Sue Hartman, Garden Hotline, Seattle Tilth
Historically, people around the world have depended upon seed grown and saved by farmers in order to grow food. Flash forward to today, where a handful of large seed companies control most of the seed sold. Fortunately, there are many small scale farmers and gardeners who are committed to improving and preserving seed stocks. Without these seed savers, many crop varieties will disappear. According to a study by the Rural Advancement Society, in 1903, there were 497 varieties of lettuce listed by the USDA. 80 years later only 36 varieties were found in the National Seed Storage Laboratory . The Pacific Northwest is home to a number of small seed companies who use sustainable farming methods to grow plants that thrive in our Maritime climate.
Many companies sell both certified organic as well as non-certified organic seeds. Why choose organic? Seed crops have fewer restrictions than food crops so non-organic seed companies may use synthetic chemicals that pollute the environment. Organically grown seeds are adapted to chemical-free growing conditions. If you want to buy certified organic seed, look for ...USDA Organic, ...Certified Organic Washington State Dept. of Agriculture, (WSDA) or ...Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) on the packet. Do note, however, that some seed farmers use sustainable farming methods but are not certified organic for financial or philosophical reasons. This is usually noted at some point in their seed catalog, so look closely!
Genetically modified seed is a growing concern. Over 100 commercial seed companies have signed the Safe Seed Pledge or advertise that they do not sell or trade genetically modified seeds. The Safe Seed Pledge is a voluntary program created by The Council for Responsible Genetics (CRG) in partnership with a coalition of seed growers and sellers. Companies post if they have signed the pledge in their catalogues and on their websites.
A Sampling of Sustainable Seed Companies:
Daggawalla: A collection of farms around Portland that grow seeds for edible and medicinal uses. They practice organic and sustainable farming and wild-crafting but are not certified organic. They sell seeds for cultivated as well as wild crops including some that many gardeners consider weeds. They also feature a large selection of Nicotiana species.
daggawalla.com
Family Farmers Seed Cooperative (FFSC): A farmer owned and operated cooperative with members in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, Washington, Oregon and California. They specialize in USDA certified organic and public domain seeds. They ensure quality through trialing seeds before releasing them to the market including testing for germination, pathology and seed purity.
organicseedcoop.com
Osborne Seed Company: A WSDA certified organic seed company located in Mount Vernon, WA that has been in the seed business for 33 years. They carry some intriguing seeds that you wont find anywhere else, like "Lollypop mix radish and "Aurora Formula Swiss chard.
osborneseed.com
Seed Savers Exchange: A non-profit organization dedicated to preserving thousands of different plant varieties through a system designed to allow members to exchange seeds. They also actively participate in two world seed banks. You do not have to be a member to purchase seeds. SSE features a number of seed collections, including the Ark of Taste, a global effort to save important foods from extinction.
seedsavers.org
Tater Mater: This is the place to find unusual tomato and potato seeds online. It was started by Tom Wagner, local plant breeder who introduced the "Green Zebra tomato. Tom continues to breed new varieties and wants to preserve heirloom strains that are resistant to the diseases that plague gardeners in the Pacific Northwest.
tatermaterseeds.com
Uprising Seeds: A network of farms in Washington, Oregon and Idaho that are all USDA certified organic. Their seeds are now sold in 37 stores including City Peoples, Walts Organics, Madison Market and all PCC outlets in the Seattle area. They plan to add 40 new varieties in 2015.
uprisingorganics.com
Wild Garden Seed: An Oregon Tilth certified organic seed company that grows seed and vegetables at The Gathering Together Farm in Philomath, Oregon. Frank and Karen Morton manage production of high quality, public domain seed and are the brains behind a number of ...farm originals such as "Mortons Secret Lettuce Mix.
wildgardenseed.com
Enjoy perusing the catalog offerings and be sure to call or email us for specific information about when to start seeds, where and how to plant your vegetables and ongoing care this next growing season: 206-633-0451 or gardenhotline.org .
For hands-on learning, try out the Seattle Tilth vegetable gardening classes for 2015: http://seattletilth.nonprofitsoapbox.com/veggie-gardening. Call the Garden Hotline for one on one advice at (206) 633-0224. You can find us online at www.gardenhotline.org and also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Disclaimer: Please use this channel at your own discretion. These articles are contributed by our users. We are not responsible or liable for any problems related to the utilization of information of these articles.
View All Contributions
|
|
|
