Seed Savers Exchange

seedsavers.org

A nonprofit founded in 1975 that keeps more than 20,000 varieties in its seed bank at Heritage Farm in northeast Iowa. The retail catalog is a fraction of that, a few hundred vegetables, herbs and flowers, but each listing carries the story of who handed the variety down and where it came from. Members also get access to the Exchange itself, a member to member listing where thousands of varieties never sold commercially change hands for postage or a small fee.

Worth it for gardeners who care about provenance and want to try saving seed themselves, since the site and books explain isolation distances and drying properly. The farm near Decorah is open to visitors and sells seed on site. Anyone shopping purely on price will find cheaper packets elsewhere, and the catalog list is smaller than the big commercial houses.

Address: 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa, USA

[email protected] +1 563 382 5990