Welcome to The Roughwood Center
Rooted in History. Feeding the Future.

For more than 90 years, the Roughwood Seed Collection has preserved over 5,000 varieties of heirloom seeds - living links to Indigenous, African American, Pennsylvania Dutch, and global food traditions. The Roughwood Center’s mission is to preserve, cultivate, and document these historically significant seeds and to provide seed-to-table education that strengthens cultural food heritage and community food security.

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Dear members of the Roughwood Family,

We are excited to announce that the Roughwood Center for Heritage Seedways will be transitioning to its new home at Kutztown University as a project of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, effective September 30, 2026. 

During the transition, we will be temporarily pausing all sales for the month of October 2026. During this time, our volunteers will be restocking our seeds for sale and updating the online catalog. This means more of the seeds you’ve been asking for, and the addition of some new varieties to the collection!

Beginning November 1st, seeds will be available by mail order until we’ve established a new online sales platform. Check back for updates!
(Click here for an order form with instructions.)

We appreciate your patience in the interim, and are grateful for your continued support of our mission to safeguard heritage seeds as living artifacts of Indigenous, African American, and Pennsylvania foodways.

With Gratitude,

The Roughwood Transition Team