video.

2022 Presenters

  • Scott Jensen (USFS), Seed Production

  • Jaxon Eady, Justin Dean (Premier Seed), Seed Collection

  • Shannon Swim (UNR), Seed Storage and Cleaning

  • Ed Kleiner (Comstock Seed), Secondary Benefits of Seed Production

  • Stephen Kielius (NDA), Seed Certification

  • Russell Wilhelm (NDA), Seed Testing

  • Jim Gifford and Mustapha Abouali (NRCS), NRCS Programs

  • Coreen Francis-Clark (BLM), Seed Collection Permits

  • Dash Hibbard (WBC), Restoration efforts

2021 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

Click here to view the 2021 Forum videos (Day 1 & Day 2).

2021 Presenters:

  • Matthew Benson (BFI Native Seeds) Shedding Light on the Native Seed Industry

  • Patrick Reynolds (Hedgerow Farms) Production of Native Seed of Known Genetic Origin for Habitat Restoration Projects

  • Robby Henes (Southwest Seed) Southwest Seed’s Experience and Involvement with Seed Production

  • Erik Feibert (Oregon State University – Malheur Experiment Station) Production Aspects; Including Planting, Fertilization, and Irrigation of Native Perennial Forbs

  • Mike Taylor (UNR) Native Seed Market Breakdown and Update

  • Tricia Roller and Fred Edwards (BLM) Federal Seed Warehousing System and Procurement

  • Coreen Francis-Clark (BLM) Collection Permitting Through BLM

  • Brittany Trimble and Bradely Tait (NDOW) How the State Buys Seed

  • Julien Pellegrini (Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF)) Providing Native Seed Mixes to Private & State Land Managers for Wildland Restoration

  • Brian Taylor (Nevada Gold Mines) Private Sector Seed Buys

2020 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

2020 Presenters:

  • Fred Edwards (BLM) and Sarah Kulpa (USFWS) “Seeds of Success” and Locally Collected Seed Availability

  • Melissa Russell (NDA) Source Identification and the Certification of Wildland Seed

  • Russell Wilhelm (NDA) Producing Seed- The Ins and Outs of Native Seed Production

  • Matt Church (Zephyr Seed) Innovative Crop Rotations for Native Seed Production

  • James Gatzke (Walker Basin Conservancy (WBC)) Local Seed Collection and Production Techniques

  • Brittany Trimble (Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW)) Seed Purchasing Decisions at the State Level

  • Shannon Swim (UNR) UNR Seed Laboratory and Seed Cleaning

  • Myles Getto (Desert Oasis Teff) Seed Conditioning and Cleaning at Desert Oasis Teff in Fallon 

2019 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

2019 Presenters:

  • Fred Edwards (BLM) Wildland Seed Selection: What Should I Grow?

  • Karri Honaker and Chris Bernau (Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)) NRCS – Agency Information and Plant Materials Centers

  • Ed Kleiner (Comstock Seed) Private Industry Perspective: Wildland Seed for Restoration

  • Russell Wilhelm (NDA) Certification Process; Ensuring High Quality Seed

2018 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

2018 Presenters:

  • Fred Edwards (BLM), Sarah Kulpa (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)), Dirk Netz (U.S. Forest Service (USFS)) The National Seed Strategy and its Impact Within Nevada

  • Michael Taylor (UNR) Market Analysis: Economic Hurdles and How to Overcome Them

  • Russell Wilhelm (NDA) Path to Native Seed Certification; Developing Quality Cultivars

  • Matt Church (Zephyr Seed) Building a Native Seed Business; Struggles and Successes

  • Ed Kleiner (Comstock Seed) Entering the Commercial Market, Logistics, and Tips for Success

2017 Nevada Native Seed Forum Presentations

2017 Presenters:

  • Fred Edwards (Bureau of Land Management (BLM)) National Seed Strategy and the cycle of seed collection, development, production, and use of seed for localized restoration efforts

  • Michael Taylor and Dick Bartholet (University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)) Market Evaluation: The Stability of the Native Seed Economy

  • Ed Kleiner (Comstock Seed) Collection Strategies and Sourcing

  • Russell Wilhelm (Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA)) Certification Services: Source Identification