Notes from a Sunset Garden
what makes them unique & how to buy their seeds
Buy seeds online or by phone.
Established in 2008, the Sustainable Seed Company’s focus is on environmental practices that are good for the seed and good for the earth. They specialize in organic and heirloom varieties. Unlike most seed companies, they grow their seeds locally at farms in Covelo and Chico, CA. Both farms generate their own power with onsite solar panels and a wind turbine. Paper catalogs aren’t available for environmental reasons.
Buy seeds online or by phone.
Buy seeds in SF at Flora Grubb, online or by phone.
Driven by a strong passion to improve the world through the practice of seed saving, Astrid and Mathew Hoffman began The Living Seed Company in 2011. 25-30% of their seeds are grown locally at Point Reyes Station in Marin county and additional seeds are sourced exclusively from farms in North America. They focus on organic, non-GMO heirloom varieties.
Buy seeds in SF at Flora Grubb, online or by phone.
Buy seeds online or by snail mail.
Bountiful Gardens is the seed selling project of the nonprofit, Ecology Action. Ecology Action is the work of biointensive pioneer John Jeavons and author of the popular book How to Grow More Vegetables. Ecology Action and Bountiful Gardens seeks to teach an international audience biointensive growing techniques designed to maximize food production in small-scale ecologically sustainable agricultural spaces.
Buy seeds online or by snail mail.
Buy seeds in SF at Rainbow Grocery Coop, online or by snail mail.
Founded in 2009, the Redwood family grows 95% of their organic and open-pollinated seeds at their off the-grid farm in the Lassen foothills. They specialize in Mediterranean, drought tolerant, and short season varieties. Their website has a Quick Order link I love, or you can download a pdf of their paper catalog. They do not offer paper catalogs.
Buy seeds in SF at Rainbow Grocery Coop, online or by snail mail.
Buy seeds in SF at Soko Hardware, online, phone, or by snail mail.
Kitazawa Seed Company is not just the oldest seed company in the US to specialize in Asian seeds, but one of the oldest US seed companies, period. In 1917, Japanese immigrant Gijiu Kitazawa opened the Kitazawa Seed Co. to meet a growing demand from other Japanese-Americans looking for traditional Japanese produce. Currently based out of Oakland, CA, they carry over 500 traditional Asian vegetables and grain seeds in envelopes printed in the same manner as at their founding.
Buy seeds in SF at Soko Hardware, online, phone, or by snail mail.
Buy seeds online, by phone, by fax, or by snail mail.
The oldest certified organic nursery in the US is The Natural Gardening Company Located in Petaluma, CA. They offer a large selection of open pollinated, non-GMO, organic seeds and seedlings. They have a clean looking, easy to navigate online catalog that I would highly recommend. They also offer a paper catalog.
Buy seeds online, by phone, by fax, or by snail mail.
Located in in Felton, CA, Renee’s Garden is just a hop, skip and a jump outside of San Francisco. The company has a large selection of organic and heirloom varieties and their packets are easy to find in many SF retail stores. Many of their seeds are grown overseas, but they’re all re-grown in the Felton trial garden to ensure compatibility with the Bay’s unique Mediterranean climate. Lovely watercolor illustrations and extensive growing instructions set their seed packets apart. The company doesn’t offer a printed catalog.
Buy seeds online or visit them at the Petaluma Seed Bank.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds specializes in heirloom and rare seeds, but it also carries highly sought after common varieties. I was hesitant to add them to the list of California seed companies, as they’re actually based out of Missouri. But, they do have the most amazing seed bank in Petaluma, CA. It’s a not to miss attraction for any edible gardener!
Buy seeds online or visit them at the Petaluma Seed Bank.
Buy seeds online with an email and Paypal account or order a catalog and proceed with snail mail.
Based out of La Honda, CA, J.L. Hudson is not a seed company, but rather a “seedsman.” He and his partner, Ms. Calkins, maintain a public access seed bank originally established in 1911 by Harry E. Saier. Navigating the J.L. Hudson website and ordering seeds is not for the feint of heart. You’ll know it was worth the effort when your seed packets are in hand, and it feels like you have exclusive access to the best-kept secret seedsman around!
Buy seeds online with an email and Paypal account or order a catalog and proceed with snail mail.
Descriptions of 9 California vegetable seed companies, images of their seed packets, and information on how to buy their seeds.
Canadian Seed Catalogue Index
Looking for seeds?
This is a list of vegetable and fruit seeds that were sold in recent years by Canadian seed companies.
Click on a section in the list below to see the varieties available, and the companies that sold them. Visit these companies, buy their seeds, and enjoy a beautiful, diverse garden this summer!
Kitchen Table Seed House
La Finquita Seeds
Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds
Nanoose Edible Farm
Salt Spring Seeds
Tourne Sol Co-operative Farm
Urban Harvest Organic Seed
Please note: Seeds of Diversity has no store, and no mail order seed sales. We collect back-up seed samples for conservation of endangered varieties, and recruit volunteers to help grow fresh seeds. This list is here to help you find commercial sources, and to help us set our conservation priorities.
Seed Companies in Canada
Atlantic Pepper Seeds
Beaver Pond Estates
Brother Nature Organic Seeds
Cochrane Family Seeds
Corn Hill Nursery Ltd.
Crossover Cultivars Eco garden Farm
Eagle Creek Seed Potatoes
Eagle Ridge Seeds
Early’s Farm & Garden Centre Inc.
Ellenberger Organic Farm
Phone: 902-836-5180
Web:
Email: [email protected]
Established: 2004
Ferme écomaraîchère La croisée des cultures
Fraser’s Thimble Farms
Full Circle Seeds
Golden Acres Farm
Golden Bough Tree Farm
Green Barn Nursery
Greta’s Organic Gardens
Halifax Seed Company Inc.
Hardy Fruit Trees Nursery
Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds
Heritage Harvest Seed
Heritage Seed and Produce
Hope Seeds and Perennials
Howard Dill Enterprises
Incredible Seed Company
Jardin des Vie-la-joie
Jardins de la Gaillarde
Kitchen Table Seed House
Kula Permaculture Farm
La ferme coopérative Tourne-Sol
La Societe des plantes
Le potager ornemental de Catherine
Les Jardins de l’Écoumène
Les Jardins du Grand-Portage
Lindenberg Seeds Ltd.
Matchbox Garden and Seed Co.
McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd
Metchosin Farm Seeds
Mountain Grove Seed Company
Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds
Naramata Seed Company
Nicola Valley Produce
Norwegian Creek Farm
OSC Seeds (Ontario Seed Company)
Pacific Northwest Seeds
Prairie Garden Seeds
Railway Creek Farms
Rasa Creek Farm
Rhora’s Nut Farm & Nursery
Sage Garden Herbs
Phone: 204-257-2715
Web: www.sagegarden.ca
Email:
Established: 1996
Salt Spring Apple Company
Salt Spring Seeds
Seeds of Diversity Canada
Seeds of IMBOLC
Silver Creek Nursery
Soggy Creek Seed Co.
Stokes Seeds Ltd
Superior Seed Producers
The Cutting Veg
The Market Garden
The Seed Company by E.W. Gaze
Vesey’s Seeds Ltd.
West Coast Seeds Ltd.
Wildrose Heritage Seed
William Dam Seeds
Yonder Hill Farm
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Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to the conservation of agricultural and horticultural biodiversity. Our members preserve the basic building blocks of Canada’s food system: plants, seeds, and pollinators. We save and collect seeds of rare and endangered food plants, promote the health of pollinator ecosystems, help communities create local food systems, and make thousands of varieties of vegetables, fruit, and grains available that might otherwise disappear forever.
Seeds of Diversity Canada
#1-12 Dupont St West, Waterloo ON N2L 2X6
[email protected]
226-600-7782
Charitable registration # 89650 8157 RR0001
Canadian Seed Catalogue Index Looking for seeds? This is a list of vegetable and fruit seeds that were sold in recent years by Canadian seed companies. Click on a section in the list