Guest guest Posted February 21, 1999 Report Share Posted February 21, 1999 Hare Krsna dasi Open Pollinated Seed Sources Here is some brief information on open pollinated seed sources. This list comes from a full-length article in the Winter 1998 edition of *People, Places & Plants: The Gardening Magazine for Maine.* www.maine.com/ppandp (You will see a number of northern suppliers here.) The article is called "Heirloom Seed Sources" by Amy LeBlanc. I have been meaning to type up the whole thing, but I don't really have time. So here is a basic list. Ms. LeBlanc has listed some of the seeds as her "favorites." Many of these companies sell both hybrid and open-pollinated varieties. (I believe that the heirloom varieties are nearly all open-pollinated.) Most of these companies also have a FAX number and additional information. If you are interested in any particular company but can't use the web to reach them, contact me and I will look up the information. Please keep in mind that sometimes it is best to purchase from suppliers in a climate zone similar to yours so that seeds sprout and mature at an appropriate time of year. A few non-US sources are listed near the end. ******************************************* BIG COMPANIES W. Atlee Burpee Co. Warminster PA 1-800-888-1447 www.burpee.com Free catalog Est. 1876 Burpee Heirlooms *favorite* (same as above) "In response to the growing interest in heirloom vegetable and flower varieties, Burpee introduced a separate heirloom catalogue in 1997. This beautiful full-color booklet features photos from old Burpee catalogs and offers a nice selection of old varieties of flowers and vegetables. Many of these varieties were originally introduced by Burpee but have not been offered for sale for decades! Park Seed Co. Greenwood SC 1-800-845-3369 www.parkseed.com Free catalog Est. 1868 Totally Tomatoes Augusta GA 1-803-663-0016 Free catalog MEDIUM COMPANIES Bountiful Gardens Willits CA 1-707-459-6410 bountiful (AT) zapcom (DOT) net Free catalog The Cook's Garden Hodges SC 1-800-457-9703 www.cooksgarden.com Free catalog FEDCO *favorite* Waterville ME 1-207-873-7333 Free catalog "FEDCO is a vibrant customer-and-employee-owned cooperative that offers, vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, spring- and fall-planted bulbs, fruit trees, tubers, perennials, tools, books, and soil amendments and green manures for organic growers. FEDCO offers low prices and encourages cooperative orders for bulk discounts. Varieties are selected for suitability to Northeast growing conditions. There is a full range of hybrid, open-pollinated and heirloom seed, no treaded seed, and the catalogue makes such a great read, it's worth sending for it for that reason alone!" J.L. Hudson, Seedsman *favorite* Box 1058, Redwood City CA 94064 Free catalog "J.L. makes no attempt to be "contemporary," and every order is filled personally, the old-fashioned way. I've asked him some "picky" cultural questions and received prompt hand-written answers." Johnny's Selected Seeds Albion ME 1-207-437-4301 www.johnnyseeds.com Free catalog [i'm not sure why this is Maine seed company is not on Ms. LeBlanc's "favorite" list. It's on my boss's favorite list, because her husband is on the board of directors. Johnny's was the first seed company I ever heard of that actually promoted open-pollinated seeds to its customers.] "The Johnny's catalogue is beautiful, filled with color photos of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that can be grown from their seeds. Johnny's also features a good tool selectio9n, books, and extensive cultural information. In recent years, the selection of heirloom varieties has increased dramatically." Nichols Garden Nursery Albany OR 1-541-928-9280 Free catalog Pinetree Garden Seeds New Gloucester ME 1-207-926-3400 www.superseeds.com Free catalog Seeds of Change Santa Fe NM 1-888-762-7333 www.seedsofchange.com Free catalog Shepherd's Garden Seeds Torrington CT 1-860-482-3638 Free catalog www.shepherdseeds.com Tomato Growers Supply Fort Myers FL 1-888-478-7333 www.tomatogrowers.com Free catalog Vermont Bean Seed Co Vaucluse SC 1-803-663-0217 fax 1-888-500-7333 Free catalog "Vermont Bean Seed Company began as a tiny source for fresh and dry bean seeds, and has grown into a much larger company offering full selections of vegetables and herbs, including rare, hard-to-find, and European varieties. It offers a limited number of flower varieties and recommends the Seymour's Selected Seeds catalog for a larger selection. Vesey's Seeds Calais ME [Canadian border] 1-902-368-7333 FAX 1-207-555-1620 SMALL TO TINY Allen, Sterling & Lothrup 191 U.S. Route 1 Falmouth ME 04105 1-207-781-4142 $1 catalog Est. 1911 "Maine's oldest seed company specializes in older, open-pollinated varieties of flowers and vegetables. The catalogue is simple, straight-forward in black-and-white. The company's main focus is in seed racks, available in more than 100 locations in Maine." Fox Hollow Herb & Seed Heirloom Seed Co. *Favorite* Box 148 McGrann PA 16236 1-888-548-SEED $1 catalog "Fox Hollow is still a family-operated business. Since they only advertise by word-of-mouth, I only recently discovered them. Fox Hollow offers a broad selection of open-pollinated vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They carry lots of heirloom varieties, including some unique tomato varieties. Their black-and-white catalogue is filled with good cultural information." High Mowing Organic Seed Farm Tom Stears RD #1 Derby Line VT 05830 $.50 catalog 1-802-895-4696 Le Jardin du Gourmet Box 75 St. Johnsbury Vt 05863-0075 Free catalog "The really nice feature of Le Jardin is the seed packet sizing. It is possible to buy a sample of see for only 25 cents..." Peters Seed and Research Box 1472 Myrtle Creek OR 97457 1-541-8863-3693 Salt Spring Seeds *Favorite* Box 444, Ganges Salt Spring Island BC V8K 2W1 CANADA Free catalog "Salt Spring Seeds offers only certified organic seeds for food crops. The emphasis is on high-protein, good-tasting, and high yielding crops. The selection of GRAINS, particcularly hull-less wheats and barleys, is extensive. All the varieties are adapted to northern areas. The Salt Spring seed catalogue is put together simply, and filled with extensive cultural and seed-saving information. I've found Salt Spring to be very prompt and personal!" Territorial Seed Co Cottage Grove OR 1-541-942-9547 www.territorial-seed.com Free catalog OTHER SEED SOURCES (small companies and historical preservation foundations, etc.) Abundant Life Port Townsend WA 1-360-385-5660 http://csf.Colorado.EDU/perma/abundant "A non-profit organization dedicated to preserving genetic diversity and supporting sustainable agriculture." Alfrey Seeds Knoxville TN (mostly hot peppers) Eastern Native Seed Conservancy Great Barrinton MA www.berkshir.net/ensc/seedmain.html "A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving food crops native to the Northeast." Garden State Heirloom Seed Society Delaware NJ 07833 1-908-475-4861 "An heirloom seed saving and educational group." Heirloom Seed Project *Favorite* Seed-Savers Program, MVHS Box 309 Waldoboro ME 04572 Free catalog (donations accepted) School: 1-207-832-5389 "The seed catalogue is the result of seed-saving that is part of the second- and third-year program in Practical Botany Class offered at the Medomak Valley High School. The students research the history of each heirloom variety, the seeds are carefully grown out, and the resulting seeds are saved." Kids in Bloom Box 344 Zionsville IN 46077 317-290-6996 "An inner-city education program using land reclaimed after buildings are razed. Children grow and harvest produce for their families and other in need and harvest much of their own seed!" ME. Seed Saving Network *Favorite* Box 126 Penobscot ME 04476 "MSSN is a nonprofit, publicly supported and membership-supported organization serving the needs and interests of farmers and gardeners who are growing and saving seeds in our region. Membership includes the newsletter, articles of interest, the catalogue of seed offerings, and notification of activities. Seeds are offered by savers from all across Maine, and may be obtianed either from the catalogue, or at the annual Swap held in March each year. Old Sturbridge Village Heirloom Seeds and Plants 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road Sturbridge MA 01566 1-508-347-3362 www.osv.org "Seeds harvested from the 1830's era gardens at Old Sturbridge Village. Seeds are available by mail; plants, books and gifts are available at the Museum Gift Shop at the Village." The Pepper Gal Ft Lauderdale FL 1-305-537-5540 (Lots of peppers) Scatterseed Project Box 1167 Farmington ME 04938 "Special mention goes to Will Bonsall for his extensive efforts to save vegetable, GRAIN, and fruit cultivars. He offers his seeds and grafts, usually around 1,500 varieties, exclusively through Seed Savers Exchange of which Will is a curator. He grows 500 varieties of PEAS and 300 varieties of POTATOES to maintain diversity within these important food crops. Seed Savers Exchange **Favorite** 3076 N. Winn Rd Decorah IA 52101 1-319-382-5990 fax 1-319-382-5872 free catalog to members ($25) "Members receive reduced seed prices. The SSE offers rare and heirloom vegetable seeds from seed savers all across the ***US and abroad.*** Roughly 8,000 members worldwide are working to rescue endangered vegetables, fruits, flowers, and fruit trees from extenctions and to maintain this vast pool of genetic deversity. The recently gathered collections from EASTER EUROPEAN countries represent some of the most important areas of agriculture as yet untouched by ‘modern' agricultural methods." Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Box 170 Earlysville VA 22936 1-804-973-4703 "‘Saving the past for the future,' Southern Exposure offers a full line of vegetables including many heirlooms." Thomas Etty, Esq. Seedsman, Bulb Merchant *Favorite* 45, Forde Ave., Bromley Kent BR1 3EU ENGLAND 0181-466-6785 Cataloge 1 pound sterling "Seeds from the Henry Doubleday Foundation gardens, Thomas Eyys, Seedsman, are offered through their catalogue and through Seed Savers Exchange." Twin Leaf The Thomas Jefferson Center For Historic Plants at Monticello Box 316, Charlottesville VA 22902 FAX 1-804-977-6140 www.monticellow.org/shop "Seeds harvested from the historic gardens of Monticello, established in 1987." [Jefferson was President of the United States around 1800, and was extensively involved with agriculture and agricultural improvements. He said, "I think our nation shall remain virtuous as long as it remains primarily agrarian..." Maybe he was right.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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