Several years ago, the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative recognized the need for native seed sources that would be successful in rangeland restoration. This vision translated into the development of the Northern Great Basin Seed Production Cooperative in the Fall of 2019 (now known as EcoSource Native Seed & Restoration) convened by the High Desert Partnership (HDP) in partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). 

Per the USDA Grant and Statement of Work between HDP and ARS developed that Fall, the primary objective of the cooperative was in part to "to create a self-sustaining business hub that fosters communication, cooperation, contracting, collection, production, storage and the use of high-quality native seeds for large-scale land restoration . . . " Two years later, EcoSource is a stand-alone nonprofit with its own program manager and Board of Directors, operating independently of both HDP and ARS. As of January 1, 2022, HDP contracted with EcoSource to continue and carry out the primary objectives of the business hub. 

For HDP it's been rewarding to contribute to and witness the growth of EcoSource. For information about EcoSource Native Seed & Restoration contact Jennifer Taynton at jennifer@ecosourceseeds.com.