“Vicia Faba” is a seed packet containing a single fava seed and five plant stakes.

The fava bean (Vicia faba) is a world unto itself. It contains the promise of many seeds which each carry with them the possible proliferation of seed gifting and exchange.

This project began by imagining a gift could be a beginning rather than an end in & of itself. A single seed inherently has “gift alchemy”—as contained within a single seed is the possibility for many seeds and continued gifts—ideas explored in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s essay, The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance.

The fava bean is an incredibly hardy plant; it has a wide “hardiness zone”—its ability to grow in a number of different climates. It’s also a nitrogen fixer, having a net positive impact on the soil around it. And—it’s also edible! Recommended planting Fall 2023.

Edition of 350. The packet measures 3.25 × 5" with .25" depth, weighing 8 grams.

This gift is a collaboration between Companion–Platform & Are.na.

Learn more about this item’s origins in our blog post.