Seed and Root Catalog
[ Our Growing Practices | Important Ordering Information ]
2006JHMD.jpg "heirloom beans (c)2006 JHMD")
Iowa Flooding Update
We would like to send out a special note of thanks to all of you who have either called or e-mailed to inquire about our status regarding the flooding in Iowa these past couple of weeks.
We are about an hour's drive away from the major flooding in the state (both at Cedar Rapids and Davenport). There is a smaller river (the Wapsipinicon River) which is just five miles or so from us that is flooding very badly also. We are still far enough away from the "Wapsi" that we will not be affected by this flooding though.
Our gardens are wet (eventhough we have very sandy soil) and this factor has delayed our plantings. The positive side of that is that we had not set out tomato plants, etc. that would have been washed away with the deluge of rains we had the past two weeks. Another positive is that by setting out tomato plants late, we avoid the early blight situation and the tomato plants end up being healthier. The negative side of the situation is that it is June 18 and we have not set out tomato plants yet. We hope to be getting everything going very soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding of our time constraints if we are unable to respond to your inquiries as quickly as you would hope that we would.
Our growing practices
We grow over 90% of the varieties listed here. These are grown on our farm, either through controlled hand pollinations or by isolations. We have 10 acres in seed production and evaluation. Under no circumstance are any of our seeds chemically treated.
Organic Certification Update: We were able to get organic certification on part of our farm this year (more information on that in the 2007 update). This means over the next 2 years we will be listing everything that we grow here as Certified Organic. We have many varieties in this year's catalog which are being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC If the item is being offered as CERTIFIED ORGANIC, it will have an OG after the price of the seeds.
Safe Seed Pledge: We will never offer any genetically engineered varieties. We have a firm commitment to traditional plant breeding techniques and are adamantly opposed to moving genes from one species to another through biotechnology. Please see this pledge in it's entirety on the Resources and Links page.
Availability of varieties
Though we don't discontinue varieties, the nature of our company means that we will have temporary crop failures. Please don't interpret a crop failure as a varietal weakness. We have so many projects that sometimes factors such as not enough hours in the day, rodents, late plantings, weather, etc. can ruin a seed crop for a particular season. In spite of this, our seed listings have continued to expand to include a broader variety of items.
Dates when seed may be ordered
Seed orders are filled year-round except from August 15 to December 25. We are very sorry, but there is just no time at that time of year to fill seed orders. We start shipping seeds the middle of January and continue until August. If you need the seed to plant for a fall garden, we must receive the order in our office prior to August 15. You may experience delays in processing your orders in January and early February due to the great number of orders coming in to our office right after the catalog is mailed out. You may also expect slight delays during the busy planting and growing season from May through August. Orders are processed and shipped several times a week.
Germination-tested seeds
All seed is germination tested to ensure that it meets Federal Standards. We always try to include extra seed to allow for any occurrence that might leave you short. As genetic preservationists, we are very concerned that our seed does germinate. If any should fail to germinate please let us know and we will be happy to replace it. We cannot guarantee the germination of seeds purchased one year and not planted until the next year (or later). Seeds must be stored under the proper conditions to remain viable past the purchase year. Under no circumstance can we be held liable for more than the purchase price of the seeds.
Shipping and Handling
Orders sent to addresses within the United States: Postage for the shipment of seeds is included in the price of the seeds, except for small orders. There is an additional $2.00 shipping and handling fee for all orders under $10.00.
Canadian orders: We can not ship bulblets, plants or roots to a Canadian address. Seed orders to a Canadian address must add $4.00 (American) for each order to cover the added postage costs.
International orders: We can not ship bulblets, plants or roots to addresses outside the United States. Please add $5.00 (American) to each order shipped to a foreign address (other than Canada). We will not ship more than packet quantities (no pound quantities, etc.).
Iowa Sales Tax
Only Iowa residents must include a 7% sales tax on seeds, bulblets, roots, books and sweet potatoes.
Standard Delivery
Standard Delivery Service: There is no postage or handling on orders greater than $10.00. Orders under $10.00 require $2.00 for postage and handling. Orders are filled in the order received in our office. Payment must be enclosed with your order. During peak season it can take up to three weeks to turn around an order from the time the order is received in our office to the time the order is shipped.
Ordering Tips
Be patient: We do this in addition to another full time job and this is still just a hobby business for us. If you must have your seeds by a certain date, then we are not the company for you. We work with living organisms and controlled amounts of seed. I would love to have the time to answer each and every letter and e-mail that is sent, but some e-mails have such detailed questions that it would take days to answer these. We will try to get to your questions and concerns, but be aware that we sometimes get way behind in correspondence.
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