Winter's Grasp

It is that time again. When gardeners get the itch to have fresh soil caked under our fingernails again. The ground is still cold and hard in many areas, and we placate ourselves with potted indoor plants while browsing catalogs and drooling into our own laps as we make our wishlists, plan our dreams and bookmark our favorite seed-selling websites.

This year I have done a bit of work for you. Here I have assembled a list of a few of the many non-GMO, natural, heirloom, organic, and CNG seed vendors on the internet. From large to small businesses, you can be assured that the people behind the companies care about preserving our natural seed heritage and the health of our planet.

"There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw.The other is the seed catalogues." ~Hal Borland

http://www.heirloomacresseeds.com/
Heirloom Acres Seeds has open pollinated and heirloom seeds of many types, including vegitables, cullinary and medicinal plants packaged in sizes for the home gardener as well as commercial growers, greenhouses and nurseries.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
Fedco Seeds is a cooperative, and a good source for cold-hardy selections especially adapted to Northeast climate. They offer a large selection of certified organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties.

http://www.burntridgenursery.com/
Burnt Ridge Nursery and Orchards is a family-owned farm, that specializes in unusual and disease resistant trees, vines, and shrubs that produce edible nuts or fruits. They also have a selection of Northwest native plants and ornamental landscape trees.

http://www.homestead.com/prosites-debbieoo/martha.html
They offer 100's of varities of Heirloom Seeds of vegitable, flowers and herbs. All the seeds are open-pollinated and non hybrid.

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/
All the varieties of seeds are open pollinated, non GMO, and untreated. They also carry gardening books and a variety of garden supplies and non-toxic products for insect control.

http://www.rareseeds.com/
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offers pure heritage seed varieties that are selected for flavor and nutrition. Non-Treated, Non-Hybrid and Non-GMO. Catalog lists 1000 heirloom seeds for vegetables, flowers and herbs from over 50 countries.

http://www.victoryseeds.com/
They offer untreated, open-pollinated & heirloom seeds. No chemicals, unstable hybrids or genetically engineered seeds here!

http://underwoodgardens.com/index1.php
Underwood Gardens is a family owned and operated, certified-organic, seed company that specializes in rare and endangered open-pollinated/heirloom seeds for vegetables, herbs, flowers and curiosities.

http://ediblegardens.com/
Turning your backyard into and incredible edible garden with hierloom seeds.

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
Bountiful Gardens sells untreated open-pollinated seed of heirloom quality for vegetables, herbs, flowers, grains, green manures, compost and carbon crops. Offering Biointensive and Grow BiointensiveTM sustainable organic seed. Specialties: Rare and unusual varieties. Medicinal herbs. Super-nutrition varieties. Biointensive books/videos for growing soil sustainably using mini-farming techniques such as double-digging, intensive spacing,and companion planting. Fine tools, basic organic gardening supplies, and non-toxic insect controls.

http://greentreenaturals.com/
Greentree Naturals has been certified organic since 1992.

*!* http://www.pepperjoe.com/
Offering Free Pepper-Postcards to everyone. No genetically altered seeds. Open Pollinated - No Hybrid, 100% Organic Seeds.

http://organicaseed.com/
Untreated hand-gathered and hand-packaged natural vegetable and herb seed.

http://www.elixirfarm.com/
Chinese and Indigenous Medicinals

http://www.foodnotlawns.com/
Food Not Lawns is a loosely affiliated cluster of grassroots gardeners in and around the Willamette Valley, just West of the Oregon Cascades. We work together toward an ecologically, socially, and perpetually thriving bioregion, using theories and techniques derived from permaculture, kinship gardening, ecological design, and biodynamics. We also develop and test our own ideas, and offer a wide range of educational, organizational, and hands-on services.

http://www.containerseeds.com/
ContainerSeeds.com offers a wide variety of vegetable, fruit, herb, and edible flower seeds especially selected for successful container gardening.

http://www.humeseeds.com/
Specializing in the best seeds for short seasons and cool climates.

http://www.saltspringseeds.com/?CFID=262267&CFTOKEN=14887185
Lots of special grains, beans, vegetables, herbs and flowers. All their seeds are untreated, open-pollinated and non-GMO.

*!* Goûtzy Canada - Organic and GMO free seeds packet
Wholesaler and retailer of garden seed packet certified organic and guaranteed GMO free : Edibles flowers, vegetables and herbs.

http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/
Their secure online Seed Catalogue offers fresh seeds of almost 4,500 species and varieties, many rare and unusual, and including for 2007 exciting new plants of Chile and the Andes. Availability is updated daily, and the majority are available for immediate despatch worldwide.

http://www.filareefarm.com/
They've been farming organically since 1977. Filaree offers over 100 unique strains of seed garlic which they have collected from sources all over the world.

http://landisvalleymuseum.org/seeds.htm
Landis Valley Museum is home to the Heirloom Seed Project. It's focus is on seed preservation, seeds from heirloom varieties of vegetable herbs and ornamentals that have historical significance for Pennsylvania Germans from 1750 to 1940. Heirloom or open pollinated fruit brings our history into the present with flavors and beauty from the past.

http://www.gardencityseeds.net/
Garden City Seeds is a quality provider of potato, vegetable, flower and garden seeds.

http://www.landrethseeds.com/
Since 1784, the D. Landreth Seed Company has been providing its customers with one of the most extensive selections of fine lawn and garden seeds in the world. Their founders introduced into the United States some of the most beloved flowers and vegetables known today including the Zinnia, the white potato, various tomatoes, and their own Bloomsdale Spinach.

http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php
Native Seeds/SEARCH works to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seed, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwestern and northwest Mexico. Today they safeguard 2000 varieties of arid-land adapted agricultural crops. Most of their collection consists of varieties of indigenous crops developed over centuries or millennia to suit the needs of their human partners. They promote the use of these ancient crops and their wild relatives by distributing seeds to traditional communities and to gardeners world wide. Currently they offer 350 varieties from their collection, grown out at their Conservation Farm in Patagonia, Arizona. They also work to preserve knowledge about the traditional uses of the crops they steward.

http://www.gardennursery.com/
Nichols Garden Nursery has never sold seeds or plants that are genetically engineered.

Ah, hark to the siren call of spring. She is coming!