Casey O'Leary

Casey O'Leary is the co-founder and General Manager of Snake River Seed Cooperative, a Boise-based company building community resilience through seed sovereignty. The cooperative now involves over 30 Intermountain West farmers stewarding nearly 400 varieties of regionally adapted seeds.

Before founding Snake River Seed Cooperative, Casey farmed vegetables and seeds on urban plots in Boise, Idaho for over 20 years through Earthly Delights Farm. She wore many hats—environmental activist, CSA owner, seed librarian—building the practical know-how that would shape the co-op's mission.

Casey co-founded Snake River Seed Cooperative around 2013 after running a seed library and her own farm's seed company. She was the sole owner from 2017 through 2021, then transitioned to co-ownership with 15 fellow employees and growers. The co-op incorporated in Idaho as a grower-owned business.

Under Casey's leadership, the co-op has grown from a single-farm seed operation into a regional network. She serves as General Manager and Education and Outreach Coordinator, teaching classes on seed selection, harvesting, cleaning, and seed saving biology. Her work has been featured in the Urban Farm Podcast, Idaho Capital Sun, and the Idaho Guide.

Casey lives in Boise, Idaho, where she continues to grow, teach, and organize around the idea that locally saved seeds are the foundation of food security.