Seed Travels

Through Seed Travels events, Amaranth seeds from Guatemala have been planted and knowledge shared with communities across Turtle Island, from the south to the west to the northeast.

Together we are building a network of seed savers and strengthening our connections to the land.

The ancient and highly nutritious grain, Amaranth, sacred to Maya and Aztec civilizations, was banned by the Spanish during colonization because of its use in traditional ceremonies. For hundreds of years, Maya women gathered the wild varieties growing in their fields.

In 2004, Through a farmer to farmer exchange, two Maya Kaqchikel women, Magaly and Maria Luisa brought a handful of Amaranth seeds to a group of Maya Achi women from the Association, Qachuu Aloom and they planted these seeds in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. As they learned how to grow and use this ancient grain, a lasting friendship formed.

With the passing of time, the Amaranth seed disseminated into the home gardens and fields of the communities surrounding Rabinal and was carried by Qachuu Aloom and gifted to communities in the southwest and western United States reviving deep connections to place, plant, and people. In 2022, for the first time, Seed Travels planted, harvested, and cooked Amaranth with community farms and gardens in the Haudenosuanee Territory of the northeast.