Offer trainings for young people in land stewardship
personal experience with this company:
In the first couple of years of gardening, I bought most of my seeds from Siskiyou. Their quality is amazing, their commitment to land stewardship is something that I enjoy supporting through my purchases. They also have a really lovely flower selection with some unique varieties.
Their motto is “Ecological Crop Improvement for and by Farmers”
Organic practices with seeds developed for farms and gardens that don’t use fertilizers or pesticides
They select from the plants that respond most vigorously to their organic way of tending to the crops
Pledges many of their farm-bred varieties to the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) to further encourage seed saving and breeding of plants
personal experience with this company:
I love being able to support folks who are stewarding seeds in a way that helps other farms and gardens to grow food without so much input. I’ve purchased bulk Amaranth from Wild Garden Seed that has done extremely well this season, and their flashback calendula mix, which was absolutely prolific!
They are an organic, chemical-free, no-till, open-pollinated farm - one of the only no-till seed farms I’ve been able to find
They focus on plants that can go from seed to harvest in a shorter season and that are frost tolerant
They offer a lot of rare seeds from Ark of Taste, and also support the OSSI program.
Their selection is amazing - they have a large variety of tepary beans, which are extremely drought-tolerant and are a great crop to grow in areas that get little rainfall in the growing season.
They have a great selection of bulk seeds too, which is great for larger growing needs or to buy a few year’s worth of seed in advance.
personal experience with this company:
This is my first growing season with seeds from Giving Ground, and my seeds germinated well with great harvest results.
They obtain any of their seeds not grown directly by them by other small organic family farms
They have some really interesting and rare varieties that I have not seen anywhere else, it’s always a delight to take a “stroll” through their online store.
No sprays, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, or treatments. This is great for the average home grower who also will not be utilizing those chemicals in their garden.
All seeds grown on small farms, open-pollinated, public domain, with no hybrids to encourage seed saving.
As their name suggests, they focus on varieties adapted to the pacific northwest, with our shorter and very dry growing season.
They offer a variety of seeds produced through dry farming methods, which is much needed work not only for the PNW but globally.
Also have a great selection of seedlings and young plants to purchase
All heirloom plants besides Russian Comfrey (which is a hybrid), so all other seeds can be saved from year to year
All seeds are in public domain and open source
my experience with Strictly Medicinal Seeds:
I have been delighted by their selection of seeds, especially as someone who has always been interested in herbs. Shipping is fast, seed quality is high, and I love having their plants in my garden.
Their list of perennial vegetables and herbs that they offer is incredible, and they have a huge selection of fruit and nut trees, berry vines, and more. Basically anything edible that you can think of, they have it.
Personal experience with this company:
I’ve been very happy with the plants that I have ordered from them - they always come well-packaged, extremely healthy and robust, and have done really well in my garden. I've ordered from them three times, and will keep going back for more :)
They are breeding drought-resistant varieties of vegetables that grow well in shorter growing seasons, so they are great for organic gardeners in similar climates
Since they are in the mountains of Colorado, they specialize in vegetable seeds adapted to the high altitude desert
They strive for producing quality seeds with little input
Stewards rare and at-risk seeds in order to keep the genetic diversity of various crops alive
They are not certified organic, but they do not use synthetic chemicals
All of their seeds are open-source, open pollinated, and GMO free
They focus on soil health and fertility, regenerative practices, and wildlife support
personal experience with this company:
This is my first growing season with seeds from High Desert,and I'm really pleased with the results. I've already put in a second order from them for next growing season.
Native Seed Search is dedicated to uplifting a sustainable growing movement by stewarding arid-adapted seed varieties
They tend to endangered seeds of the Native southwestern peoples
They offer some varieties of the wild ancestors of cultivated crops, which are usually extremely hardy and can provide food in times of unpredictable weather
As a non-profit, all proceeds go towards food security for Native American families and community gardens
Small "mom and pop" business that prioritizes sustainability in their business - from recycled seed packets to a wind-powered hosting for their website
They are a "beyond organic" seed company
Prioritize pollinators in their system
Source seeds from other small farmers
Seeds are never treated or hybrid
All seeds are open-pollinated and heirloom seeds
Most seed packets are under $3
personal experience with this company:
I ordered almost 50 packets of seeds from Mary's in an end-of-the-season spree and have loved the results. This company has a huge variety of seeds to choose from, especially for root vegetables like carrots, radishes, and beets.
Small Sustainable Heirloom Seed Shops on the East Coast
Focus on the cultural significance of seeds for BIPOC and empower BIPOC seed stewards
Offer curated cultural seed gardens from various regions across the globe, such as Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, First Nations, Latin America, and Southern Soul Gardens
An amazing collection of otherwise hard-to-find seeds
True Love Seeds was born out of a long-standing effort to the Food Justice Movement
All seeds are grown chemical-free
They say on their website “Our seeds are grown by more than 50 small-scale urban and rural farmers committed to community food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and sustainable agriculture.”
Seeds with cultural significance are prioritized, with collections from the African diaspora, Ark of Taste, Italy, Philadelphia, and Syria
They offer their partner farmers 50% of each seed packet sold from that farm, which is far higher than industry standard for resale.
Experimental Farm Network “is a non-profit organization committed to regenerative agriculture and justice for all people.”
Their mission statement includes supporting plants that can help feed communities through times of climate change.
One of the best seed companies out there for folks who want seeds adapted to their personal growing conditions
Support seed stewards who select based on different desired characteristics so that the plants are more likely to thrive in the home garden
All of their seeds are part of the OSSI program
They offer great information about each seed and its unique qualities, where it was grown, and the story behind it.
personal experience with this company:
This is my first growing season with seeds from Experimental Farm Network, and I'm keen to continue experimenting with their landrace varieties. I love what they are doing for plant breeding in a time of climate change.
where: seeds are grown in Germany/the EU, but are shipped worldwide. You are responsible for your country's import fees.
why they are on the list:
Focus on rare, endangered, beneficial, and beautiful plants
All seed is open-pollinated for future seed saving
Certified Organic
More information about organic heirloom seeds for vegetable gardens
growing open pollinated seeds means that you can save your seeds year after year
Why buy organic vegetable seeds?
When seeds are grown organically, that means that they were grown with the environment in mind AND that they were grown with the organic home gardener in mind.
Organic seeds are a way to promote environmental stewardship - they were grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, which are better for the planet, have less carbon emissions, and support soil health.
Also, each time plants grow, thrive, and produce seeds, they are essentially being selected for the conditions that they are grown in. So if you purchase non-organic seeds but grow organically, you are buying seeds that may not have had a great relationship with the soil microbiome because they were given synthetic fertilizer, or that plant may only have thrived to produce seed because synthetic pesticides were used.
On the other hand, if you purchase seeds grown organically and under similar conditions to how you garden, the seeds you plant are more likely to thrive.
What does open pollinated seed mean?
Open-pollinated plants are not hybrids, meaning that they can cross-pollinate with each other and produce seeds that are true to type (meaning: no surprises when you plant them in taste or appearance).
This means that you can save the seeds that come from open-pollinated plants and get an expected result from planting them.
Open-pollinated plants can be heirloom as well, but might not qualify due to the 50 year benchmark that heirloom seeds have.
What are open source seeds?
Open source seed varieties are the opposite of a patented or trademarked variety of seeds. Open Source Seeds are pledged by the grower to be available for all to cultivate, propagate, save seeds from, and sell. This promotes sovereignty, freedom, and diversity in the plants that we grow and the food we eat. Learn more at: www.osseeds.org
What are non gmo seeds?
Non GMO seeds mean that the seeds are not genetically engineered or modified by scientists. But, you don't have to worry about that because as of right now, no GMO seeds are available to be sold to home gardeners by seed companies.
All seeds labeled as Organic must also be non GMO.
Should you avoid hybrid seeds?
Not necessarily, it just depends on your goals. Hybrid seeds are usually bred so that they are disease-resistant or have another quality that is desirable to gardeners. If you struggle with growing certain crops due to disease issues, hybrid seeds might be the solution to your issue so that you can enjoy an abundant harvest.
The downside of hybrid seeds is that if you save the seeds, they will not produce true to type. Meaning, if you sowed hybrid tomato seeds and really liked the results, if you saved seeds from your crop, they likely would look, taste, and grow differently.
Personally, I really enjoy saving seeds, so I like to buy seeds that are adapted and selected for certain characteristics instead of hybridized.
