From Seeds to Sovereignty: The Birth of the Cascadia Food Guild
A Truly Logical Progression
It starts with a seed. A single seed, packed with genetic wisdom, holds the potential to feed, heal, and regenerate the land. Over the years, through the Cascadia Seed Guild, we've been building a foundation of regional resilience—ensuring that the seeds we plant are not just locally adapted but are part of a larger movement toward food sovereignty.
Now, it’s time for the next step.
The Cascadia Food Guild is emerging as a logical and necessary evolution—one that takes the work of seed stewardship beyond the garden bed and into the larger food system. While the Seed Guild safeguards the origin of our food, the Food Guild will focus on the entire ecological cycle of nourishment—from cultivation to consumption to community resilience.
Back in the mid 2,000’s Dan Armstrong, of Eugene OR and a group of others, started a movement in the fertile Willamette Valley, in Oregon. Their aim was to help Farmers here to transition away from grass seed growing to the growing of beans and grains instead. This is an expanded article from Dan…“Globalization, facilitated by cheap oil, has turned our food systems inside out. Over the last twenty-five years, the globalization of the market place has expanded trade with a rich and diverse new array of products and product sources; however, it has been at the cost of regional economic balance, especially at the local level and especially for local food systems.”
Why Now?
Our region—the bioregion of Cascadia—is abundantly fertile, capable of producing a significant portion of the food we currently import from elsewhere. And yet, our food system remains heavily dependent on supply chains that are fragile, extractive, and misaligned with the principles of regenerative agriculture. As an example, back in 2019 we got quite a heavy snowfall, up to 11” over a Monday morning. Later that day, the airport was still closed, the railroad also was closed and most significant, the 5 Freeway was closed. That Freeway (the 5) is an arterial food corridor for pretty much all of the Pacific Northwest and with our current “just-in-time” food systems, a few days closure of the 5 Freeway could be catastrophic. Luckily, the 5 closure only lasted a few hours, in this case, however it was a wake-up call for many here. Our food systems need to be far more resilient.
We believe in something different. A food culture that is rooted in place, that is collaborative instead of competitive, and that is designed for long-term abundance rather than short-term profit.
What is a Guild, and Why Does it Matter?
In our world of permaculture, a guild is a collaborative ecosystem—a group of plants, organisms, and functions that work together in mutual support. A fruit tree guild, for example, isn’t just a tree—it includes pollinator plants, nitrogen-fixers, pest deterrents, and beneficial fungi, all playing interconnected roles to create a self-sustaining, thriving system.
The Cascadia Food Guild follows this same principle but applies it to food sovereignty. Instead of isolated farms, restaurants, foragers, and food activists working separately, a guilded food system connects them in a resilient web of collaboration.
How Could the Cascadia Food Guild Work?
Imagine a network of growers, food producers, educators, and eaters working together as an interdependent ecosystem:
Regenerative Farmers & Urban Growers cultivating nutritious, locally adapted foods.
Seed Savers & Indigenous Land Stewards ensuring biodiversity and cultural food heritage.
Foragers & Wildcrafters reconnecting people with the edible landscape.
Community Kitchens & Chefs turning raw ingredients into preserved abundance.
Mutual Aid Groups & Co-ops redistributing food to where it’s needed most.
Permaculture Designers & Food Foresters planting perennial polycultures for long-term sustainability.
Policy Advocates & Educators working to protect farmland, influence food laws, and share knowledge.
This is about more than just local food—it’s about resilient community networks, regenerative land practices, and a food system that nourishes people while healing ecosystems.
What’s Next?
This is the beginning of an evolving conversation. Over the coming months, we’ll be working to shape this vision into tangible projects, connections, and actions. We invite YOU—growers, eaters, foragers, educators, permaculturists, and food activists—to be part of this living guild.
If you’re interested in contributing ideas, joining a working group, or simply staying connected, let us know in the comments, or reach out through seeds AT regeneratecascadia.org
What’s Next?
This is the beginning of an evolving conversation. Over the coming months, we’ll be working to shape this vision into tangible projects, connections, and actions. We invite YOU—growers, eaters, foragers, educators, permaculturists, and food activists—to be part of this living guild.
If you’re interested in contributing ideas, joining a working group, or simply staying connected, let us know in the comments, or reach out through seeds AT regeneratecascadia.org.
This is how we regrow our food system—from the ground up, together.
🌱 From Seeds to Food, From Guilds to Community.
The Future is Resilient. Local. Cascadian.
This is how we regrow our food system—from the ground up, together.
🌱 From Seeds to Food, From Guilds to Community.
The Future is Resilient. Local. Cascadian.
Thanks as always for reading our articles.