[Sacred Succulents] Andean Tubers, Year End Sales, Tax-Deductible Donations, etc.

Sacred Succulents sacredsucculents at hushmail.com
Wed Dec 31 07:38:34 PST 2025


[Note: do not respond to this email, use benkamm at monitor.net ]
Year end greetings!
First and foremost I want to express my abiding gratitude for your
ongoing support! The  last several years have been brimming with
challenges and 2025 was  certainly no exception. Yet, looking out over
the coming year, we have a  cautious sense of renewal... we see
sprouts of new seeds germinating  and weathered, battered specimens
burgeoning with fresh, regenerative  sprouts — both figuratively
_and_ literally...  __
ANDEAN TUBERS: we've finally begun our annual harvest — we have the
first round of available tubers listed on the website, more will be
posted in the next week. 
We are making a 1 month exception to our current shipping hiatus for
these tubers _only_ — all January, we'll ship orders for Andean
Tubers.
Orders placed February through March will ship late March or April,
2026. The Andean Tuber shipping season ends mid-April each
year.___Today is the final day to take advantage of our YEAR END
SALES:_All orders must be mailed with payment by the end of the day to
receive sale discounts!Mail an order-form with cash, check, or money
order to: Sacred Succulents, PO Box 781, Sebastopol, CA 95473
YEAR END SALE on select SPECIMEN PLANTS! 
SOLSTICE BOOK SALE: 10% off _all_ in-stock books, with further deep
discounts on some titles!  
NOTE: Other than Andean Tubers, we are _NOT _shipping plants & seeds
this winter while we focus on renovations—
However, you're welcome to order from our Specimen Plant List now to
reserve plants & seeds _to ship in Spring_ 2026 (March or April, exact
date TBD). As it is, many species are already selling out..._____
This is a curtain call for _Tax-Deductible_ Donations to Sacred
Succulents as 2025 bows adieu... 
Know that your gift has an immediate impact, funding critical
renovations to our nursery & conservancy-garden, helping us continue
to protect and propagate an unparalleled plethora of beneficial rare
and endangered plants!
As the year closes, I humbly ask y'all to consider making a donation,
however minor and modest, or generously efflorescent!Every little bit
helps — _if each person receiving this email donated a mere $10,
we'd reach our goal for the winter!_
_Please help spread the word about the fundraiser _— we are not on
any social media and rely on the grass-root efforts of our fellow
phytophiles like you!
_I can’t overstate how critical this juncture is for safeguarding
our living plant collection and Sacred Succulents future._
FUNDRAISER FOR SACRED SUCCULENTS:
This is a call for aid. We seek your support to fund extensive
renovations to the aging infrastructure of our nursery &
conservancy-research garden —endeavors that are now _critical_ to
preserving the high diversity of rare & endangered plants we offer and
grow here in the face of ongoing losses from increasingly erratic
climatic shifts.The first and most vital phase is renovating the
entirety of our irrigation systems. Your help is crucial for us to
accomplish this massive undertaking: Please Make a Tax-Deductible
Donation Today—any amount helps!

Sacred Succulents now has 501c3 sponsorship via the non-profit
organization, Panax. With the above link you can make your
tax-deductible gift by credit card or as a direct transfer from a US
bank account.
(_*Note*_: When making your donation, after you enter your personal
data, the Zeffy platform asks for a 17% contribution — _this is
optional_. To opt-out, click on the drop-down menu [under where it
says “_Help keep Zeffy free for Panax_”], select “_Other_” and
enter “0” in the contribution box below.)
For smaller donations, or for those that do _not_ require the
tax-deduction status, donations should be made via our BetterWorld
Campaign [where 7-11% more of the donation goes directly to us].
Your generosity also helps to:

	*Sustain and fortify our diverse living plant collections and seed
bank.	*Protect rare & endangered plants by supporting our propagation
& distribution efforts.	*Further our research, various writing
projects, and efforts to educate and encourage others towards
ethnobotanical and ecological literacy.

Handpicked plants & seeds, art, special access & catalog discounts,
and nursery & garden tours are available as thank you gifts for your
donations.
So far we've raised over $14K this month, all from_ fewer than
thirty-five_ donors! We're deeply grateful for these amazingly
generous gifts! Yet we still have a way to go...
_If every person receiving this donated a mere $10, we'd reach our
$30-40K goal for the winter!_♥
Support our conservation work, research, and projects crucial to
Sacred Succulents future:_for more info and nursery/garden photos, see
_https://sacredsucculents.com/support-our-endeavors
_Please help share word of the fundraiser!_
_Words of Support_:
“Sacred Succulents is... a preserve and repository of many rare
species... It is also the lifelong passion project of ethnobotanist
Ben Kamm, who has devoted decades to locating, preserving, propagating
and distributing rare plants... This fine work is not supported by an
institution, or any pool of wealth. It is supported by independent
folks who care about preserving biodiversity, and the continuity of
knowledge that must attend these species. A donation to help Sacred
Succulents upgrade their facility is a vote for carrying these plants
and our knowledge of them into the future.”
—Kat Harrison, Ethnobotanist, Co-Founder and Director of Botanical
Dimensions
“In the effort to conserve biological elements of Andean culture and
fragile ecosystems, Sacred Succulents is on the cutting edge... This
work deserves the same level of funding and support that the moon
landing and green revolution received. Please help this work
continue!”
—Neil Logan Ethnobotanist, Agroforester, Author of _Legacy Legumes:
Trees of Renewal and Abundance_
“If ever there was a project that deserved support, this is it! Your
contributions make a crucial difference... you’ll be helping
safeguard plants that are under threat... while also promoting
propagation, scientific study, and preservation of traditional
knowledge. Not to mention, helping out an amazing family, who have
devoted nearly all of their time and energy to making the world a
better place, one rare plant at a time. Let’s unite the botanical
community around this cause so these extraordinary species (including
the rare Mr. Ben Kamm ) continue to thrive in both the wild and in
cultivation.”
—Matt Magee, Anthropologist, Author of _Peruvian Shamanism: The
Pachakuti Mesa_
“Ben Kamm’s tireless work to cultivate and conserve rare
succulents and other valuable plant species is unparalleled.
Supporting this effort to recover and steward these critically
important genetics will increase the resilience and persistence of
this biodiversity reservoir for generations to come.”
—Kate Lundquist, WATER Institute Director, Occidental Arts & Ecology
Center
“Sacred Succulents' Ben Kamm has done great service to people and
the planet through his preservation efforts. Hands-on practitioners
like Ben have done more to protect plant diversity than all the
governments in the world... Now is the time to step up and support
this work!”
—David Theodoropoulos, Conservationist, Seedsman, Director of J.L.
Hudson Seeds since 1973

“It’s often passionate individuals that are responsible for
stewardship of biodiversity and Ben has dedicated his life’s work to
sacred succulent diversity. Contribute your support to keep this
treasured living collection alive.”
—Susan Leopold, Ph.D., Director of United Plant Savers, Founder of
Panax______
MISC. NEWS:
Our friend, filmmaker/conservationist Delia Ackerman, is working on
another fascinating project, a documentary about traditional Andean
relations with llamas, _The Call of the Llamas_. Delia's gorgeous
films promote deeper understanding of nature and the cultural heritage
of Peru. Watch a teaser and support the completion of this important
project with your donation -
https://www.deliaackerman.com/TheLlamas/#From Delia:_“There is a
beautiful resonance between your world and ours: in many Andean
communities, llamas are believed to have a natural affinity with
medicinal and high-altitude plants — herders say the llamas guide
them to healing species, and that these animals protect and “read”
the landscape in ways humans have forgotten. This relationship is part
of the deeper story we are trying to bring to the world.”__
We are excited about the publication of the stunning new book —
_MICROCOSMS: Sacred Plants of the Americas_ 
I've been a contributing researcher and photographer to this unique
science-art project. Order your copy today!_
Classes in Andean Knowledge:
Our companion on many of our Andean expeditions, Mateo Magee, is
offering online classes and courses -
https://www.livingtheceremony.com____
_Further Words of Support for Sacred Succulents_:
“Ben Kamm’s lifelong dedication to plants has made him one of the
most respected ethnobotanists and nursery experts working today.
Through Sacred Succulents, he has shared rare and vital species with a
global community of growers, always with deep ecological awareness and
cultural respect. His vision combines scientific rigor with a
gardener’s devotion, inspiring countless people to see plants as
teachers as well as companions. Ben’s current fundraising efforts to
strengthen the nursery’s infrastructure will ensure that his
invaluable work can continue to flourish and better serve the many
clients and admirers who depend on his knowledge, care, and
integrity.”
—Steven F. White, Ph.D., Co-Author of _Microcosms: Sacred Plants of
the Americas_ (Papadakis, 2025)
“Yule is a time of giving, which includes spreading some
philanthropy around. This season, I urge you to consider throwing some
of that love towards Sacred Succulents... headed up by the brilliant
and passionate plant-man Ben Kamm. Sacred Succulents is, without
doubt, the premier nursery for _Trichocereus_ cactus offerings. But
the outfit is also dedicated to the preservation of ethnobotanical
knowledge and rare and endangered plants. Ben is a fiercely DIY guy,
and I am amazed at his independent efforts to sustain his mail-order
nursery, public-access seed bank, and research gardens... But Ben’s
nursery and gardens now need some serious renovation work. In the
immortal words of the Lorax, ‘_Unless someone like you cares a whole
awful lot, nothing is going to get better — it’s not_.’ ”
—Erik Davis, Cultural Historian, Author of _Techgnosis, High
Weirdness, The Visionary State_, etc.
“Sacred Succulents' Ben Kamm has done great service to people and
the planet through his preservation efforts aimed at rare beneficial
plants, especially Andean flora.. Hands-on practitioners like Ben have
done more to protect plant diversity than all the governments in the
world. Not only are we losing species and habitats, but are losing the
rare class of dedicated plantsmen who do the important work of
collecting and maintaining plants from endangered habitats. I
absolutely support this fundraising effort. If we lose Ben’s
efforts, the world will be a poorer place. The man has devoted his
life to these plants, and we need to make sure he can continue for
decades to come. Now is the time to step up and support this work!”
—David Theodoropoulos, Conservationist, Seedsman, Director of J.L.
Hudson Seeds [founded in 1911] since 1973
“I really want to thank you for taking care of these very
interesting and hard-to find plants with such dedication. Being able
to source tubers and seeds from you really enhanced our South American
crops collection and I am so glad to be able to share these plants
with people who visit us. People who are familiar with them are often
delighted to see these plants, and most others are seeing them for the
first time! I appreciate you making these fascinating plants
available—they are really special and I salute your work!!”
—Catherine Callaway, Horticulturist, Ethnobotanical Collections, UC
Botanical Garden, Berkeley

“In the effort to conserve biological elements of Andean culture and
fragile xerophytic ecosystems, Sacred Succulents is on the cutting
edge—a trend setter decades ahead of most others engaged in this
kind of work. Land use changes over the last 500 years have greatly
impacted the Andes and their people. The situation is dire requiring
an 'all hands on deck' response. Sacred Succulents has risen to the
occasion by tirelessly collecting, propagating, and distributing these
botanical treasures along with collection notes about their cultural
and ecological contexts. Frankly, projects like Sacred Succulents
should be set up in every bioregion on the planet to help multiply and
distribute local germ-plasm and knowledge. This work deserves the same
level of funding and support that the moon landing and green
revolution received. Please help this work continue!”
—Neil Logan Ethnobotanist, Agroforester, Author of _Legacy Legumes:
Trees of Renewal and Abundance_

“Ben Kamm has been in service to people and plants, specifically
plant enthusiasts and entheogenic succulents, for as long back as my
botanical memory reaches. Service. ‘What goes around comes
around,’ as they say here in Southern Oregon. Serving people by way
of plants is perhaps one of the most enjoyable and effective paths.
Plants offer silent solace, sitting there on the windowsill, filtering
the air, making oxygen. Secondary compounds held in their bodies,
molecules that heal illness or expand consciousness, are less tangible
than the visible tissues, spines and epidermis, fleeting flowers, yet
hold great promise to mend the human condition. Some of these effects
are known. Some are yet to be discovered. In each case, conserving the
plants themselves is necessary, worthy of our selfless contributions.
We are of body and mind. Supporting rare plant conservation, these
strange species from far-flung places, is one way of throwing bread
upon the waters of our best human potential. May the minnows in the
shallows be nourished. They are. . . us.”
—Richo Cech, Author, Plantsman, founder of Strictly Medicinal Seeds
“The work you do with Sacred Succulents is extraordinary, and the
way you’ve dedicated your life to preserving endangered species and
ethnobotanical knowledge is deeply inspiring. I truly hope your
campaign brings the support you need to restore the nursery and
protect those living collections.”
—Delia Ackerman, Documentary Filmmaker and Conservationist___
_Our deepest gratitude for all your support — as a small, family-run
organization, it is essential and goes a long way!_
	Ben Kamm & family
	Sacred Succulents: Rare & Endangered Beneficial Plants & Seeds
Conservation of Resilient Biodiversity through Propagation,
Dissemination and Education
PO Box 781
Sebastopol, CA 95473 USA
_We do not take Paypal or other online payments. Still just cash,
check or money order to our PO box._
	~~~~~~~~~~~

	Jonathan Ott Books
Deluxe editions of ethnopharmacologist Jonathan Ott's books
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