As a vegetable farm we use a lot of seeds. Some seeds we plant directly into the soil out in the field but most of our seeds are started in the greenhouse. The seeds we start in the greenhouse grow into beautiful healthy seedlings that we either transplant out into our fields or sell to home gardeners at the Easton Farmers’ Market.
We often get asked where we get our seeds from, so I’d like to share with you which seed companies we sourced our seed from for the 2024 season.
We are dedicated to using only certified organic seeds, which can sometimes be difficult when you are looking for a particular variety. In our search for a source to find Tromboncino summer squash, we found Turtle Tree Seed Initiative. They are a small, non-profit seed company that sells 100% open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. All their seed is grown using biodynamic and organic practices. Of Turtle Tree Seed’s approximately 30-person team, 20 have some sort of developmental difference. These individuals are involved in every aspect of helping to grow, clean, and pack their seeds.
Our love for Tromboncino stems from the fact it is a cucurbita moschata, which means it is more resistant to common squash pests and diseases like vine borers and powdery mildew. Tromboncino is an Italian variety that can be enjoyed both when young and tender, like zucchini, and also makes a great winter squash when left to mature. These long, large green gooseneck-type squashes grow on sturdy, productive vines. We expect to have these seedlings available in May.
About half of all the seed we use comes from Fedco Seeds, we have been ordering from them since our farm was started. They are a wonderful worker/consumer-owned cooperative. Their catalog is huge and all their seeds are labeled with their source, a transparency for consumers not often seen in the seed industry.
There are so many fun varieties from them that we will be growing this year. I’m so stoked to have Weisnicht’s Ukrainian tomato back this year. This pink tomato is hands down my favorite tomato. A large heirloom perfect for sandwiches, salads, or eating straight off the vine.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds is an industry powerhouse. Their selection of seeds and farm supplies is vast. They also provide so many resources on all things seeds; charts and numbers I reference every year as I make my crop plan.
We really love the open-pollinated cherry tomato series Bumble Bee, which is bred to have high vigor and perform under tough conditions. With Purple Bumble Bee being a yearly favorite of ours. It is an eye-catching combination of dusky purple with metallic green striping, and its sweet flavor has a meaty texture making for the perfect cherry to snack on all summer.
High Mowing Organic Seeds is an awesome company that only carries certified organic seeds with a wonderful selection of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties. Last year, we became super fans of Brûlée butternut, a prolific and early producer of stout, personal-sized squashes. Brûlée fruits have a rich and savory flavor profile, with just the right amount of sweetness. We are growing more this year because ours sold out in flash back in October.
Our orders from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange are always a colorful package bursting at the seams. When I’m struggling to find a crop variety that can handle our hot and humid Mid-Atlantic climate, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is my go-to source. They also have tons of hard to find (or you didn’t know it existed) organic heirloom seeds. Their catalog is a fascinating read as every seed variety has a story or at least their origin listed. Which makes it hard not to order every single one!
They are our source for big, beautiful, and flavorful tomatillos. One of our favorite varieties is Everona Large Green. This variety’s seed was originally collected from tomatillos planted by Mexican workers at the Everona sheep dairy in Virginia. It has nice large green fruits, up to 2½” in diameter.
Flipping through paper seed catalogs or scrolling through them on our screens is always a feast for the eyes. Which as any farmer or gardener knows creates the temptation to just order everything you see. But we all have limitations on our growing space and we can’t grow everything.
So, to help myself be realistic in my seed order and separate my wants from my needs I do an inventory of all our existing seed at the farm before I even look at this year’s catalogs. Doing our seed inventory allows me to see what we have, how much, and how old the seed is. This very important annual task allows us to make sure we are utilizing all our seed resources without being wasteful. Different crops have different seed viability. Some seeds can stay viable for 5 years while others just 1 year. The longevity also depends on keeping the seed in proper storage conditions; cool, dark, and dry.
After we complete the seed inventory I can then determine what seed we need to purchase to fill the needs of our crop plan. I figure this year I already had about half the seed I will need from previous year’s purchases. Which still gave me plenty of opportunities to order new seed varieties to try!
Have you bought or started any seeds for 2024 yet?