2024 Seed Choices
Check out this spreadsheet to see all of the varieties we chose to grow this year.
These tiny babies will soon be big bunches of roots, or large lettuce heads, or pints of snap peas, on your table! These records give us a good idea of changes in seed costs, shifts in our seed sources, and when to order more or less quantities from year to year.
How do we decide how many seeds to order? Typically, we calculate how many row feet of each crop we plan to plant and use the seed provider’s recommendations for the number of seeds per foot. Sometimes seed companies have great breakdowns of the amount of seed needed- like Johnny’s seed calculator. Other figures are determined from experience. Some crops like to be planted thicker or thinner in our specific growing conditions, so we adjust based on our own knowledge and experience. Keeping good records is absolutely necessary.
I’m really proud that we managed to save our own garlic seed this season! Garlic seed is expensive and last year we spent around $900 on high quality, naturally grown seed garlic. Our initial investment is paying off! This summer, despite being in the thick of harvest, cultivation, and fall planning, we processed, cured, and safely stored around 60 pounds of garlic seed. All 60 pounds were planted in late October and are looking great despite our wild turns in weather this Winter.
Another point of pride is the increase in our percent of organically sourced seeds- up to ½ this season from ⅓ last year! Why wouldn’t we buy 100% organically grown seeds? The unfortunate truth is cost. Organic seeds can be significantly pricier than nonorganic varieties. Other considerations may be that varieties we like to grow aren’t available in the quantities we need. This year I did more research on affordable organic seed companies that are geared towards our growing plans and size. I ordered significantly more seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds. They have a great breakdown of why organic seeds are important to prioritize in your sourcing practices. We’ll be saving, planning, and researching to continue to increase our organic seed sourcing in coming years.
Organic seeds are important for us to prioritize because we grow organically. Although we aren’t certified, we follow organic growing guidelines and practices strictly. For more information on our growing practices, check out this page or come visit the farm! Seeds sourced from organically grown seed crops carry the genetic resilience and adaptability of the organic systems that their parent crops survived. It’s a good way to ensure that our crops will thrive within the organic environment we plan to cultivate.
I make our seed order, including sourcing and costs, public because I believe in transparency! It’s another thing I look for in companies when sourcing seeds. Johnny’s Seeds in particular provides so much public knowledge about their practices and history. It’s no wonder they’ve been around for 50 years.
I’ll wrap this post up with a quick summary of new varieties that we’re excited to try:
Traviata and Ping Tung Long Eggplants
Muir Summer Crisp Lettuce
Jimmy Nardello and Habanana Peppers
KN-Bravo Purple Daikon Radishes
Gin-Fiz Tomatoes
Check em’ out and let us know what you think!
