10/16/2026
The Van Wert Soil and Water Conservation District is not accepting milkweed pods this year because the state-wide Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative (OPHI) has officially paused the Milkweed Seed Collection program for 2026.
After 10 consecutive years of collecting pods, state wildlife and conservation officials are taking a temporary break to focus entirely on distributing and planting the massive surplus of seeds they already have stored back into Ohio communities. Because this is a statewide pause, there are no official community collection drop-off points anywhere in Van Wert County or surrounding counties this fall.
What You Can Do with Your Milkweed Pods This Fall:
If you already collected milkweed pods or have them ready to harvest on your property, conservation groups strongly recommend putting them to use yourself or locally:
• Plant them on your own property: You can let the pods dry, harvest the seeds, and plant them to expand your own pollinator habitats. Late autumn is the perfect time to sow milkweed seeds directly into the ground so they can naturally undergo the winter freezing process ("stratification") required to sprout in the spring.
• Share with family, friends, or neighbors: Gardeners and monarch enthusiasts are often looking for viable native seeds. You can hand them out to individuals or check with local gardening groups to see if anyone wants them.
• Dispose of them as yard waste: If you simply want to clear them out and do not wish to keep the seeds, you can dispose of them.
If you are harvesting the seeds to save or share on your own, ensure the pods are completely dry, grey, or brown, and pop open gently at the center seam. Be sure to store them in a paper bag rather than plastic, as plastic traps moisture and will quickly cause the seeds to mold and rot.
We do understand how disappointing this will be for some and we do apologize for any inconvenience.
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