Organic
Here at Deep Harvest Farm, we only grow 100% Certified Organic seeds. For us “organic” is more than a value, but a reality embedded into each and every seed. Without being supported by chemicals, our plants must scavenge nutrients, fend off pests and diseases, and grow strong on their own genetic merits. We reject the use synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. Instead, we encourage our plants to grow in low-input soils fed by composts, green manures and organic fertilizers.
We only save seed from plants that thrive in our organic conditions, increasing the chances that their genes yield success in your organic gardens and fields, too.
Organic seeds are a more environmentally sound alternative to conventionally grown seeds. Seed crops must grow beyond their vegetative stage and into their flowering, or reproductive, stage. This can take a full growing season for annuals and well over a year for biennial crops. Their increased lifespan means seed crops endure a longer onslaught of pests and diseases, while demanding more nutrients, than their vegetable counterparts. To meet these challenges, many conventional seed farmers bolster their plants with increased levels of petroleum-based pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. Since seed crops are not grown for direct consumption, regulators allow higher-dose applications of chemicals than they do for food crops.
Heavy use of chemicals continues to result in devastating environmental consequences. This includes degradation of soil ecosystems, pollution of public waterways and decimation of local pollinator and wildlife populations. After years of growing in these conditions, many varieties of seed become genetically adapted to only thrive in high-input, chemically-laden environments. We want to be part of a food system that prioritizes healthy soils and ecosystems, where crops grow vigorously without the support of chemicals. It’s important that our seed also reflect these values.
Finally, by buying Certified Organic, you can be assured that your seeds are not genetically-modified or crossed with other GM plants. See our “Safe Seed Pledge” for more info on GMOs.
Open-Pollinated
We believe that farmers and gardeners are the proper stewards of seeds, not corporations. We only sell open-pollinated seeds (OPs). This means you can save these varieties at home and adapt them to your unique preferences and growing conditions.
Open-pollinated varieties reproduce by natural mechanisms of pollination, like wind, insect, human or self-pollination. This unrestricted flow of pollen means OPs are more genetically diverse than hybrids and more adaptable to different growing climates. As long as pollen isn’t moved between two varieties of the same species, your OP variety will breed true-to-type, and resemble the original variety on which you saved seed.
Over the last century, the seed industry experienced an astronomical rise in the number of hybrid varieties (aka F1s). F1s are created by crossing two parent lines together to create a novel, genetically-uniform variety. F1s are often heralded for their uniformity or increased “hybrid vigor,” and are dominant across most sectors of commercial agriculture.
While F1s often carry beneficial traits, they are genetically unstable and therefore cannot successfully be saved for seed. Their offspring will likely be an undesirable genetic mishmash of both parents, offering few of the benefits of the F1. The grower must therefore return to the seed company year after year to continue enjoying this variety.
We believe the increasing dominance of F1 hybrids plays a major role in the destruction of local agriculture systems. They sever the bond between growers and their seed and make them dependent on an increasingly consolidated, less-diverse, corporate seed industry. In this power structure, farmers become end consumers, instead of the sovereign producers they’ve always been.
Beyond F1s, we also reject varieties with any type of proprietary patent, such as Plant Variety Protections (PVPs) or utility patents. Like hybrids, patents prevent the saving, sharing and further adaption of varieties by seed saver, farmers and plant breeders. Our seeds are “open-source” so we welcome and encourage you to save and share them far and wide!
Small, regional seed companies that offer diverse, open-pollinated crops play a crucial role in a healthy, dynamic seed industry. It’s an honor to be part of a movement that seeks to put seeds back into the hands of growers.
Regional
A small number of seed producers grow the majority of the world’s seed. The companies that sell these seeds market globally, so choose to carry varieties with universal appeal. These varieties aren’t bred to excel in any particular bioregion. Instead, they are raised to perform “good enough” in most farming regions, usually with the help of chemicals. However, when grown on smaller organic farms and gardens, especially those outside of fertile farming regions, these varieties often disappoint.
Organic, ecologically-oriented growers need varieties bred to meet their region’s challenges, whether they be pest and disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance or ability to thrive in marginal soils.
As market farmers, we grow hundreds of vegetable varieties to sell through our CSA, farmers markets, restaurants and grocery stores. Every year, we perform variety trials to assess varieties that thrive in our particular Northwest soils and climate. Our seed catalog features these winning varieties. We are confident they will also excel in fields and gardens across the Northwest and other cool, northern climates. By saving seeds from the best plants, selecting for beauty, vigor, and disease resistance we adapt varieties to our corner of the world.
As our planet faces climate change, food shortages, and corporate consolidation, we must strive to decentralize the seed system. Regional seed producers, not multinational corporations, are most fit to adapt to the needs and challenges of a particular growing region.
