Swapping seeds is of great cultural significance for many of the people involved, because it allows a culture which has become widely distributed, such as
Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States, to continue to grow the food they are accustomed to, foods which often have great significance, and for which seeds are often transported over great distances. Mike Szuberla, organizer of a seed swap in
Toledo, Ohio, noted, "Seeds are, in a sense, suitcases in which people can transport their cultures with them... Many families have brought their favorite seeds on tremendous journeys." In some cases seed swaps are annual events and function as community celebrations (comparable to
potlucks), such as the annual seed swap (in its eleventh year in 2008) A similar goal is stated for a seed swap in
Devon, England, where the North Devon Seed Swap has been held since 1 February 2004. The Dixon Community Seed Exchange, in
Dixon, New Mexico, has been taking place annually since 2003. It distributes free seed of homegrown and commercial varieties as available and also provides a forum for the exchange of varieties peculiar to the high mountain areas of northern New Mexico. It attracts several hundred participants and photos may be viewed at its website. A distinct and less public kind of seed swap involves the seeds of
marijuana. == Biological significance ==