Walters

To avoid freeze-drying my fingers, I yank them out, while Ms. Walters adds liquid nitrogen to the tank. Out billow clouds of chilly white fog.

The technology behind seed storage is impressive. Some seeds at the national seed storage lab might remain viable for 600 years. To show me how they could survive so long, Dr. Walters leads me to a room that's relatively warm, though it contains sealed tubs of liquid nitrogen that are 10 times chillier than the big cold storage room. She unseals a cryogenic tub, and when I reach inside, my hands feel surprisingly comfortable.

Plant physiologist Christina Walters is proud of her work at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, where she studies ways to extend the longevity of the Center's massive seed collections. She leads me down long, echoey hallways to the heart of the seed storage lab. I'm soon to discover, it's a frigid heart.

Renee Walters and Ashley Scott started the campaign to buy Freedom after Walters saw a viral post about buying a town “for the price of a New York apartment.”