2024 Seeds, Roots, and Books Order Form - CLICK ON THE PDF

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PLEASE REMEMBER WE DO NOT TAKE PHONE ORDERS OR INTERNET ORDERS. ALL ORDERS MUST COME IN BY US MAIL WITH A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER.

Seeds - Growing Information

CLIMATE INFORMATION

Most of the seed varieties in the catalog have days to maturity listed beside them.  That is based upon our data here at the farm.  Glenn is an avid weather observer and offers the following climate information for the serious gardener trying to determine if a variety will grow for them in their locale.  We have decided to add the data for the entire year as that is also an integral part of what the poultry can and do handle.

 

Current year information (2023) is in ()

Average Last Spring Frost (32) -  April 25 (May 3)

Average First Fall Frost (32) - October 2 (October 10)

Days between 32 degree frosts - 166.  Actual killing frosts (28 deg. or colder) this year were April 26 and October 10 (167days).  May to September we average 21.5 inches of rain.  Some years have brought much more, other times we can have long, dry spells.  

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SAND HILL PRESERVATION CENTER CLIMATE DATA    2023data is in ( )

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Month                Ave. High    Ave. Low     Precipitation

January             28  (32)        14  (20)        1.43  (1.59)

February           34  ( 34)       21  (18)       1.60   (3.38)

March                48  (42)        29  (28)       2.80  (2.12)

April                   61  (64)       39  (36)        3.67 (1.72)

May                   74   (79)        52  (50)       4.28  ( 2.10)

June                   83  (88)         61 (58)        4.89  (2.40)

July                    86  (88)        65  (62)        3.41  (5.53)

August               84  (87)        63  (62)        5.48  (1.43)

September         76  (82)        54  (56)        3.36  (2.89)

October              64  (65)        42 (43)         2.67  (5.03)

November          45  (51)        29  (26)        2.75  (0.60)

December           31  (41)        17  (28)        1.78 (2.61)

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We typically start planting Spring crops in early April and dig our last Fall root crops in mid November.   Winter’s lowest temperature is generally in the range of -20 to -25 with the coldest being -38.   Summer time temperatures above 100 are rare, but it has reached 105. 2023 was an odd one, rain was not even, we would get a downpour and then go 3 to 4 weeks with not a drop. October showed very wet but it was all in a 3 day period. December was unusually warm.

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Seeds - Ordering Information

SEED SHIPPING CHARGES

There is now a flat $4.00 charge for shipping on all seed orders going anywhere in the U.S.

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Orders are filled in the order received in our office with payment enclosed.  There can be up to a two week turn-around from our receiving the order to it being shipped during the peak season.

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CANADIAN AND FOREIGN SEED SHIPPING

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CANADIAN ORDERS:  We can not ship bulblets, plants or roots to a Canadian address.  Seed orders to a Canadian address must add $15.00 (American) for each order to cover the added postage costs. Payment must be sent in U.S. dollars.  We can not accept payment in any foreign currency.  Books require additional fees for postage.  Please contact us for that charge.You do not have to add the $4.00 for US orders in addition to the $15.00 for Canadian Orders

 

OTHER FOREIGN ORDERS:  We can not ship bulblets, plants or roots to a foreign address.  Please add $15.00 (American) to each order shipped to a foreign address (other than Canada).  We will not ship more than packet quantities (no pound quantities, etc.).  Payment must be sent in U.S. dollars.  We can not accept payment in any foreign currency.  Books require additional fees for postage.  Please contact us for that charge. You do not have to add the $4.00 for US orders in addition to the $15.00 for foreign orders. You are responsible for knowing what can and cannot be shipped into your country.  We can get a phytosanitary certificate if needed for a charge. Inquire if that is needed. Typically this is  $85.00.

 

 

SEED ORDERING INFORMATION

We now have people who help us fill seed orders year round.  Please expect that there could be some delays in shipping seeds between August 15 and December 30 because we are still processing the newly grown seed from the garden during that time.  If you need your seeds for a Fall planting, we must receive your order in our office before August 15.  Expect delays during the busy planting and growing season from May through August.     Also, please be aware that the state of Iowa charges state sales tax on everything that we sell (including seeds and sweet potatoes).  Iowa residents only must include 7% sales tax on seeds, bulblets, roots, books and sweet potatoes.  Canadian and foreign seed orders have an additional charge for postage (see order form).  PLEASE PAY IN U.S. FUNDS ONLY.  If your payment is sent to us in any foreign currency, it will be returned to you unfilled. 

 

SEED WARRANTY

All seed is germination tested and will meet Federal Standards.  We always try to include extra seed if possible.  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 do not guarantee seed purchased in prior years for germination to maintain standard after the year stamped on the packet.  UNDER  NO CIRCUMSTANCE  CAN  WE  BE  HELD  LIABLE FOR  MORE  THAN  THE  PURCHASE  PRICE OF THE SEEDS.

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The Safe Seed Pledge

We endorse the Safe Seed Pledge which states: “Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend.  We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations.  For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.  The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats.  We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release.  More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds.  Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately people and communities.”

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Open Source Seed Initiative

OSSI stands for the Open Source Seed Initiative. OSSI has three interconnected objectives. First, OSSI is a new way to save and exchange seed that ensures the seed will remain free of patents, licenses, and other restrictions on freedom to use. This method of exchange involves commitment to an Open Source Seed Pledge. Second, OSSI maintains a list of crop varieties that have been pledged as “freed seed” and provides a link to sources of seed for those varieties. Third, OSSI works to raise awareness of the importance of keeping seeds unencumbered from legal restrictions and free to be used, shared, saved, bred, and sold.

 

The OSSI Pledge reads: “You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.

 

We are a partner seed company in this movement.

 

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Our Seed Growing Network

We work with a small, select group of folks that help us produce some of the hard to find items in our catalog that we cannot grow here ourselves.  We are always grateful for all of the seed that they can grow for us.

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Annalisa Regenfuss - California - With that year round climate, she grew a  squash and a pea for us

Pam & Edmund Brown - Southern Missouri - They usually grow a set of vine crops, a cotton and miscellaneous other items.

Darrel Jones - Tennessee - Darrel grows a set of vine crops, a bean or two and is our main source to supplement our peanut and cotton crops.  

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In addition, we try to get some high quality organic seed from  A. P. Whaley, LLC in Wisconsin which is owned and operated by long time friend Aaron Whaley.

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Status of Our Seed Production

If you count all of the seeds, sweet potato varieties, cannas , garlic  it comes to around 2458 total different varieties.

 

2099 of the varieties we offer were grown here on the farm, which is 85.4 % of the material we offer.

62 were grown by our network of friends  which is  2.5 %.

297 were purchased from commercial sources which  is 12.1%.

 

We would love to grow 100% of what we sell here but that is just not possible. We still think our percentage is higher than most any place that offers a large diversity of species.

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