ADAPT: Growing Something New, Sharing Knowledge
Notes from the field describe ‘Hartman’s Giant’ amaranth as having strong color and upright inflorescences.
“I would grow this again, and I’d like to experiment cooking with it,” said Karen Lacy, a 2025 participant in Seed Savers Exchange’s ADAPT community science program.
But prior to the 2025 growing season, Karen had never thought of growing the ancient superfood. What she loves most about being part of ADAPT is growing plant varieties she’s never seen before and sharing the information she gathers throughout the growing season with other growers and her family.
“Sharing information is always important. It’s good for growers, and I pass it along to my daughter and share seeds with my son. You can’t go wrong sharing seeds,” Karen said.
ADAPT transforms everyday gardeners into vital partners in seed preservation. Participants receive varieties directly from the seed bank—rare plants that are not typically commercially available. As these seeds sprout and grow, ADAPT growers become the eyes and ears of the collection, documenting everything from drought and wind tolerance to stem color. For the amaranth trials alone, more than 260 images were uploaded, 715 grower comments collected, and 1,300 trait ratings captured and shared on SeedLinked, an open-source platform where sharing information about varieties helps growers around the world.
Several ADAPT participants grew amaranth for the first time and found the experience fun and educational. Amaranth has limited market presence and grower awareness, making it an ideal plant for the ADAPT program.
“Our goal for ADAPT is to bring really unique and rare seeds from our collection to growers, seeds that aren’t readily available commercially. By sending them to ADAPT participants to grow, we’re gathering critical information about the varieties, sharing that information with the world, and exposing a large group of gardeners to new crops,” said Sydney Weldon, ADAPT program manager.
In 2025, ADAPT distributed 5,502 packets of seeds from Seed Saver Exchange’s collection, offering 111 unique varieties across nine crop types. Some 1,834 trials were conducted nationally, and included collaboration with the USDA to offer several varieties from their seed bank, too.
The amaranth trials this year exposed hundreds of ADAPT participants to the pseudo-grain. In the fall, Seed Savers Exchange facilitated a cooking demonstration for its members and ADAPT participants to learn how to use the tiny, nutrient-packed amaranth seeds in the kitchen.
“Amaranth is a versatile and attractive plant. I plan to grow ‘Hartman’s Giant’ again next season. Thank you, Seed Savers, for this wonderful experience and introducing me to a great plant,” shared ADAPT participant Molly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A Few Facts About Amaranth
Amaranth was a staple crop for the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas thousands of years ago. It is not technically a grain, but rather a pseudo-grain, since it derives from a broadleaf plant instead of a true grass like wheat or rice. This makes it naturally gluten-free. Amaranth seeds are incredibly small, but despite their size, they are seriously nutritious (about 14 percent protein content). Amaranth can also be popped like popcorn, and in Mexico, popped amaranth is mixed with honey or molasses to make a traditional sweet called alegria.