Sacred Seeds. Our Top 5 Favorite Seed Companies
It's that time of year folks! Snow's gettin' deep and the catalogs are rolling in...
As we anticipate the exciting growing season ahead I thought we would share with you our favorite seed companies and why we love them..... We order from these folks every year; who's your favorite? Please share in the comments below!
5. Richter's Seeds
This seed company has an amazing selection of herb seed. Based out of Canada, they carry seeds that grow in a wide range of agricultural zones, as well as live bare-root plants. They even have Leonotis/ Wild Dagga! Richter's Seeds
4. Fedco Seeds
This Maine-based seed company/ co-op has been providing quality seeds to growers for decades. They have a fantastic selection of heirloom vegetables, herbs, flowers and even grains... (As well as trees, tubers, and growing supplies) They are passionate and dedicated to non-GMO and supporting small farmers, and the artwork in their catalog is quite entertaining! We look here especially when a larger company is out of something, often times, Fedco has it. They also offer free shipping on all orders over $30 (bonus!!) and some pretty sweet bulk discounts. Fedco
Welcome to Fedco Seeds, your source for cold-hardy selections especially adapted to our demanding Northeast climate. Each year we observe hundreds of varieties, selecting only the best for inclusion in our catalogs. Through our product lines and cultural hints, we encourage sustainable growing methods. We offer a large selection of certified-organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties. We buy products from all over the world.
3. J.L. Hudson Seedsman
Counting down to number three we have this awesome company, an exclusively mail order seedbank. Their catalog is immense- get your latin name ID book ready! For some very unique finds, as well as classics- of perennials, herbs, flowers, and annuals. This company has a lot to offer. You can tell the owners must be real enthusiasts and stewards. J.L. Hudson
2.Baker Creek Heirlooms
Many will be familiar with this popular heirloom seed company. They are top notch. Exciting selection of truly unique heirloom vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and their prices are fair. Their seed packets make great crafting materials once they've been emptied, and their catalog is a work of art. We especially like to order our tomatoes from here. Baker Creek
1. Johnny's Selected Seeds
Being that we are market growers we have found that, over the years, Johnny's has our back when it comes to quality and consistency. We have had great success with germination and growing from everything we've ordered. They also have exceptional customer service, and a library of grower guides to all sorts of crops, as well as tips and tricks for everything under the sun. In this case the old adage rings true "You get what you pay for." Not that Johnny's is expensive, but on some things we pay a bit more for that peace of mind and quality. They sell seed for heirloom and hybrid vegetables, herbs, and flowers as well as cover crops and state-of-the-art tools and equipment. Johnny's
Johnny's Selected Seeds was one of nine original signers of the Safe Seed Pledge, in 1999....
We pledge that we do not knowingly buy, sell, or trade genetically-engineered seeds or plants.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Bountiful Gardens
We used to love to order from this place. They will be missed but as of 2018 they have completed their mission:
Bountiful Gardens was started as an educational non-profit business in 1985 to provide access to vanishing heirloom seeds, and to raise awareness of the importance of seed-saving, organic methods, and open-pollinated (heirloom) seeds. Now these are all household words. Dozens of heirloom seed companies, seed libraries, and seed swaps now exist.
Listed on their website are some small companies they endorse, you can check them out here
2. Sandhill Crane Preservation
Putting this on the list because they have such a special collection of seeds and poultry. Although we have not yet ordered from them we are planning to this year! Sandhill
3. Arrowhead Alpines
From Asarum to Helleborus- and beyond... This company is very dear to my heart. My mother and I visited them years ago, they were friends of hers. These folks are true collectors and connoisseurs. Unfortunately the family suffered the saddening loss of one of the owners and founder due to cancer, he is sorely missed, but his legacy lives on. They are still open for business by nursery visit or mail order. If you're a plant-lover their online catalog is a MUST SEE. Arrowhead
What is YOUR favorite seed company to order from?
there are quite a few companies here i haven't heard of - thanks so much for sharing them! i've done some purchasing through territorial seed, and will likely be getting some from baker creek this year as well.
for testing out new seeds, i do love the 99 cent packets that seedsnow.com offers. especially for things like squash! all the growth you can get from one little seed still blows my mind sometimes.
Yes that is so true!I will check out Territorial and Seedsnow! Thanks!
I was surprised to see someone beat out Baker Creek on your list. I'll have to check them out.
Thanks! Well it was a tough decision, LOL..
Nice! As a market gardener trained in France and growing in Japan, this article made me very jealous!
Hello to a fellow market gardener, do you currently live in Japan? What do you think of Masinabo Fukuoka's writings?
Hello likewise! Yeah, been living here since October 2016 (although I studied Japanese at university some 20 years ago so I'm no stranger) and farming since last April.
I like Fukuoka but I have to admit to being rather irritated by the common assumption that he practised permaculture (actually wrote an essay on that subject two years ago...). Also, it's not commonly known that the English version of One-Straw Revolution was pretty heavily modified. And as for the French version, it was re-translated from the English version. Which unfortunately means that most peoples' experience of Fukuoka is a little removed from the actual source... Having said all that, though, from a practical perspective, his approach is not something I feel I can really aspire to as a market gardener. Even here in Japan, most natural farming practitioners (including the specialised agricultural school where I live in Nagano), farm using techniques and approaches that don't correspond with what Fukuoka did himself. For example, planting rice directly through barley: the majority of even famous practitioners flood their fields just the same as in conventional agriculture and don't interplant.
This is an absolutely fantastic share! With the big seed business issues we have been having in our country, and around the world, this gives me hope we still have good food to grow, and passionate farms to support that held out against a big corporate take over of the seed market. I will surely be revisiting this post soon when I get my garden up and running. Thank you!
Thank you very much, Im glad you enjoyed the post!
Very welcome.
@originalworks
I live in the Pacific Northwest, but Fedco - clear across the country - is still my favorite. There's so much information in there, and not just about the plant varieties, but about the source of their seed. They really let the consumer make the choices and tradeoffs. And that JL Hudson catalog drives home how diverse our plant world is! There's an education in there. I can see Johnny's serving market gardeners well, but for home gardening, they've really transitioned from where they started. They have come up with some great varieties - and not many seed houses are doing that any more. I get their catalog, but probably under-use them these days. Happy gardening!
Ahhh, happy gardening to you as well! Yes Fedco is such a great company! We definitely order from them every year! They are pretty great for home and market gardeners!!