Organic Seed Companies and Organic Farms
Afternoon Zephyr Farm: Located near the Rogue River in Oregon, Kent and Hueylee Knock specialize in healthy soils and specialty seed garlic, which is sold via an “online farmers’ market” at Gourmet Garlic Gardens.
American Organic: Located in Warren, IL, American Organic is an independent, family -owned and -operated company serving communities across America. Their goal is to continue to offer a broad spectrum of certified organic and non-gmo seeds and services including a wide variety of small grains, cover crops, row crops, pasture mixes, forages and inoculants.
Botanical Interests: This family-owned, Colorado-based seed company was founded on the basis that gardeners didn’t have access to informative seed packets. Since 1995 they have been supplying gardeners with high quality seed in beautiful and informative seed packets−which now includes a large selection of organic flowers, herbs and vegetables.
Bountiful Gardens: Bountiful Gardens is a non-profit organization and project of Ecology Action of the Mid-Peninsula, located in Willits, CA. They sell untreated open-pollinated heirloom seeds for vegetables, herbs, flowers, grains, cover crops, green manures, and compost and carbon crops. They also offer books and videos addressing biointensive practices for growing soil sustainably using “mini-farming” techniques like double-digging, intensive spacing, and companion planting.
Canyon Bounty Farm: Farmer Beth Rasgorshek produces organic seeds and nursery crops on her small farm in Nampa, Idaho. She specializes in beans, edamamae soybeans, lettuce, peppers, onions, leeks, flowers, watermelons, musk melons and herbs, and also works on cleaning up varieties.
Chartier Farm
Ernie’s Organics : Fred and Judy Brossy have been farming organically in Shoshone, ID, since 1996. They cultivate 300 acres of wheat, beans, potatoes, and hay. Ernie’s Organics also produces organic seed crops, with a focus on bean seed.
Family Farmers Seed Cooperative (FFSC): A nationally-oriented, Oregon-based, farmer-owned cooperative that produces high quality, organic, open-pollinated, public domain seeds for farmers. Their mission is to change our food system to be reliant on ecologically-based, diverse, local and regional farms and gardens by focusing on improving and expanding the seed supply in two key ways− through high quality organic seed production and breeding of open-pollinated cultivars for organic seed systems.
Farm Direct Organic Seed & Hobbs Family Farm: Located in Avodale, Colorado, Hobbs Family Farm produces open-pollinated vegetable seeds and seed garlic for market growers and home gardeners. Their farmer-friendly varieties are suited to organic systems; the selection is further refined by drought hardiness, storage potential and specialty markets.
Fedco Seeds: Founded in 1978 by CR Lawn, this Maine-based cooperative specializes in cold-hardy selections and offers an impressive listing of organic varieties and regional heirlooms annually. Their seed sources include small seed growers, including Fedco staff and other OSGATA members.
Foods Alive: Foods alive is a family owned and operated company located in Indiana specialing in value-added products, like crackers and oils, made from certified organic seed. They believe that the best tasting seed comes from nutrient dense soil that is alive and rich with vitamens and minerals.
Foxfibre Cotton: Foxfibre cotton is a trademark line of cotton bred by Sally Fox- she has been diligently selecting cotton for naturally colored lints that could be spun with a machine since the early 1980s. Fox continues her work to improve fiber quality, while increasing the color spectrum. In conjunction with a network of organic cotton growers, Fox’s company Vreseis Limited provides Foxfibre lint, sliver, yarn, fabric, wool, fleeces, and finished products for wholesale and retail.
Gourmet Seed International, LLC: A small family-owned seed company located in New Mexico, Gourmet Seed International focuses on providing a diverse array of high-quality seed, as well as tools and supplies. They strive to offer the best: heirloom seed varieties, imported gourmet seed, and the peace of mind earned through their certified organic offerings. They recognize that growers are looking for better tasting produce, and emphasize the culinary and sensory qualities in their wide selection of vegetable, herb, flower, microgreen, and sprouting seed.
Gratitude Gardens
Irish Eyes Garden Seed: Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, located in Ellensburg, WA, is a quality provider of potato, vegetable, flower and garden seeds. They also stock organic gardening supplies and fertilizers.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Located in Winslow, ME, Johnny’s is a employee-owned company with a mission: to help families, friends, and communities to feed one another by providing superior seeds, tools, information, and service. They stock a growing selection of certified organic seed, including the rewards of their intensive breeding programs. Working at their research farm in Maine, and with collaborators around the world, Johnny’s has long history of producing varieties that have won awards for flavor, disease- resistance, and yield.
Kawanui Farm: Nancy Redfeather and her husband Gerry Herbert created an experimental and educational mini-farm at Kawanui, Honalo. Since 2002 they have offered community classes in home vegetable, coffee and orchard production using sustainable and ecological practices.
Kingbird Farm: Karma and Michael Glos produce a diverse array of certified organic meats, produce and value-added items in Berkshire, NY. Their products are available via preorder, at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market and at their self-service farm stand.
Many Hands Organic Farm: Established in 1982, this small certified organic family farm located in Barre, MA, which maintains a variety of CSA share options including vegetable shares for spring, summer, and late fall, as well as a flower share, fruit share, and a juicing share. MHOF also sells at various local markets including Living Earth in Worcester, the Barre Farmers Market, and the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. Farmers Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson also work with NOFA-MASS.
Nick’s Organic Farm: Nick’s Organic Farm encompasses a 165-acre certified organic farm near scenic Buckeystown, Maryland, in the fertile Frederick Valley, which they purchased about 20 years ago, and 20 acres in suburban Potomac, Maryland, which we have been leasing since 1980. They raise cattle, poultry and crops on the land near Buckeystown, and grow certified organic grains and seed stock in Potomac. Seed crops include: wheat, buckwheat, dry beans, cow peas, soybeans, corn, rye, hairy vetch, and clover.
Oikos Tree Crops: Oikos Tree Crops, located in Kalamazoo, MI, was founded in 1985 Ken Asmus. Then he established an arboretum filled with numerous wild selections of plants from all over the world and has since bred new types of hybrid American chestnuts, oaks for timber and acorn production, northern pecans, American persimmons, beach plums, groundnuts, hazelnuts, apricots and pawpaws. Oikos Tree Crops offers an array of native and edible fruiting plants, tree crops, shrubs, perennial vegetables, and more.
O’Meara Family Farm: A small family-run MOFGA certified organic dairy in Northern Maine specializing in mozzarella, fromage blanc and yogurt.Prairie Seeds: Prairie seeds, located near Sykeston, ND, is a member of the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative. Steve Zwinger stewards a total of 320 acres, including 12 tillable acres for seed, vegetables and soil building cover crops. He considers many factors in choosing his crop and seed lineup, including adaptation for his climate, familiarity growing a species and variety, uniqueness, supply limitations and function in crop rotations.
Restoration Seeds: Restoration Seeds, located in Ashland, OR, was founded in 2008 by Chuck Burr as a family farm and home of the Southern Oregon Permaculture Institute (SOPI). Their mission is to preserve heirloom seed diversity and offer sustainable agricultural education. Restoration Seeds provides certified organic seed grown at their farm, as well as organic seed from affiliate growers. They offer an impressive array of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, as well as a full inventory of perennial vegetable seeds for the permaculture gardener.
Sand Hill Preservation Center: Sand Hill Preservation Center is a family-owned and -operated center working to preserve agricultural diversity in Calamus, Iowa. Their offerings include heirloom open-pollinated seeds- which are mostly raised on-site and supplemented by other small-scale growers. Sand Hill also provides slip potato slips and day-old straight-run heritage-breed chicks.
Santiago and Denbar
Select Seeds: Select Seeds, located in Union, CT, is a small, incorporated company of gardeners who are dedicated to helping other gardeners grow successfully. They specialize in seeds of antique flowers−open-pollinated varieties that originated fifty or more years ago−but also stock a selection of cottage garden flower seeds and plants, and a few hybrid flowers. Select Seeds keeps heirloom varieties in commerce while reintroducing “new” old-fashioned flowers to keep their history alive and well.
Seven Tree Farm: Seven Tree Farm owner Roberta Bailey grows MOFGA-certfied-organic seed crops for seed companies, including Fedco Seeds – where she also works as a seed purchaser. Bailey particularly likes hot peppers and always has at least one breeding project going at her Vassalboro, Maine farm.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE) : SESE specializes in heirloom and open-pollinated varieties and offers more than 700 varieties of vegetable, flower, herb, grain and cover crop seeds. Located in Virginia, they emphasize varieties that perform well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, although gardeners and farmers from all over the country grow their seeds.
Sow True Seed: Sow True Seed, located in Ashville, NC, offers open-pollinated seed, including vegetables, herbs, flowers, and cover crops, as well as bulbs and tubers. They grow and source a broad selection of varieties that have survived the test of time based on their dependability, usefulness and distinctive characteristics. Their seed supply comes from a network of skilled regional growers and independently-owned North American seed producers.
Stephens Land and Cattle: Bryce Stephens carries on his family’s tradition on 1,000 acres in Northwest Kansas where he primarily raises wheat−a landrace variety called “Turkey Red” introduced to the Plains by Mennonites− and livestock. Stephens serves as Vice President on OSGATA’s board of directors.
Terra Organics: Terra Organics is the sister company to Seeds by Design, is located in Willows and Maxwell, CA. It is one of the largest US based oraganic vegetable and herb seed companies and the first to offer a complete line of organic seed. This diverse listing of the highest quality seed includes heirloom vegetables, specialty salad greens, flowers, and much more.
Towani Organic Farm: Located in Bangor, CA, Towani Organic Farm is operated by Sharon Casey and Guy Baldwin. There, along with saving seeds for the CCOF certified vegetables and vegetable starts they sell at Chico, Davis, and Lake Tahoe area farmers’ markets, they also produce flowers and olive oil.
Tomato Fest: Gary Ibsen and Dagma Lacey grow more than 600 varieties of certified organic, heirloom tomatoes− many originating from seeds sourced from family farms around the world. They also cherish and share the tomato histories and family stories that accompany the generations of tomato seed saving. Their Tomato Fest, located in Little River, CA, includes an extensive tomato seed store as well as cultivation information, tools and more.
Turtle Tree Seed: Turtle Tree is a non-profit biodynamic seed initiative that sells 100% open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seeds. The seed is grown using biodynamic and organic practices- in Turtle Tree’s own seed garden at Camphill Village in Copake, NY, and by other farmers and gardeners who use biodynamic methods. All thier seed is non-gmo, non-hybrid, never treated, and grown without the use of chemical inputs. Camphill Village is an intentional community, which includes people with developmental disabilites, and everyone helps in growing, cleaning and packing their seeds.
Two Toad Farm: Two Toad Farm produces over 200 varieties of certified organic vegetables, flowers, and medicinal herbs for a CSA, 3 weekly farmers’ markets, and on contract, in Lebanon, ME. In 2013 they are also offering a Seedling CSA to help teach the surrounding community how to grow their own food. Gardening tips come along with certfied organic seedlings.
Wild Garden Seed: Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Wild Garden Seed produces organic, open pollinated, untreated, germ and vigor tested, well-cleaned seed. Their variety selection has proven popular and profitable in farmer’s markets locally and for restaurants on both coasts−with many cultivars originating in their on-farm breeding program for organic conditions and improved fresh market quality.
Wood Prairie Farm and Organic Seed: Jim and Megan Gerritsen have owned and operated their organic family farm in northern Maine for over 35 years. Wood Prairie Farm’s focus is on the production of organic early generation Maine Certified Seed Potatoes, seed crops, vegetables and grain. These are largely sold retail through their mail order catalog and web business. Jim is the Board President of OSGATA.
Affiliate Organizations
Cuatro Puertas: Isaura Andaluz, OSGATA Treasurer, is a co-founder of Cuatro Puertas− guardian to the largest collection of native and drought-tolerant seeds in New Mexico.
Food Democracy Now!: A grassroots community dedicated to building a sustainable food system that protects our natural environment, sustains farmers and nourishes families, Food Democracy Now! organizes through online campaigns and in-person actions across the country.
Growing for Market: One of America’s most respected trade publications for local food producers. Growing for Market offers news, advice, and resources for market farmers pertaining to the business of growing and selling vegetables, fruits, cut flowers, plants, herbs, and other food products.
Organic Seed Alliance (OSA): OSA advances the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seeds via collaborative education, advisory services, and research programs with organic farmers and other seed professionals.
Organic Trade Association (OTA): OTA is a membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy.
