Our Favorite Places To Buy Sustainable Seeds in America

Fedco Seeds

Fedco Seeds is your source for cold-hardy selections especially adapted to their demanding Northeast climate. Each year Fedco observe hundreds of varieties, selecting only the best for inclusion in their catalogs. Through their product lines and cultural hints, they encourage sustainable growing methods. They offer a large selection of certified-organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties. Fedco has five divisions: Seeds, Potatoes, Onions and Exotics, Organic Growers Supply, Trees, and Bulbs, and sends out three catalogs annually.

Hudson Valley Seed Company

Hudson Valley Seed Company is your source for heirloom and open-pollinated garden seeds. They are a values-driven seed company that practices and celebrates responsible seed production and stewardship. They have their own certified organic farm in upstate New York where they produce much of what they sell. They are committed to growing organically, sourcing locally and sustainably, and preserving crop diversity by selecting unique, rare, and hard-to-find varieties. Every seed in their catalog is open pollinated, many are heirloom and organic, and they are never GMO. Hudson Valley Seed Company were also one of the first companies to sign the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI), and they remain committed to their values of sustainability to the last.

The Maine Potato Lady

Located in the foothills of Central Maine, the LaCourse Family Farm, home of The Maine Potato Lady™, has been in operation for more than 25 years. Their 100-acre piece was once part of a 560-acre farm that dates back to the 1600s. They specialise in organic seed potatoes, fingerlings, onion sets, shallots and garlic, and they grow everything on their hill-top farm which has a solar system to provide electricity. All their potato seed meets the State of Maine’s seed certification requirements that establish acceptable tolerances for seed quality. Many of their varieties are also USDA certified organic.

Johnny’s Seeds

Johnny’s Seeds is comprised of 40-acre farm is located in Albion, Maine, with 9 smaller fields nearby, all about 25 miles from Augusta, the state capital. Part of the farm was certified organic by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) in 1979. As a certified-organic grower and handler, Johnny’s is able to offer a wide selection of organic seeds produced on its own farm as well as from numerous seed producers worldwide.

Johnny’s does not sell genetically modified seeds; nor does it breed new varieties using genetic engineering. Rather, the breeding team at Johnny’s breeds plants using traditional methods, a slow, painstaking process that can take eight or more years to complete, from the first selection to seed sales.

Botanical Interests

At Botanical Interests their mission is to provide carefully selected high-quality seed varieties including many tried-and-true heirlooms. Their seeds are regularly third-party laboratory tested to ensure germination rates satisfy both federal and their own standards.

They have an ever expanding selection of USDA certified organic varieties and are signers of the safe seed pledge which states that they “do not knowingly buy, sell, or trade genetically-engineered seeds or plants.” Their seeds are tested by the Non-GMO Verified Project which looks for genetically engineered (GMO) contamination in seeds that can occur when plants cross-pollinate. Their seeds are not treated, and their packets never contain fillers—just high-quality seeds you can count on.

Earthbeat Seeds

With the motto “For the Medicine of Tomorrow”, Earthbeat Seeds believe in investing their energy in a holistic, sustainable and grassroots approach to human and planetary health.

“Seed security means many small-scale sources of sustainably and ethically grown seed. Mass produced seed, grown overseas on a large scale using fossil fuel dependent systems, and distributed through complex supply chains causes a dangerous dependency.  During times of climate, political and economic uncertainty, this could lead to lack of access to seed for many farmers and gardeners.   For this reason, we will continue to expand our selection of high quality, small scale and sustainably grown seed, “For the Medicine of Tomorrow”.” – Jessica Manchester – Owner & Founder, Earthbeat Seeds

Wild Seed Project

The goal of Wild Seed Project is to build awareness of the vital importance of native plants and to provide people with the tools to restore biodiversity in their own communities. They equip community members, public officials and municipalities, and land-holding individuals and organizations – from farmers to land trusts – with the skills and resources they need to collectively repopulate landscapes with native plants that expand wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, and build climate resilience.

Wild Seed Project seeds are ethically sourced, hand-collected, cleaned and packaged by staff and trained volunteers in Maine. Seeds are collected from native gardens and private lands with owner permission throughout the state, and are organically grown without the use of harmful pesticides. They carry over 90 species of wild-type and open-pollinated wildflowers, ferns, grasses, and shrubs for a variety of growing conditions.

High Mowing Organic Seeds

At High Mowing Organic Seeds, they believe in re-imagining what our world can be like. They believe in a deeper understanding of how re-built food systems can support health on all levels – healthy environments, healthy economies, healthy communities and healthy bodies.

With over 700 heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of vegetable, fruit, herb and flower seed, High Mowing’s commitment to furthering organic agriculture continues to grow and in turn grows the organic movement. True to their roots, High Mowing Organic Seeds continues to source many of the varieties they sell directly from independent, passionate organic seed farmers.

Uprising Seeds

Uprising Seeds is a small family run certified organic seed farm and the culmination of years of fresh market farming, variety trialing, seed production and breeding work, and most importantly, a decades-long love affair with food and its power to bring people together.

Uprising Seeds is adamantly opposed to GMO’s and considers it a challenge and honor to take part in the rebuilding of healthy and just food systems for all. All their seeds are 100% open-pollinated, USDA certified organic, and grown by small family farms in the Pacific Northwest. They are also Washington’s first 100% Certified Organic seed company.