Ellen Rainwalker’s List of Resources for Growing and Saving Your Own Seeds
Ellen Rainwalker’s List of Resources for
Growing and Saving Your Own Seeds
* indicates that item is available through the Vancouver Island Regional Library system
Books & Publications
*Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth
*The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds by Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough
*Seed Sowing and Saving by Carole B. Turner (lots of easy-to-understand illustrations)
*How to Save Your Own Seeds by the editors of Seeds of Diversity Canada
Saving Seeds As If Our Lives Depended On It by Dan Jason
Breed Your Own Vegetables Varieties and *The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and
Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times both by Carol Deppe
Small-Scale Organic Seed Production Manual by Patrick Steiner, Available for free download or purchase at http://www.bcseeds.org/seed-manuals
How to Grow a Seed Collective: A Community Template for Seed Saving by Robin Wheeler, Available for free download or purchase at http://www.bcseeds.org/seed-manuals
A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers from the Organic Seed Alliance, Available for free download at http://www.seedalliance.org/download-form-1
The Organic Seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production by John Navazio
DVD – *Gardens of Destiny with Dan Jason, filmed by Jocelyn Demers
Internet Videos & Tutorials
Basics of Organic Seed Production – an online course in larger-scale seed production based on materials from intensive workshops held as part of the 2011 Organicology conference put on by the Organic Seed Alliance. Includes online books, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, audio and video with a number of expert presenters. A wonderful resource for seed growers.
Available for free download at http://campus.extension.org/course/view.php?id=377
Seed Saving Videos with Dan Jason and Megan Hyslop, Video by Raven – how to harvest and clean seeds – available at http://mapofsaltspring.com/raven/
Organizations
Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers www.cvgss.org Lots of good information for seed savers.
BC Seeds – a project of Farm Folk City Folk supporting BC’s organic seed production www.bcseeds.org
Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada – http://www.seedsanctuary.com/
Seeds of Diversity Canada – www.seeds.ca
Seed Savers Exchange & Flower and Herb Exchange – www.seedsavers.org
Organic Seed Alliance – http://www.seedalliance.org
Seed Companies
There are a great many seed companies – these are ones I have found particularly useful because they offer more than just seeds, and because they produce/sell seeds and supplies for organic growers and seed savers.
BC
West Coast Seeds – www.westcoastseeds.com Good locally-adapted varieties and growing info.
Stellar Seeds – http://stellarseeds.com Organic heritage and rare varieties. Free download of owner Patrick Steiner’s handbook Small-Scale Organic Seed Production is also available here.
Salt Spring Seeds – www.saltspringseeds.com Organic seeds, rare and unusual varieties, and a good selection of grains and other calorie crops.
US
High Mowing Organic Seeds – www.highmowingseeds.com Organic seeds, has growing and seed saving information under the “Resources” heading, and sells materials for long-term seed storage.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds – www.johnnyseeds.com Huge selection of seeds for gardeners and market growers, very useful materials in their “Growing Guides” section.
Seeds of Change – www.seedsofchange.com Supporting organic sustainable agriculture since 1989. Sells seeds and supplies for organic growers.
Wild Garden Seed – www.wildgardenseed.com Organic seeds, a great resource for salad
greens, and they sell seed collections specifically for plant breeders to work with.
Bountiful Gardens – www.bountifulgardens.org Research mini-farm, sells open-pollinated
seeds and educational materials on the Biointensive method.
Horizon Herbs – http://www.horizonherbs.com Sells seed cleaning screens.
February 2013