Buy local (seeds and trees)
Gardeners tend to buy seeds (even if you save, it's so much fun to try new types!). But who do you buy from - is buying seeds from a corporate behemoth that bombards you with shiny catalogs really in keeping with the spirit of local, sustainable food production?
One of the big seed suppliers has recently been bought by Monsanto:
"...Celebrity, Big Beef and Sweet Baby Girl tomatoes, North Star, Red Knight and Fat 'n Sassy peppers, Mars and Candy onions, Yellow Doll and Jade Star watermelons, the Seneca squashes—all are Seminis varieties. ... In January 2005 Monsanto announced that they were buying Seminis for 1.4 billion in cash and assumed debt. Noted for its aggressive advocacy of genetically modified crops and its dominance in biotechnology, Monsanto will now have a major presence in thevegetable seed business for the first time..."
And Mars corporation owns Seeds of Change.
I love to try out new seed suppliers and varieties and give my business to small seed companies. And of course it's better to grow seeds and plants that come from nearby places, so they will be more adapted to your local climate and soils. To help people in Ashland or on the west coast, I'm giving my lists and reports of the small local
seed and fruit tree companies I've found; people in other places, I encourage you to find, buy from, and publicize these types of companies too.
The ecoregions listed are from the maps here: http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iv.htm
Ashland is ecoregion 78a. CA ecoregions are not broken down past the 78. Distances are from Ashland, OR.
=== Vegetable Seeds ===
34 miles - Sow Organic, Williams, OR (in ecoregion 78b/e)
http://www.organicseed.com/
Organic, OP
62 miles - Peter's seed and research, Riddle, OR (ecoregion 78c)
http://www.pioneer-net.com/psr/
Unique breedings, OP. Perennial grains, some perennial/self sowing vegetables.
I've ordered once: recommended
72 miles - Synergy Seeds, Orleans, CA (in ecoregion 78)
http://www.synergyseeds.com
Unique/rare seeds
Not ordered, will this year. Lots of grains, unusual beans
112 miles - Territorial, Cottage Grove, OR (in ecoregion 3)
http://www.territorial-seed.com
OP and hybrid, some organic, wide selection of basics.
I've ordered multiple times: highly recommended, but getting a bit big and slick
166 miles - Peace Seeds, Corvallis, OR (in ecoregion 3)
All OP, unique breedings.
no website (!)
Have grown their seeds: highly recommended
171 miles - Nichols, Albany, OR (in ecoregion 3)
http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/
OP and hybrid, some organic, wide selection, some very unique varieties of greens
I've ordered multiple times: recommended
195 miles - Bountiful Gardens, Willits, CA (in ecoregion 78)
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
All OP, some organic, wide selection, small scale grains.
I've ordered multiple times: highly recommended
=== Fruit Trees ===
34 miles Forest Farm
Williams, OR
http://www.forestfarm.com/
Some fruit, but not as many varieties of mainstream fruits as the others. I haven't ordered (yet). Outstanding rating on Garden Watchdog.
76 miles - Sandy Bar Nursery
Orleans, CA
http://www.sandybarnursery.com/
I've placed one order, very happy with them, very nice stock.
205 - One Green World
Mollala, OR
http://www.onegreenworld.com/
I've ordered twice, quite happy with stock. They have a bad reputation in some fruit circles.
261 miles - Trees of Antiquity
Sebastopol, CA
http://www.treesofantiquity.com/
I've ordered just one tree; very happy with stock. Outstanding service.
302 miles - Raintree Nursery
Morton, WA
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/
Ordered 3-4 times, very happy with stock, prices high, service excellent. A little slick.
304 miles - Burnt Ridge Nursery
Onalaska, WA
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/
Ordered many times, some stock is great, some is so-so (it's all healthy, but maybe small or less attractive); service is okay. Prices are so great that I order again and again.
Comments
May I suggest you add Victory Seed, Molalla, OR, to your list. It's about 270 miles from Ashland, and about 3 miles from my house. I haven't bought from them because my wife has been the local Burpee merchandiser for the last 3 years, so I have gotten just about any kind of seed for free. I have contacted Victory with questions, however, and found them very helpful.
Posted by: Steven Estergreen | September 27, 2006 09:59 PM