J.
L. HUDSON, SEEDSMAN,
BOX 337, LA
HONDA, CALIFORNIA
94020-0337 USA
2021 SEEDLIST - ORGANIC SEED LISTING
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One of my earliest memories is of watching my father turn the compost pile. The
sight of the teeming life within the pile, and the warmth and rich scents it
gave off, are still so clear to me that I feel like I could reach out into that
memory, and pull myself through, shedding over a half-century of years and
return to that happy summer day. I learned organic gardening from my father, and
have practiced it to this day. A few years ago, when visiting my father, I
noticed some weed killer in the garage - a strange and unexpected sight, and I
did not realize at the time that it was one of the first signs of the
Alzheimer's that finally killed him. So it was only madness that brought him to
put poison on his land, and this pointed out to me again the madness of
industrial agriculture.
There are now almost 8 billion people in the world, and all of us need to eat.
Can this number of people be fed by organic agriculture? Without fossil-fuel
mined phosphates, without fossil-fuel fixed nitrogen? Without fossil-fuel driven
tractors to till, and trucks to take the food to people?
Maybe. We don't know. It would take a massive, worldwide reorganization of human
society to achieve this.
Can this be done?
When the oil runs out, we, or our descendents, will find out.
Until that time, we support an orderly move towards a more sustainable, more
regenerative agriculture. Theoretically, we have the knowledge and the
technology to make this transition with minimal suffering, but we feel it is
unlikely that humanity will choose to take the steps necessary to create a
viable future. Currently, our species is on a path that seems destined to create
a future of the maximum possible human suffering.
Personally, I believe it can be done. We are already producing enough food to
feed over 9 billion people, and I estimate that we could eventually feed
somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 billion people. But do we really want to
turn the planet into a feedlot for human beings who must spend their lives doing
nothing but toiling to produce food? There is an old saying, "The stork
brings fascism." Overpopulation causes totalitarianism.
While we use organic methods ourselves, and we fully support organic
agriculture, we must object to the "organic seed requirement" of
current law. This requires organic growers to plant only organically-grown seed,
otherwise their crop will not be considered "organic."
Most people do not realize that this requirement was inserted into the law at
the request of a large corporate seed company in one of their attempts to gain
control of the organic seed market, or that many in industrial agriculture
support the organic seed requirement because it will be an additional burden on
organic farmers, which will lessen their economic viability.
There are currently some exemptions to the organic requirement, but again, the
corporations are pressing for and "end to the loopholes", and claim
that no matter what the cost of organic seed, or no matter how limited the
selection of organic varieties, that this is no excuse for organic growers to
fail to buy their product.
We are also seeing serious profiteering by a few organic seed suppliers at the
expense of their fellow organic growers, with some organic seed selling for ten
times or more the cost of conventional seed. There is absolutely no excuse for
this - NO organic seed is worth TEN times its conventional counterpart.
While we fully support the move towards the organic production of seed,
we do not believe that there is any solid evidence that organic crops grown from
conventional seed are any different from those grown from organic seed. In over
thirty years distributing seeds, we have seen excellent organic seed as well as
excellent conventional seed, and poor organic and poor conventional seed. We do
believe that organically-grown crops are superior in many ways to those
grown by industrial agriculture. We do believe that when seeds are grown
organically for many generations, that particular strain will be
better-adapted to organic production, but I doubt that anything under ten years
will be significantly better.
The key to the quality of seed lies in the DNA - the genetic content of the
seed, and only secondarily from the conditions of production, harvest, drying,
and storage. Without good DNA, no matter what the conditions of production, the
seed will not be worthwhile to plant.
For example, wild-collected seed is not considered to be "organic". If
a grower wants to produce an organic crop of a medicinal plant, and that seed is
available as certified organic, under current rules she must use the
organic seed, and cannot use the wild-collected seed. Wild populations of
medicinal plants may vary considerably in the specific medicinal properties, or
in adaptation to specific local conditions, and several organic growers have
expressed concern that some medicinal crops in cultivation are in serious need
of the greater genetic diversity that would come from an infusion of wild genes
from wild plants. Under current rules, plants grown from wild seed could never
enter the organic market. This is causing the same kind of genetic uniformity
seen in conventional agriculture, which is contrary to organic principles of
diversity.
Also, many traditional vegetable varieties vary considerably - some growers are
careful about reselection for superior traits, others are not. If a specific
variety is available as "organic", an organic grower would be required
to use the seed, regardless of quality.
We support organic agriculture, and we also support small-scale, family farms.
Should we purchase "organic" seed produced by a large corporation, or
seed from a struggling small farm who does not happen to have organic
certification? What would you do?
We believe that organic growers need the freedom to plant the best seeds and the
best varieties they can find, regardless of how they were produced. We feel that
the dangers of the loss of genetic variation in our food crops by the limitation
of available variety, and the consolidation of control of seeds by corporate
interests, currently far outweigh the advantages of "organic seed".
When we have spoken about our concerns with organic growers, most have heartily
agreed with our views, but a few have taken a very fundamentalist hard-line that
"We support 'organic' no matter what!" and that organic seeds should
be required no matter what other harm this causes. We would suggest that it
would make more sense for these organic purists to also require that organic
growers may not use plastic irrigation pipe (a major source of toxins), or any
fossil fuel or electricity (sources of environmental harm) in their operations
or when transporting their product to market. Should we require that organic
growers use only human and animal power to plow and ox-carts to carry their
produce to market? The "agri-smog" of pesticides from California's
agricultural Central Valley is killing frogs far downwind, high in the Sierra
Nevada. Can any grower downwind of this kind of agriculture be considered truly
"organic"?
In the summer of 2004, we replaced some of our ageing, flexible black
polyethylene waterlines with larger-diameter, more permanent buried PVC pipe
with glued connections. Periodically I emptied the pipeline and refilled it,
checking the expelled air - for over 6 months, it smelled strongly of PVC
solvent, and over a full year later, it still smelled faintly of solvent. The
solvents used in PVC glue are toxic, and no doubt contaminate the water the
pipes carry to our plants - for this reason we flush them before use. Although
miles of PVC pipe are used in organic operations, we know of no other organic
grower that has checked this source of toxins. Should we require that organic
growers use expensive steel pipe? Should we require that water lines not be used
for a year, until all trace of solvent has dissipated into the air? Should we be
absolutists, and make it even harder than it already is for small growers to
remain economically viable, or do we accept the reality that nowhere on the
planet is free of man-made toxins? (Note: An organic grower has let me know that
there is a much-less-toxic alternative available for gluing PVC pipes. Gorilla
Glue makes a less-toxic glue specifically for PVC pipes. I'll be using it
myself! www.gorillapvc.com)
We would like to point out, that while we fully support organic agriculture,
we do not support fundamentalism, irrationality, or superstition, and we
certainly do not support profiteering or corporate attempts to control organic
seed supplies. We are opposed to making organic agriculture into a
fundamentalist religion, and we are opposed to the theft of the word
"organic" by government bureaucracy, and we are opposed to the
corporate takeover of the "organic movement".
"Wait a decade or two and every potato coming out of the state of Idaho
will be labeled 'organic', a word already under very serious stress. The process
will be entirely predictable. The big food companies will buy federal and state
legislation designed to put the small producers out of business, the same way
the meat companies finished off the small packers and processors years ago, by
insisting on hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stainless steel and other
'sanitary' equipment, all intended to bankrupt the local sausage or ham maker.
Wall-Mart's buying power will drive down organic food prices and start to drive
small farmers to the wall."
—Alexander Cockburn, "Wall-Mart's Coming Lunge into Organic Food",
an article on the corporate takeover of organic and the weakening of organic
standards.
We need to build bridges, not walls. Instead of a black/white -
organic/conventional standoff, with the small-scale grower caught in the
cross-fire, we need to provide for a whole range of possibilities that will
allow farmers to easily move along a spectrum of alternatives towards a healthy
agriculture, rather than building a wall they must vault over.
Take back organic!
OTC = OREGON TILTH CERTIFIED ORGANIC
SEED
EU = EUROPEAN UNION CERTIFIED ORGANIC (EU Regulation No. 834/2007 + 889/2008)
CCOF = CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMERS
AGROSTEMMA (a-gro-STEM-a)
CARYOPHYLLACEAE. Two showy annuals.
—Agrostemma Githago. (100) AGRS-4. Packet: $2.50 EU
ORGANIC
10 grams: $7.50 EU ORGANIC
Beautiful
Photos
Nice
Flower Photo
Photo
of Seed
'CORN COCKLE'. Large magenta-red to purple 2" wide flowers with darker
veins, carried on graceful, willowy stems. Showy and easily grown hardy annual
to 2 - 3 feet, with narrow, greyish 4 - 5" leaves. Europe. The flowers have
a striking, downy, five-pointed calyx. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
ARCTIUM (ARK-tee-um)
COMPOSITAE. 'BURDOCK'. Large coarse biennials and perennials with large
leaves and burr-like heads of purple to white flowers. Some are cultivated for
edible roots or medicinal purposes. Others are weeds of undisturbed land; easily
destroyed by cultivation.
—Arctium Lappa. (50) ARCI-3. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Ounce: $7.50
'GOBO', 'GREAT BURDOCK'. Giant hardy perennial to 10 feet, with purple-red 1
3/4" thistle-like flowers and large 20" leaves, white-woolly beneath.
Eurasia. Often regarded as a 'weed' in the US, this is a popular vegetable in
Japan. The young first-year roots are eaten, the young peeled shoots are eaten
as an asparagus. Sow in deep rich soil in spring for a fall harvest, or in fall
for spring crop. The seeds are an important medicine in Japan and China, and
have antibiotic properties. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
ATRIPLEX (AT-ri-plex)
CHENOPODIACEAE. 'SALTBUSH'. Herbs and shrubs with inconspicuous flowers,
grown for edible greens, the handsome foliage, or as nutritious forage in arid
regions. Salt tolerant, good for reclaiming saline soils. Easily grown in full
sun. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, cool to warm temperatures. Seed viable 6 years.
All hortensis varieties are also used in floral ornament both fresh and
dried, and have been cultivated since the 1500s and 1600s.
—Atriplex hortensis 'Aurora'. (50) ATRI-11A. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $9.00, Ounce: $20.00
Bright red, gold, green, pink, carmine, and deep purple foliage. Stunning in
salads and for cooked greens, as well as cut floral ornament. Sure to be a good
seller at farmer's markets. Organically grown. Germinates in a week or so.
—Atriplex hortensis 'Magenta Magic'. (50) ATRI-11M. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $11.00, Ounce: $22.00
Deep glowing magenta-red leaves, a wonderful new color for baby salad
greens. Organically-grown.
—Atriplex hortensis 'Purple Savoyed'. (50) ATRI-11PS. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $17.00, Ounce: $28.00
Heavily crumpled, thick purple leaves. Very ornamental; new salad vegetable
for the restaurant trade. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm. Organically
grown. Germinates in a week or so.
CALENDULA
NEW—Calendula officinalis 'Solar Flashback Mix'. (25) CALN-7SF. Packet: $2.50
ORGANIC
Distinctive mix of bright light yellows, pinks, and solid red and maroon.
Selected for high contrast in colors. Organic.
—Calendula officinalis 'Triangle Flashback'. (25) CALN-7TF. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/2 Ounce: $12.00
Striking fully double flowers with maroon petal-backs and faces in pastel
pink shading to yellow in the center. Also called 'Zeolights'. Organically
grown.
CHENOPODIUM (ken-o-POE-dee-um)
CHENOPODIACEAE. Wide-ranging genus of mostly herbs with clustered tiny
flowers. Many grown for ornament, edible greens or grain, aromatic culinary
herbs or medicine. Easily grown and very useful. All germinate in 1 - 3 weeks
unless noted otherwise.
—Chenopodium Quinoa 'Brilliant Rainbow'. (100) CHEN-25BR. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Ounce: $8.00
Reselected from Rainbow for the brightest, most brilliant colors. Nice!
Germinates in a week.
'QUINOA'. An important high-protein (12 - 19%) grain of the Andes, with good
amino acid balance and 58% starch. A staple for millions of Andeans, the
development of low-elevation types is helping its spread. Seed washed in water
before cooking to remove saponins which protect from pests. Hardy, easily grown
annual to 4 - 6 feet, with large seedheads. The leaves, stem-tips and young
flowers are excellent in salads, having a mild sweet flavor, and very succulent.
Also good cooked like spinach or added to soups. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Chenopodium Quinoa 'Cherry Vanilla'. (400) CHEN-25CV. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Ounce: $14.00
'QUINOA'. Seedheads a blend of colors from creamy-white to rose, a beautiful
variety with very mild-flavored grain. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm.
CORIANDRUM
NEW—Coriandrum sativum 'Typ Dwarf Lemon'. (50) CORI-5T. Packet: $2.50
ORGANIC
10 grams: $7.50
'LEMON CORIANDER'. Lemony scent in both leaves and seed. Compact, early
blooming, fast fruiting. White to soft pink flowers. EU Organic.
ECHIUM (EK-ee-um)
BORAGINACEAE. Showy Mediterranean annuals and perennials, some spectacular
giants. Easily grown in sunny, dry, poor, well-drained soil in warm areas and
near the seacoast. They all attract bees, and one is lizard pollinated! Most
germinate in 3 - 4 weeks.
—Echium vulgare. (100) ECHM-12. Packet: $2.50 EU
ORGANIC
5 grams: $14.00 EU ORGANIC
CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO MONTANA
Click for photo »
'VIPER'S BUGLOSS', 'BLUE-WEED'. Showy biennial with numerous flowers in
curved spikes. The flowers open bright rose, then turn brilliant blue. June and
July. Hardy biennial to 2 - 3 feet. Eurasia. Zone 3. An excellent bee-plant. Was
used medicinally against poisons and venom, hence the name. "...really
brings butterflies and bees to my garden."—T. Vogelsang. Germinates
in 1 - 4 weeks.
HUMULUS (HOO-mu-lus)
CANNABIDACEAE. Two species of twining dioecious vines, of easy cultivation.
To save your own seed, plant several, to be sure of having both sexes.
—Humulus Lupulus. (50) HUMU-6. Packet: $2.50 EU
ORGANIC SEED
5 grams: $35.00, 10 grams: $65.00
'HOPS'. Hardy dioecious perennial twiner to 20 feet, with handsome 3-lobed
leaves and rounded cone-like spikes which form the bitter 'hops' used to flavor
beer and increase its intoxicating effects. Young shoots eaten like asparagus.
North temperate regions. Zone 4. Prechill 6 - 8 weeks to germinate in 2 - 3
weeks.
LINARIA (li-NAR-ee-a)
SCROPHULARICEAE. Easily grown annuals and perennials with snapdragon-like
flowers in many colors. Good for cutting. Full sun to part shade, making the
best display planted in masses.
—Linaria vulgaris. (1000) LINA-48. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
5 grams: $7.50 ORGANIC
CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO MONTANA
'BRIDEWEED', 'BUTTER and EGGS'. Large yellow 1 1/4" flowers with an
orange beard and long spurs. Hardy perennial to 1 - 3 feet, with long, very
narrow leaves. Eurasia, N. America. Zone 3. Good in dry sandy soil. The flowers
yield a yellow dye. The herb, boiled in milk, was used as a fly poison,
attracting and killing them. Medicinal, acting on the liver. Germinates in 1 -
24 weeks.
OCIMUM (OSS-i-mum)
LABIATAE. 'BASIL'. Aromatic tender annuals grown in the herb garden for
their value as seasoning and fragrance. The leaves are widely used in sauces and
soups, the flavor blending particularly well with tomatoes. The clove-like
fragrance has been considered soothing, and a cure for nervous headaches. Basil
tea is said to calm an upset stomach. Start seed indoors 6 - 8 weeks before last
frost, and plant out after all danger of frost is past. Thin to 6" apart.
Basil likes full sun, and all types do well in pots. Harvest fresh leaves
anytime. For drying, cut just before it reaches full bloom. Seed viable 8 - 10
years. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Ocimum sanctum. (1000) OCIM-24. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $8.00, Ounce: $18.00
'HOLY BASIL', 'TULSI'. Sweetly fragrant bushy perennial to 1 - 3 feet, grown
as an annual in cold climates. Profuse purple or white bloom, and sometimes
purplish-tinted foliage. Tropical Asia. Held sacred by the Hindus and grown
around temples. Sections of the stem-bases are used in rosaries. The leaves are
used in salads, and the oil is an effective antibiotic, and the leaves are used
medicinally. Nice, distinctive clove-like flavor, good in cooking, salads, or
for tea. Good in herb breads and herb butters. Good bee plant. Germinates in 1 -
4 weeks. Light and KNO3 helps. Organically grown.
SALVIA
—Salvia officinalis 'Extracta'. (25) SALV-60E. Packet: $2.50 EU
ORGANIC
10 grams: $10.00
'EXTRACT SAGE'. Developed for high oil content of the foliage for extraction. To
2 feet, lilac flowers, grey leaves. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
SILYBUM (SI-lee-bum or si-LEE-bum)
COMPOSITAE. 'MILK THISTLE'. Striking plants. Sow in fall or spring where
they are to grow and thin to 2 feet apart. Sprouts in 1 - 3 weeks. An
interesting note: fresh seed will not germinate at warm temperatures, only
sprouting at cool temperatures; but after 5 months dry storage (after-ripening)
they will germinate well at warm temperatures.
—Silybum Marianum. (200) SILY-3. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
Ounce: $5.00, 1/4 pound: $10.00
'ST. MARY'S MILK THISTLE'. Bold and striking rosettes of large glossy, dark
green, spiny leaves streaked and marbled with white, followed by 2" wide
rose-purple, faintly scented flower-heads on 4 - 6 foot stalks, each head with
dramatic reflexed spines. Mediterranean region. Zone 4. Old tradition holds that
milk of the Virgin Mary fell upon the plant, causing the white marbling of the
leaves. Flowers much visited by bees; later, birds love the seeds. California
ranchers claim it loosens hard, compacted soil, and make their own 'clod-buster'
from chopped plants soaked in 55 gallon drums of water. Formerly much used as
food; the young leaves in salads or boiled, (I've never tried this myself, the
spines scare me!) the peeled stalks, the roots like salsify, the young heads
eaten like artichokes after cutting off the spines. Was thought to increase milk
in nursing women. Since ancient times the seeds have been used as liver
medicine, and recently their powerful liver-protective properties have found
much use in modern medicine. Experiments have shown it capable of preventing
death in dogs from fatal doses of Destroying-Angel mushroom toxins.
TUSSILAGO
COMPOSITAE. North hemisphere medicinal herbs.
—Tussilago farfara. (100) TUSS-9. Packet: $2.50 EU
ORGANIC
'COLTSFOOT', 'KUAN DONG HUA'. Light yellow 1 1/3" flowers in March to
May, rising before the leaves in spring. Rounded 4 - 8" leaves. Hardy
perennial to 1 foot. Eurasia. Zone 4. Young leaves and flowers eaten, and all
parts are medicinal, leaves smoked for coughs and asthma. Germinates in a week
or two.
ORGANIC VEGETABLE SEEDS:
AMARANTH
—Amaranth Elephant Head. (=Amaranth Greek) (500) VAMA-EH. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Click for photo »
Amaranthus gangeticus. Huge maroon flowerheads with a long,
trunk-like spike, resembling an elephant head. Robust 1 - 4 foot plants. Brought
by German immigrants in the 1880s. Seed organically grown by Shoulder to
Shoulder Farm. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Amaranth Hopi Red Dye. (500) VAMA-HO. Packet: $2.50
ORGANIC
10 grams: $7.50
Deep purple-red plants to 4 - 6 feet tall, large and vigorous. Leaves are
good greens when young, and the black seeds as grain. The Hopi use the plants to
make a ceremonial red dye. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks, GA-3 helps.
BASIL
Ocimum Basilicum. Aromatic tender annuals grown in the herb garden
for their value as seasoning and fragrance. The leaves are widely used in sauces
and soups, the flavor blending particularly well with tomatoes. The clove-like
fragrance has been considered soothing, and a cure for nervous headaches. Basil
tea is said to calm an upset stomach. Start seed indoors 6 - 8 weeks before last
frost, and plant out after all danger of frost is past. Thin to 6" apart.
Basil likes full sun, and all types do well in pots. Harvest fresh leaves
anytime. For drying, cut just before it reaches full bloom. Seed viable 8 - 10
years. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Basil, Holy Basil. (Ocimum sanctum) (1000) OCIM-24. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $8.00, Ounce: $18.00
'HOLY BASIL', 'TULSI'. Sweetly fragrant bushy perennial to 1 - 3 feet, grown
as an annual in cold climates. Profuse purple or white bloom, and sometimes
purplish-tinted foliage. Tropical Asia. Held sacred by the Hindus and grown
around temples. Sections of the stem-bases are used in rosaries. The leaves are
used in salads, and the oil is an effective antibiotic, and the leaves are used
medicinally. Nice, distinctive clove-like flavor, good in cooking, salads, or
for tea. Good in herb breads and herb butters. Good bee plant. Germinates in 1 -
4 weeks. Light and KNO3 helps. Organically grown.
BEAN
—Bean Fava Sweet Lorane. (30) VBEA-FSL. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 pound: $8.00
Small-seeded light colored beans bred for low tannin and sweet flavor.
Re-selected by Alan Adesse to recover the best color and taste, Sweet Lorane can
be eaten fresh like chickpeas or dried for soup. Very cold hardy and good
nitrogen fixer. Organic.
—Bean Painted Pony. (50) VBEA-PP. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
1/4 Pound: $10.00
Great for both fresh snap beans or dried for soup beans. Long slender bright
green pods, mature beans pretty brown and white, keeping their color after
cooking. Bush type. Organically grown.
—Bean Whipple. (25) VBEA-WP. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC
1/4 pound: $6.00
Family heirloom from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, this is a dry bean for
soups and stews. Beans are dark purple-red with white markings, and incredibly
flavorful. Bushy plants with an occasional runner. Organically grown.
BEET
—Beet McGregor's Favorite. (40) VBEE-MC. Packet: $3.00
OTC ORGANIC SEED
Unusual Scottish heirloom grown for the abundant long narrow leaves, which
are deep violet-red with a distinctive metallic sheen. More tender than other
beet or chard greens, makes terrific baby salad greens. Organically grown.
—Beet Three Root Grex. (100) VBEE-GX. Packet: $3.00 ORGANIC
SEED
Bred by Alan Kapuler, a cross of Lutz Overwintering, Crosby Purple Egyptian, and
Yellow Intermediate Mangle. Produces beets of varied shapes and sizes, in red,
pink, and orange, all sweet and tender. Excellent for greens, too.
"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because if there be one,
He must approve the homage of Reason rather than that of blindfolded fear."—Thomas
Jefferson.
CARROT
—Carrot Black Spanish. (100) VCAR-BLS. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Deep purple skin, pale yellow to white inside, with strong, spicy carrot flavor.
Delicious roasted, creamed, or sliced thin for salads. Similar to the black
carrots that arrived in Spain from North Africa in the 1300s. Organically grown.
CELERY
—Celery Redventure (=Giant Red Reselection). (500) VCEL-R. Packet: $3.00 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $9.00
Tall green stalks blushed deep red, with rosy-yellow hearts. More flavorful than
green celery. Cold hardy. Organically grown.
CORN
—Corn Midnight Snack. (40) VCOR-MS. Packet: $2.00
OTC ORGANIC SEED
1/2 pound: $10.00
Wonderful sweet corn, kernels creamy yellow in the milk stage for fresh
eating, maturing deep purple-black when dry. Fairly early, good in northern
areas. Bred by Edwin Meader in 1978. Organic.
NEW—Corn Painted Hills. (50) VCOR-PH. Packet: $3.00
ORGANIC
1/4 pound: $12.00
Beautiful sweet corn bred by Alan Kapuler from a cross of Painted Mountain flour
corn with Luther Hill heirloom sweet corn. Multi-colored kernels of red, yellow,
purple, blue, and white. Color is pale at the fresh-eating stage, turning darker
as the ears mature and dry. Organically grown by Alan Adesse.
Popcorn Varieties:
Popcorns are smaller than other types, and are harvested after the cobs have
dried on the stalks. Valued for its ability to pop when heated, it has been
regarded as a festive food since ancient times.
—Popcorn Pennsylvania Dutch Butter. (75) VCOR-PND. Packet: $2.00 ORGANIC
SEED
Ounce: $5.00, 1/4 Pound: $10.00 ORGANIC SEED
Heirloom grown since the 1880s, with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich
flavor—absolutely one of the best-tasting popcorns you can find. Plump white
kernels on 4 - 6" ears. In Italy, popcorn is ground for meal, and this
variety makes especially good white polenta. Organic seed.
CRESS
NEW—Cress Wrinkled Crinkled. (500) VCRE-WC. Packet: $2.50
ORGANIC
1/4 ounce: $7.50
Crinkled, curled, and savoyed leaves add spice and body to salads and
stir-fries. Holds up better than other cress, with the same peppery tang. Nice
addition to salad and braising mixes. Organically-grown.
CUCUMBER
NEW—Cucumber Spacemaster 80. (40) VCUC-SP. Packet: $2.50
ORGANIC
Ounce: $6.00
The perfect cucumber for small areas or containers. Compact plants need 1/3
of the space of other varieties, and adapted to a wide range of conditions.
Produces abundant crops of 7 - 8" dark green fruits. Organically-grow
ESCAROLE
—Escarole Anjou. (100) VESC-AN. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
SEED
Big semi-heading type with thick, buttery green leaves. Crunchy,
sweeter than the Italian varieties. Use inner leaves for salads, cook outer
leaves like spinach. Heirloom French escarole, slow bolting and hardy.
Organically grown.
FENNEL
—FENNEL Bronze. (=Rubrum) (50) FOEN-1B. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Foeniculum vulgare var. rubrum. Feathery reddish bronze foliage; a
very pretty 'smoky' effect. To 4 feet. Hardy short-lived perennial. Chopped
leaves nice in salads or sauces, seeds for seasoning.
KALE
—Kale Lacinato Rainbow. (250) VKAL-LR. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $8.00
Click for photo »
Deeply savoyed long narrow leaves overlaid with shades of purple,
blue-green, and red. A variety of leaf shapes varying from nearly entire, to
very frilly and divided. Very vigorous and cold hardy, perennial in mild
climates. Organically grown.
—Kale Old Growth Palm. (250) VKAL-OGP. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $6.00
A dinosaur or lacinato type, with long, narrow, heavily savoyed dark green
leaves, forming a small tree-like plant. Very tender and tasty. Developed by
Frank Morton to grow through summer without flowering, for harvest into winter.
Heat tolerant, aphid resistant. Organically grown.
—Kale Red Ursa. (50) VKAL-RU. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC
Ounce: $12.00
Outstanding variety with broad, slightly frilled leaves with red veins and
purple stems. Great for salad mixes. Bolting stems from over-wintered plants are
sweet and tender—eat like asparagus. Organically grown seed.
—Kale White Russian. (50) VKAL-W. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Deeply ruffled dusky green leaves with white veins and mid-ribs. Stands wet
soil, vigorous and productive. Nice in salads and braising mixes. In 1995 Garden
City Seeds in Montana judged this to be the most cold-hardy and best tasting
kale. Organically grown seed.
—Kale Wild Garden Mix. (100) VKAL-WGX. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
SEED
1/4 Ounce: $6.00
Another diverse gene pool from Wild Garden Seed, begun by crossing Siberian and
Red Russian, it now produces a wide variety of leaf types colors, all developed
for summer sowing, fall harvest, and overwintering in mild climates. All are
sweet and tender, not as strong-tasting as European kales.
KOHLRABI
Brassica oleracea var. Caulo-rapa. A member of
the cabbage family, the stem forms a ball-shaped bulb which is eaten. It is a
delicious vegetable combining the best qualities of turnip and cabbage when
cooked, and is mild, sweet and crisp eaten raw. Sow in early spring or late
summer, spacing plants 6 - 8" apart in rows 1 1/2 feet apart. Prefers cool
weather and light, rich soil. Best young and tender.
USDA Germination Standard: 75%.
—Kohlrabi Early Purple Vienna. (500) VKOH-EP. Packet: $1.50 ORGANIC
Ounce: $5.00, 1/4 Pound: $10.00 ORGANIC
60 days. An old-fashioned, pre 1885 variety with purple skin and leaves.
Flesh white and tender, sweet and mild flavor cooked or raw.
LEEK
NEW—Leeks Belgian Breeder's Winter Mix. (200)
VLEE-BEL. Packet: $3.00 ORGANIC
1/4 ounce: $12.00
Amazing blend of leek types, in a range of diverse sizes, heights, and
colors—shades of green to slate blue, some blushed purple. An excellent mix
for selecting out new varieties to suit your area, crucial at this time when
open-pollinated leeks are disappearing. Organically-grown.
—Leek Blue Solaise. (100) VLEE-BL. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
SEED
1/4 Ounce: $12.00
French heirloom from the 1800s, with large sweet-flavored stalks and blue-green
leaves that turn vivid violet in cold weather. Extremely hardy, excellent in
short-season areas, sown in early summer for winter harvest. Organic.
LETTUCE
Lactuca sativa. Sow in rows 1 foot apart as early as the ground can
be worked, not covering the seed, as light is needed for germination. Thin to
8" apart as they develop. Or, plant in flats 1 month before planting out.
Transplant carefully. Lettuce prefers cool to moderate temperatures, and is best
sown in spring or early fall in a light, well-drained soil. Give shade in hot
weather. For a continual crop, sow every few weeks, as long as desired.
There are four basic types of lettuce: Loose-Leaf, Butterhead, Crisphead, and
Cos or Romaine. Within these types there are also: Winter Lettuces, which are
more adapted to cold and will withstand ordinary winters with little care.
Spring Lettuces head rapidly and are sown just after winter. Summer Lettuces are
usually larger and do not run to seed as fast in hot weather.
—Lettuce Devil's Tongue. (200) VLET-DT. Packet:
$2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Deep red cos-like leaves in loose heads, with a tender, buttery texture.
Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm from a chance volunteer: "This is
a new and variable strain, but was plenty uniform enough to be our favorite
picker..." Organically grown.
—Lettuce Hyper Red Rumple Waved. (250) VLET-HY. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC
1/4 Ounce: $12.00
Vivid deep purple-red leaves, strongly savoyed, semi-cos, with nice tender
crumpled hearts. Remarkable summer color, cold-hardy into autumn. One of the
most dramatic red lettuces from Wild Garden selections. Organically grown.
NEW—Lettuce Lava Lamp Romaine. (200)
VLET-LLR. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
1/4 ounce: $20.00
Tall heads are colorful all the way to the hearts, brightly marbled and streaked
with red, yellow, green, and white. Thick and crunchy, stays sweet and tasty
even when near bolting. Another beauty from Frank Morton. Organically-grown.
—Lettuce Mascara. (100) VLET-M. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $9.00, Ounce: $28.00
Deep purple-red oak-leaf type, forming a large rosette of thick, curly
leaves. Stays red even in hot weather. Bolt resistant and non-bitter. Heat and
cold tolerant, an excellent cutting lettuce for mesclun.
"Mascara lettuce is outstanding: 16" across and still tender!"—K.
Kennedy, California, 1/97.
—Lettuce Mayan Jaguar. (150) VLET-MJ. Packet: $3.00 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Upright romaine type, with green ruffled leaves with dark red spots. Sweet,
juicy, and crunchy, with rose-pink hearts. Another nice one from Frank Morton.
Organically grown.
NEW—Lettuce Really Red Deer Tongue. (200)
VLET-RRD. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
Long pointed triangular leaves are a deep, dark burgundy-red with white
mid-ribs. Gives dark red leaves for cutting, plus a tender, buttery heart. Yet
another fantastic variety from Frank Morton, selected for color, heat tolerance,
and vigor. Organically-grown.
—Lettuce Red Butter Romaine. (200) VLET-RBR. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Another wonderful cross by Wild Garden Seed, this one has deep red outer leaves
and a buttery yellow interior, with blushed rose center. Crisp outside, tender
inside. Organically grown.
—Lettuce Wild Garden Mix. (250) VLET-WX. Packet:
$2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $12.00
The most diverse lettuce mix ever! From the premier lettuce growers at Wild
Garden Seeds, this mix contains every variety they have, plus unreleased
works-in-progress. Loose leaf, butter, crisp head, romaine—red, purple, green,
bronze, speckled—frilly, round, narrow, wide. Amazing diversity for your
salads! Organically grown.
MUSTARD
Brassica juncea var. integrifolia. Mustard leaves are excellent
greens with a sharp pungent flavor. Boiled like spinach, they become tender and
not at all bitter. Very good in soups, or as simple cooked greens served with a
little melted butter.
Plant in late spring or early summer, or in frost-free climates, sow in fall and
early winter. Prefers a rich soil and abundant moisture for fast growth, but
will produce well in any soil. Thin to 6" apart in rows 18" apart. A
cool weather crop.
—Mustard Osaka Purple. (100) VMUS-OS. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Smooth leaves blushed deep purple, with a spicy flavor. Grows vigorously in
cool weather. A fine addition to salads. Organically grown.
—Mustard Vibrant Ultraviolet. (100) VMUS-VU. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
SEED
Extraordinary color in a mustard—in cold weather the lobed leaves turn a deep,
dark violet with vivid magenta-pink veins and sterns. Color like no other! Mild
flavor, perfect for winter salads. From Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds.
Organic.
—Mustard Wild Garden Pungent Mix. (200) VMUS-WGX. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $6.00, Ounce: $15.00
Another hugely diverse mix from Wild Garden, containing all their current
mustards, plus unreleased breeding experiments. Green, purple, golden, striped—whole,
lacy, ruffled, smooth, savoyed. All deliciously hot and spicy! Fantastic for
baby salad mixes. Organically grown.
ORACH VARIETIES:
Atriplex hortensis. Also called 'Butter Leaves' and 'Mountain
Spinach'. Hardy annual succulent herbs with large, tender triangular leaves,
growing 3 - 6 feet tall. Delicious as cooked greens or in salads, a good
substitute for spinach during hot weather.
Cultivated since the 1500's in Europe, but little known in the U.S. Salt and
heat tolerant, fast growing with ample water. Succession sow, thin to 2 feet.
Also grown for ornament, making handsome cut foliage, fresh or dried.
—Orach Aurora. (50) ATRI-11A. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC
SEED
1/4 Ounce: $9.00, Ounce: $20.00
Bright red, gold, green, pink, carmine, and deep purple foliage. Stunning in
salads and for cooked greens, as well as cut floral ornament. Sure to be a good
seller at farmer's markets. Organically grown.
—Orach Magenta Magic. (50) ATRI-11M. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $20.00
Deep glowing magenta-red leaves, a wonderful new color for baby salad
greens. Organically-grown.
—Orach Purple Savoyed. (50) ATRI-11PS. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $17.00, Ounce: $28.00
Heavily crumpled, thick purple leaves. Very ornamental; new salad vegetable
for the restaurant trade. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm. Organically
grown.
PARSLEY
—Parsley Splendid (=Survivor Italian). (500) VPAR-SP. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Traditional flat-leaf type, selected for over 20 years for cold hardiness
and disease resistance. Full flavored dark green leaves. Survives cold weather
and poor conditions. The best parsley for difficult garden areas. Organically
grown.
PUMPKIN
—Pumpkin Styrian Hulless. (30) VPUM-ST. $3.00 ORGANIC
SEED
C. pepo. Originally from Styria in Austria, grown for the hulless seeds,
which are a nutritious snack, and pressed for an excellent cooking oil. The
flesh can be cooked for soup or pies, but this type is mainly grown for the
seeds. Organic.
QUINOA VARIETIES: Chenopodium Quinoa
'QUINOA'. An important high-protein (12 - 19%) grain of the Andes, with good
amino acid balance and 58% starch. A staple for millions of Andeans, the
development of low-elevation types is helping its spread. Seed washed in water
before cooking to remove saponins which protect from pests. Hardy, easily grown
annual to 4 - 6 feet, with large seedheads. The leaves, stem-tips and young
flowers are excellent in salads, having a mild sweet flavor, and very succulent.
Also good cooked like spinach or added to soups. Germinates in 2 weeks.
—Quinoa Brilliant Rainbow. (100) CHEN-25BR. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Ounce: $8.00
Reselected from Rainbow for the brightest, most brilliant colors. Nice!
Germinates in a week.
—Quinoa Cherry Vanilla. (400) CHEN-25CV. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
Ounce: $14.00
'QUINOA'. Seedheads a blend of colors from creamy-white to rose, a beautiful
variety with very mild-flavored grain. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm.
RADISH
—Radish Hong Vit. (200) VRAD-HV. Packet: $1.50 ORGANIC
SEED
Ounce: $5.00, 1/4 Pound: $8.00
Fast growing leaf radish grown for the spicy, crunchy young sprouts. Bright
green leaves and pink to red stems, smooth and hairless. One of the best for
microgreens and baby leaf greens.
RUTABAGA
—Rutabaga Nadmorska. (100)VRUT-ND. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $5.00, Ounce: $11.00
Large oval golden-yellow roots with green tops, and a mild sweet taste.
Delicious creamed or roasted. Organically grown.
TOMATO
—Tomato Early Wonder. (75) VTOM-EW. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
SEED
1/4 Ounce: $9.00
Introduced by Burgess Seed Co. in 1950, compact plants produce an abundant early
crop of round, deep pink, medium-sized fruits with excellent tomato flavor.
Perfect for container growing and short-season areas. Organic.
—Tomato Raspberry Lyanna. (50) VTOM-RSL. Packet: $2.50 OTC
ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Ounce: $15.00
Medium-sized raspberry pink fruits, with full rich flavor. Heavy yields, great
for canning or fresh. Originally from Russia, does well in cool coastal areas.
Semi-determinate. Organically grown.