OPEN SOURCE SEED INITIATIVE INC

Ossi international advocacy. Ossi expanded its international advocacy in 2024 by inviting and arranging for a representative from seed savers network kenya and a representative from argentina bioleft to attend a 2025 organic seed growers conference to interact with attendees regarding open source seeds worldwide. This invitation followed 2024 trips by ossi kloppenburg and tipping to kenya to interact with open source seed advocates where they brainstormed joint projects including participatory breeding of various vegetable crops, support for a seed enterprise in kenya and enhanced advocacy at upcoming international meetings.

Point of sale marketing initiatives for ossi-pledged varieties: we piloted the use of plant tags by four ossi cooperator nurseries in spring 2024. The tags identify the seedling plants in the containers as ossi pledged. They include a qr code links to ossi's web page. These tags were distributed free for inclusion in seedling pots and containers..

Open source plant breeding forum: ossi's online plant breeding forum continues to provide a tool for breeders of all kinds to interact, share information and cooperate. Anyone may join the forum, which can be accessed at http://opensourceplantbreeding.org/forum/. Ossi is grateful to joseph lofthouse for founding and managing the forum. It has averaged about 3,000 new posts per year with average visits of about 32 people per day. Breeding tomatoes and sweet potatoes and breeding for climate change are among the most popular topics. Also, ossi connects with local food systems advocates through paid articles and advertising such as the 2024 collaborations with the reap food group in madison, wi to educate consumers about open source seeds and plants.