From this land, for this land.
Native Seeds – growing, learning and sharing to enrich Australia’s landscapes.
Founded in 1998
Established in 1998 by Dr Ian Chivers, Native Seeds Pty Ltd started life predominately as a native grass research company. The native seed industry was and still is dependent on seed sourced from remnant populations of native flora (wild harvesting). This method of seed supply is very unpredictable in terms of annual supply volumes, quality and costs, it has been the major limiting factor within the industry. Our goal was to develop ways to commercially grow these species to improve the supply model and help stabilise seed pricing.
Building our Knowledge
We became heavily involved in progressing the native grass knowledge base through our own research projects as well as research partnerships with Universities and Government departments. Through this research a number of grass species were identified as potential candidates for commercial production and trial sites were established using third parties and contract growers.
Relocation to Ovens Valley
In 2019, under our new management, we relocated our operations from Melbourne to a 15ha old tobacco farm in the Ovens Valley in North East Victoria. This move represented a strategic shift for the company from a research focus to that of a seed production focus, with the goal of commercialising the IP we had gained over the past 20 years. We now balance our research activities with our production, marketing and sales efforts.
Our services now include consultancy, seed collection, seed procurement services, contract growing, seed sales, sowing and full site maintenance. Making us a logical partner for your next native seed project.
Scaling Up
Today we manage over 40ha of irrigated land with over 30 different grassland species in production and we sell our seed into every Australian state and Territory. This wide geographical spread in demand for native seeds requires us to supplement our own seed supply with seed collected from all around the country; this is done through our strong network of passionate collectors. local seed banks and indigenous community groups.
Partnering with Flora Victoria
In 2024 we joined forces with Flora Victoria, a name synonymous with excellence in direct seeding services, especially in Victoria’s natural environment market. Flora Victoria have built an outstanding reputation in establishing and managing native ecosystems. Their hands-on expertise has given us the capability to offer our customers the full range of native seed products and services, supporting our vision of opening new markets and bringing native grassland species into the lives of every Australian.
Giving Back to Country
We have introduced a long term commitment to allocate a contribution from our seed production toward initiatives that support indigenous communities, recognizing their influence on the evolution of the species we work with today. This is an initial step in a broader, ongoing process of learning, engagement and relationship-building. This commitment starts with our support of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). Read more…
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national charity working with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia. Community-led, community-driven and community-focused, they respond to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources, and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in the languages of their choice.