LA’S FIRST NATIVE SEED PRODUCTION FARM!

Work has already started on the new seed farm at Paramount Ranch!

We recently won funding for the development of Los Angeles' first native seed production farm! The grant of $25,000 was awarded by Calpine Energy and will fund a number of interns who are working under the guidance of SAMO Fund's Seed Program Manager to collect and process native seeds, as well as developing the farm site.

Native plants are essential for achieving restoration, especially with the challenge of extreme wildfires and severe climate events, but there is a shortage of seeds and plants. The project will focus primarily on plants that will support declining pollinator insects, such as monarch butterflies an essential and beautiful symbol of our fragile ecosystem. The farm aims to provide the seed inventory that will be necessary to support large scale restoration projects to rehabilitate damaged natural landscapes and respond to future catestrophies.

Importantly, the seed farm will also cultivate and restore dredged material that was deposited at the site decades ago. Plants that are grown on local soil will naturally include the native soil biome with its beneficial microbes and fungi, all unique and perfectly balanced for their location. These soils, cultivated to restore biological health, will be used in the second stage for the nearby Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, providing a healthy native soil community to the overpass.

Over the past several years, SAMO Fund has collected native seed from close to 100 native species, cleaned approximately 8,000,000 seed, donated 40,000 native plants to the public, and installed 130,000 native plants to restore damaged natural areas.‌

This project is a collaboration with Rock Design Associates, who are leading the design for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.