My Favorite Local & Organic Seed Companies
I wanted to highlight some of my favorite companies with local, heirloom, and organic seeds. To help encourage you to shop at some of the smaller seed growers. Especially the seed companies that are in your state or region. It is important to support the folks who grow seeds on a small scale because their aim is not for profit. They are the ones that hold onto the sacred lineage of humanity and the stories that come with that. Our humanity is deeply intertwined with seeds and the food we eat. Without seed savers and seed farmers so much of our ancient cultures would be lost. And so much has already been lost.
The Natural Approach
Humans are naturally supposed to be connected to plants and nature. We have lost sight of what it truly means to be human. Our entire existence is based around plants, yet most of us can barely handle taking care of an easy-care house plant. We started as gathers. We knew which plants were edible. How they adapted to the seasons and environment. And how to use them as medicine. Then, when the agricultural revolution started, humans became farmers. Animal agriculture and mono-crops became a convenient way of life. And now we are starting to realize that this could be our downfall. We have lost track of what it truly means to use plants for all of our needs, without over exhausting the resources by over-consuming in the name of profit.
The Fight for Health and Seeds
We are going to have to start waking up to our corrupt food system. You may not be aware of the food issues that have been getting worse over the past year. But we are about to face the greatest fight for seeds. If we want to continue accessing healthy food the best way to do that is by strengthening our food sovereignty by building a more localized food system in your community. We will have to start growing and saving heirloom, organic seeds to fight for control over the food we eat so we can hold on to the sacred lineage of our ancestry and humanity. Corporations are doing everything in their power to control our food system and every facet of our lives.
Corporation Control
Four large corporations have consolidated regional seed production and control over 60% of the global seed market. Today is the day we start waking up to this reality. The fact that Bill Gates owns the most agricultural land in the country should scare you more than anything. Because he does not have anyone’s best interest, his hand is in too many suspicious money pots, and he has long lost his humanity because of his greed, which makes him the last person we should allow to make any major decisions for the rest of the world. Everything that he profits from should be a concern of ours that we need to start paying attention to.
Colorado Proud Organic Seeds And More
If you live in Colorado I am sharing some of my favorite seed farmers below. But I am also sharing some of my favorite national organic seed companies too. No matter where you are it is urgent for you to start taking back your freedom and there is no better way to do that than planting seeds. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have the most ideal growing conditions. Everyone can grow something and it is important that we all start to learn how to do that.
Folks Farm & Seeds
Seed sovereignty is food sovereignty. While large corporations aim to control, modify, and patent what is a right for all life, seed saving is a peaceful weapon of necessity.
Folks Farm and Seeds
Located on a secluded and dreamy piece of land on the northern end of Fort Collins is where you can find Folks Farm & Seeds. These folks are a small ecologically-minded farm that have been around since March 2019. Alex the owner, grows regionally adapted food, flowers, and herbs. With a regenerative approach that includes seed saving, composting, cover cropping, diversity, and low-till. Which results in nutrient-dense food that is “beyond organic.”
Their seeds are a great choice, especially for all the Colorado gardeners and farmers. The bi-annual and annual selection have been bred specifically for drought resistance, stronger root systems, effective mine for nutrients, and are more resistant to Colorado’s ever-changing climate.
Lineage Seeds
“May these seeds be a reminder of all that we come from and have yet to become.”
Jared Hagood, Founder
Jared over at Lineage Seeds is dreaming of the future. Growing seeds, crafting pots, and gifting heirloom treasures to future generations. Because once we are all dead and gone, what we leave behind matters more than anything else.
Saving seeds inside pots is an ancient practice that Lineage Seeds is bringing back to life. With four essential crops to purchase. Heirloom corn, beans, grains, and even melons. Every pot of seeds purchased has a scroll inside sharing the history of the growers before you. So you can pass down the legacy of our food and our humanity. The clay and seeds are all made on Jared’s farm in New Mexico.
Hight Desert Seeds
To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.
Wendell Barry
Diverse, resilient seeds grown especially for dry climates like Colorado. High Desert Seeds has a huge collection of garden favorites along with many new favorites to try. Their seeds have been adapted exclusively for bioregions in the high mountains and deserts. Everything is grown in Colorado by family farmers and dedicated seed savers committed to methods like open-pollinated, non-GMO, and organic. While using low input/natural methods.
Living in a climate like Colorado means growing your own food can be tricky especially if you are trying to follow age-old garden advice that has not adapted to where you live. The High Desert Seed Crew has made it easier to grow food in Colorado with their seeds and knowledge of the natural processes of the land in Colorado. Buying seeds from them is a must if you live here in Colorado like me.
Johnny’s Organic Seeds
Johnny Seeds is a classic place to buy all kinds of different seeds but especially organic seeds because they have such a wide selection. This classic seed company has been around for 48 years and has been a large propeller for setting high-quality standards for seeds, by exceeding federal growing standards, germination rates, and pathogen testing.
After 3 years in business, Johnny Seeds switched over to growing primarily organic seeds. Now they offer hundreds of varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and more. If you are looking to buy most of your organic seeds from one place Johnny Seeds is a great option.
The founder, Johnson believed that the best vegetable seed grows from plants that are nurtured in organically rich soil and unexposed to pesticides. Johnson was able to find heirloom varieties that no one else was carrying back then, which helped his business take off. And he was passionate about helping folks save their own seeds and even wrote a book about it. Read more about Johnny’s seed legacy here.
Baker Creek Seeds
Baker Creek Seeds is the largest heirloom seed company in the country. Their mission is to keep heirloom varieties alive for future generations. Farmers, gardeners, and communities are more empowered when they save seeds and share them with their neighbors. It is meant to be this way. A community is stronger when they can depend on each other and when we depend on each other we don’t have to depend on a broken system that feeds us toxic food that is slowly killing us.
The founder of Baker Creek started saving seeds as a hobby in 1998 and it flourished from there. The company has never lost its passion for growing heirloom seeds. It is extremely important to them that nutrient dense food is accessible for all.
Floret Flowers Organic Seeds
You may have heard whisperings about a little company based out of Washington state called Floret. They are one of the best flower growers out there. Floret specializes in growing organic seeds of many uncommon and heirloom flowers. If you want to add diversity or grow your own cut flower garden or buy great comapnion plants to grow alongside your vegetables, this company is a great place to start adding to your flower collection.
They strive to offer the tools that every gardener needs to grow a successful flower garden. Learn more about Floret by watching their new show on the Magnolia network, or by taking one of their workshops, or buying one of their incredibly photographed books to get inspiration. This company has so much to offer. I promise you won’t want to miss out on a single thing that this incredible team is up to.
Seeds Trust
“In my work with seeds, language and people, I continue to learn that true strength and resilience stems from diversity, respect and passion.”
Julia Coffey
Seeds Trust is another Colorado seed company based out of Littleton, CO. Julia and Alisha are two lovely seed ladies that are working to reverse the loss of biodiversity by offering a variety of seeds specially selected for the Colorado region.
Buying organic seeds when you can is what we need because we need agriculture with no biocides and we need more diversity. Buying and growing different varieties of seeds before they are lost is also crucial. Seeds Trust has a great assortment of varieties to add to your garden for a more biodynamic approach that better aligns with nature’s rhythms and cycles.
Wild Mountain Seeds
Some of the most beautifully vibrant vegetables I have ever seen have come from Wild Mountain Seeds located in Carbondale, CO in the Roaring Fork Valley.
They are a seed breeder and food production farm that specializes in adapting plant diversity specific for the colder mountain regions of Colorado. When breeding their seeds in extreme conditions they focus on making their plants and crops the most resilient, reliable, beautiful, tasty, and vigorous as possible. Any seeds you buy from them are bound to be your new garden favorite. Especially if you live in a tough microclimate in the rocky mountains.
The boys at Wild Mountain Seeds inherited Sunfire Ranch, a former potato farm from their family. This makes them the 6th generation of their family to own this land and the special opportunity to hold sacred water rights.
Strictly Medicinal Organic Seeds
“Growing a garden of medicinal herbs is like inviting hummingbirds, butterflies, and violets over for tea. Serve the plants and be served by them. It is the work and joy of a lifetime.“
Richo Cech
If you are interested in growing your own organic and pure herbal medicine and remedies there is no better place to look than Strictly Medicinal Seeds. With hundreds of different varieties of organic seeds, you will be able to grow your own farmacy in no time.
Richo, the founder, is a well-known cultivator and processor of medicinal herbs. He gives so much to his customers. You can really see his passion in the way he helps everyone interested in his seeds and that passion is carried through all the volunteers and workers at Strictly Medicinal. Richo’s lifelong interest in seeds leads to extensive travel and plant exploration in the USA, Africa, South America, China, and Europe. He has collected all of the common herbal plants that you would recognize with a large assortment of rare varieties you cannot find anywhere else.
Conclusion
There are always so many seed companies to check out and depending on where you live there are bound to be some even more amazing seed farmers. Fighting to keep our food real and in the grips of humanity so we can pass on our traditions for many more generations. In the hopes to restore a better world.
For more information read more about different kinds of seeds here and how to start seeds indoors here.
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