Growing organic vegetables from seed is a great way
to combine healthy diet and healthy exercise. Most people want to start
small, but maybe you already did that. Maybe you loved your small
organic garden so much you decided to expand it into a small farm.
Perhaps you and your friends have set aside land for a community
garden, and need bulk organic vegetable seed to share. Maybe you’ve
decided to begin marketing bulk organic vegetable seeds.
You have
several potential sources for bulk organic vegetable seeds. We cannot
recommend any one specific source, and offer the information below only
to help you in your search.
Local Nursery or Garden Store
Nurseries
near your home may sell bulk organic vegetable seed. Check your local
phone directory, and call a few. If they themselves do not carry bulk
organic vegetable seed, they may be able to tell you who does.
Garden
stores in your area are another potential source of bulk organic
vegetable seed. Home centers that sell supplies for home repairs often
have a section for gardening. Large, discount box stores usually have
garden centers, too. If you live in a rural area, you may find bulk
organic vegetable seed at a farm supply store. Again, ask for referrals
if the store does not have what you need.
Seed Catalogs
You
may be able to order bulk organic vegetable seed from seed catalogs,
and have it delivered to your address. Companies such as Burpee Seed
Company have many kinds of organic vegetable seed in their catalog, and
will no doubt be able to fill your order for bulk organic vegetable
seed.
Online Seed Companies
The Internet, a
potential source for so many things, has several seed companies that
offer bulk organic vegetable seed. While we make no recommendation
1.
Seeds of Change is a well known supplier of quality bulk organic
vegetable seed. Many who do organic farming, or have large organic
gardens, rely on this seed company.
2. Snow Seed Organics in
California is another company you may want to check for bulk organic
vegetable seed. The website says this company is the first fully
certified organic seed dealer west of the U.S. Rockies.
3.
Johnny’s Seed Company has been selling bulk organic vegetable seed and
organic farming aids since 1973. This company also is a certified
organic handler and processor, able to meet the new USDA organic
requirements for the organic seeds they sell.
Those are only
examples. There are many companies online from whom you can order bulk
organic vegetable seed, and have it delivered – often free of charge –
but study each site carefully, and look for recommendations in online
forums.
CAUTION:
Before you purchase any bulk
organic vegetable seed, you should be sure it is certified organic. You
will want to ask about the supplier's documentation, including organic
certification. This will differ from country to country.
In the
U.S., ask for: the grower’s certification number; issue date of
certification; date when the annual inspection was completed; name of
the inspecting company; and name of the certification director. Some
companies, such as Seeds of Change post their Organic Certification
online.
Before you purchase bulk organic vegetable seed, be sure
the grower can warrant the absence of transgenic germplasm. That is,
have they proven to the certification director that they have not
genetically modified the seed?
©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about organic gardening at http://www.organicspringtime.com
Anna is posting new articles every week on that site, each one dealing
with some facet of organic gardening. If you want information for
yourself or someone else on how to grow an organic vegetable garden,
you will want to read Anna’s article on the subject.