You Can Support a Regional Resource for Partnership and Seed Sharing
The nursery will serve as a space to activate partnerships and expand ecological impact. While directly supporting CFC preserves, it will also meet the growing needs of local partners—conservation groups, Forest Preserves, municipalities, schools, Indigenous communities, and private landowners—providing high-quality, locally sourced seed, on-site processing, storage, and technical expertise.
Through shared resources and collective action, the nursery will amplify restoration efforts beyond CFC’s boundaries. It will be a vibrant and welcoming place for learners of all ages: a living classroom for youth, adults deepening restoration knowledge, and Indigenous communities engaging and reconnecting to the land in ways that are meaningful to them.
Grounded in energy and water efficiency, the nursery will stand as a model of sustainable design—a place to inspire visitors and to grow a more resilient future for all.
Why Now?
Restoring the health of natural landscapes is limited by a shortage of regionally appropriate native seed—most critically, the rare species that sustain ecological diversity. This shortage comes at a pivotal moment, as Midwestern ecosystems face unprecedented threats ranging from habitat loss and invasive species to the impacts of climate change. As demand increases, CFC, a recognized leader in seed production and innovative restoration techniques, is ready to translate urgency into action
With expertise, infrastructure, and a strong volunteer base, we are poised to expand our impact—and we need your support.
What Your Investment Makes Possible
By supporting the Sustainable Native Seed Nursery, you help CFC:
- Dramatically increase native seed availability across the region
- Preserve plant species on the verge of disappearing
- Train the next generation of conservation leaders
- Strengthen partnerships and landscape connectivity
- Inspire action by modeling what’s possible when people and land thrive together
This is a long-term investment in restoration and regeneration, fostering ecosystems and relationships that extend far beyond the walls of a greenhouse or seed barn. It reflects CFC’s mission to restore, connect, and inspire, creating thriving landscapes and connected communities for generations to come.
Seed Nursery Rendering by Nurture Architects
Cedar Waxwing by Stephen Barten