# Seed Savers?



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

After reading some stuff about the big companies, especially Monsanto, I think it would be nice to avoid them altogether. I know of some smaller companies that sell heirloom seeds, but I also think it would be fun to be part of a seed/plant exchange. Is anyone a part of a local seed exchange? Do you like it? Does anyone know of one in my area?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I buy my seeds from Baker Creek. I tried doing some seed saving but it didn't work out. Newbie and will have to keep trying. I obviously did something wrong in the saving process.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Thanks! I hadn't found that one! But I did find Seed Savers Exchange, Victory Seeds, and Southern Exposure. I like Baker Creek because the varieties are all open-pollinated!


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## Gertie (Sep 2, 2012)

ditto on what milkmaid said. I too want to start saving seeds. Do they have to be heirloom in order to save and replant? That's what I will buy this year if it is. The company milkmaid mentioned wants to control ALL the seeds in the US and put some stuff on the seed called, I think, terminator which will make the seed unable to be planted again. Avoiding that company all together would be the best thing. We even have companies here in Maine that sell organic seeds and organic heirloom seeds. That's my choice.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

It's my understanding that in order to save seed, the plant does not have to be heirloom, but does have to be open pollinated, which means not a hybrid. To preserve a single variety, you also need to avoid creating your own hybrids: growing two different varieties of the same kind of plant near each other, then saving the seeds. Does that make sense? We have done quite a bit of seed saving in the past, with great success usually, but have never been very serious about it.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

I buy almost all heritage seeds.... I just placed a huge order at henryfields.com. If you sign up for the newsletter a couple days later they send you a "e-coupon" for 25 off 50 or 50 off 1oo or 100 off 200!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I can't save most seed. My neighbors garden and mine are only about 150 feet apart, with his beehives right in between. I must say I have gotten some interesting cross bred squashes though.


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## Gertie (Sep 2, 2012)

Milkmaid, so I shouldn't plant red chard and the regular chard together right? You know one year we planted buttercup squash and didn't get a single one but got what I now believe was the redish squash that looks kind of like a small pumpkin. We are going to plant a huge garden this year and put in a lot of the winter storage things like different kinds of squash. I think I may be ordering from Johnny's Seeds or Fedco which is right here in Maine. There is another one I think is called Maine Garden Seed. All three offer organic & heirloom seeds. We want to be able to provide as much of our food as we can. Thanks for the information on planting next to each other. We have 86 acres, A lot of horse, cow, goat, chicken and rabbit poop! I think we will be able to find room enough!  I can't wait to start planting the garden.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

BUMMER! I went to Henry Fields and they don't ship to Hawaii.  That means most likley its cause they use UPS or Fed EX not USPS.

I was so excited to find a new seed place. I buy most my seeds from small farmers on eBay.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

> Milkmaid, so I shouldn't plant red chard and the regular chard together right?


Correct.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Dayna said:


> BUMMER! I went to Henry Fields and they don't ship to Hawaii.  That means most likley its cause they use UPS or Fed EX not USPS.
> 
> I was so excited to find a new seed place. I buy most my seeds from small farmers on eBay.


Try here, they also pass out coupons & have the same deal right now.

http://www.gurneys.com/


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I found a cool site where people are swapping seeds! Of course there are probably a lot of non-professionals, so I would say you aren't guaranteed purity of seed, but hey, it looks like fun!
http://www.heirloomseedswap.com/


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