Was that post title a little overboard? Sorry about that…I’m a sucker for free, organic, high-quality seeds, and (be honest) most of you, my wonderful readers, are too.
Part Two of our awesome giveaway week is here, and it rocks. (If you missed Part One of giveaway week, there is still time to go enter to win a copy of Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard from the guys of Seattle Urban Farm Company.)
High Mowing Organic Seeds emailed the other day and offered to send some free seeds to one of my readers. Yes, please!
This is High Mowing:
They sell organic vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Don’t they look friendly, and pretty much exactly how you’d picture organic seed farmers from Vermont to look?
Why Organic Seeds?
All of High Mowing’s seeds are 100% certified organic. You probably grow your vegetables organically and we’ve all heard about the various ways organic food is better for you, the environment, farmers, etc. But you may not have thought about seeking out certified organic seeds.
There are a couple good reasons you might want to buy and use organic seed whenever possible.
1. Plants raised organically over several generations for seed tend make future plants that do better under organic culture. This is straight up adaptation at work. It’s like how heirlooms grown in one area over generations will become more and more adapted to the climate in that area. A plant raised successfully over time without the protection of chemical fungicides, insecticides and whatnot will tend to pass on genetics that make continued organic culture easier. A plant requiring more chemical help to get it to the reproductive finish-line (making seed) in one piece is going to tend to pass on more genetics for plants that do best with that same kind of chemical supplement.
2. Seed crops get hit with a lot of pesticides and fungicides (far more than typical food crops) which is pretty bad for the land and people involved in growing seed crops. In Oregon, for example, most vegetables grown for seed qualify for “nonfood/nonfeed site” status, which diminishes the labeling and pesticide residue test requirements for those crops. Further, since applications of pesticide and fungicide can be applied throughout the growing and seed development stages, minuscule amounts of these chemicals could remain on the seeds you plant in your garden. For someone very diligent about avoiding chemical inputs in their garden, that possibility alone might make the higher cost of organic seeds very worthwhile.
Thankfully, more and more growers are popping up to supply seed to organic home and small market growers, and so a broad range of organic seeds is now available from seedhouses like High Mowing.
So, About Those Free Seeds?
High Mowing Organic Seeds has put together several beautiful Seed Collections filled with up to 10 seed packets and worth up to $27.50, including this Heirloom Vegetable Garden Collection…
…and this Garden Starter Collection.
There are a lot more collections to choose from (Container Garden? Kids Garden?), and High Mowing is giving one of these collections away to one lucky NW Edible reader. The winner of this giveaway can pick the collection of seeds that is most appealing to them. Some kits contain more seed packets and are therefore worth more. Just so you know when you are thinking about which you’d want.
How To Enter
To enter to win this giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling us which one the new 2013 High Mowing seed varieties you’d most like to try out. You can see all their 2013 introductions on one page here. The Iko Iko Pepper and the Prinz Celeriac look great to me.
While you are poking around the High Mowing site, check out the Seed Collections and tell us which one you’ll pick if you win.
Contest details: entries accepted until Thursday December 20th at 6 pm PT. Contest open to residents of the US and Canada due to seed shipping regulations.
Good luck!
Update: Contest now closed. Congratulations to Aibrean, the winner of the seed giveaway. Aibrean, please check your email for details on how to claim your prize!
Hard to pick, but probably the Iko Iko pepper seeds, then the new Orange Calendula. I would pick the garden start collection.
I would love to try my hand at growing the Heirloom Vegetable Lovers Seed Collection. Ever the romantic I would love to share the experience of growing a small garden with my 90 year old father adjacent to his signature fig tree. He has planted a fig tree and garden at every home he has had.
If the quantities of seed permit, I think it would be fun to share the wealth and inspire a little healthy competition between the neighbor’s as well. last year we had some fun seeing who could grow the biggest tomato, onion etc.. We had alot of fun tricking a neighbor into thinking that the giant organic red onion we gave him was grown in our own yard.
You’re gonna make me choose? Alrighty then, I guess I’d love to try the fenugreek. Can I even grow that here? Sounds exciting anyway!
loving the tiger peppers and spanish roja garlic! I would choose the heirloom vegetable lover’s seed collection. Can I pick two? Because I know my almost 3-year old would love the kid’s organic seed collection too 🙂
i would love to the tomatoes. they all sound great though
Oh. My. Goodness! I have my “Cart” already filled on that website just waiting for payday (which happens to be the 21st!) and I’ve gotta say If I had to pick out a seed collection it would be the heirloom lovers. I think I already have a few in my cart 🙂 As for my favorite new seeds, I’ve already jumped on the Iko Iko Pepper bandwagon but think the new German Butterball Potato sounds divine! Spans all ways to prepare potatoes – YES. PLEASE.
Btw, found your site through pinterest for another article and now I’m hooked. Love it!
The silverwhale spinach looks interesting!
Megaton F1 Hybrid Leek and Orange Chard! I fell in love with chard this summer at the farmer’s market and now I want it in my own garden! We’ve had success with leeks in the past and I really missed them this year. These look nice and hearty! Yum!!!
Oh! And the heirloom veggie collection or winter garden make my mouth water!
The black trifele tomatoes look awesome! I would probably choose the container or heirloom seed collections.
How could I resist a pepper named Iko Iko?! That’s going on my to-buy list. And the Heirloom Vegetable collection looks awesome to me.
What a wonderful web site!
New for 2013, the Rhonda F1 Hybrid Beet.
For the Seed Collections, the Organic Garden Starter Collection is just sublime!
I would try the Iron Lady tomatoes. As for the seed collections, I’m torn between A Bee’s Garden and Container Garden, but I think I would choose Container Garden for its edibility.
How can I choose just one variety? I want to try them all! but sadly with our cold, wet Pacific Northwest climate and my limited garden space, I need the most bang for my buck. I cant go wrong with the “oh so lovely ” hybrid cocozelle zucchini. They are small enough to ripen quickly, even if our summer starts late and ends early, and zucchini are famously prolific producers. Plus, the lovely stripes makes them aesthetically appealing, even to the pickiest of my kids. I can also sneak zucchini into so many things disguised as non vegetables (breads, muffins, Quiche). Please, please send me a free packet :). Oh, and I would definitely want the Garden starter collection if I could choose, I love experimenting with new varieties every year.
It’s fun just to look at all the seeds and collections. I wish I could start planting now! I’m really drawn to the Topepo Rosso peppers and the heirloom collection. The container collection was my first thought, but the heirloom has more plants that are new to me. My Matt’s Wild Cherry tomato from 2011 self-seeded this year (VA/7A).
Those Stocky Red Roasters look good to me! Could be just because it’s been raining and cold here all week. I want summer back! Giant Coral Zinnia looks beautiful too. It’s a toss up between the kids garden collection and the winter garden one. Looks like a nice company and a good website too. Thanks!
Seeds! I think any of these would be great. I like the Organic Vegetable lovers. Of course my outdoor bird friends would like the Sunflower Seed collection. They all sound wonderful.
The short-season dry bean obsession continues, so I’d go for the improved cannelini first. I’ve heard good things about Black Trifele tomato and Winter Luxury pie squash as well.
For seed collections, the container one looks the best at the moment. Which is a bit weird since I don’t do a lot of container gardening (more watering needed … laziness strikes again) but there’s a few on there I’ve been meaning to try, like Matt’s Wild Cherry and Lacinato kale. And really, who couldn’t use more herbs and nasturtiums? Always sprinkling those about in random open spots and then running out.
I would like to try the organic blue coco bean. Looks like fun to me!
Oh, wow, to choose from all those wonderful organic seeds? Impossible! I am limited on space, though, which helps me choose the container variety for sure. There are so many beautiful plants shown there, the tomatos, lettuce, and my mouth is already watering, and I’m feeling the warm soil on my fingers now. I began my love of plants at an early age, growing up with family in the flower business with greenhouses growing the fabulous flowers and house plants. Then, in high school in the late 70’s, I worked in greenhouses set up for hydroponics, which was a new concept and we grew vegetables and flowers in the 67 greenhouses. So fun and so much to learn with new ways to grow great beauty and appetizing food every year, while we cherish the heirloom varieties of our ancestors also. Thanks for this offer!
I would love to try the orange chard and the Rhazes lettuce – they would both look fantastic in my edible front yard landscape! I would try just about any of the collections. We’re always looking to try new and interesting things at our community garden, or find avenues for quality seeds to donate to community members who don’t have access to them. The container garden, garden starter, or kid’s garden collections would probably be most ideal. What fun!
Free seeds sounds fantastic! I wish I could grow melons in the PacNW but even the shortest season melons just don’t ripen fast enough in my yard. So to be most practical the Baron Mache sounds easy & fruitful, Garnet Mustard looks beautiful, and Topepo Rosso peppers sounds wonderful. I would choose, if I could only choose one, the Heirloom Vegetable lovers beacuse it has one of everything.
Dear Erica, of course you have so many entries, that I won’t win, but I would order the Cover crop mix: “Organic Field Peas/Oats Vetch Mix” and hope that the chickens wouldn’t eat it before it got established. As for the collection, I would order the container garden, not because I don’t have a plot, but because my kids had a fabulous farmers’ market last summer and I would like them to be successful with their very own seeds.
Dear Erica,
You have an amazing blog! I had visited in the past and landed here today again and this time my friend you are bookmarked for GOOD! 🙂
I started gardening about two years ago, when I was able to use my Community garden space. It has been hard but I have learned along the way and I love it! There is nothing more rewarding than giving my lovely toddler fresh peas, berries, and salads that I know I grew and have no pesticides. It is very hard to get heirloom organic seeds, and understandably enough they are pricey. I have purchased OS from the local stores, but it makes me wonder if they truly are Heirloom and organic.
Where to start with the Organic Seeds? I love to grow purple vegetables and well.. all vegetables. Here are some that caught my eye: Blue Coco Bean, Purple cabbage, Red Cipollini Onion, Vivid Choi, Black Trifelle tomato, Silverwhale F1 Hybrid Spinach, peppers, whatever you wish to send 🙂
One thing though; my space and seasons are limited as I am part of a Community Garden and have about two beds space and live in the Northeast. High mowing farms can send me whatever they think will grow great here in the NE. I would love love to win this package as my journey into gardening just so I can show my son the art of gardening for life. Thanks 🙂
ooooh, these look fantastic! I would go for the container garden or the Kids garden. I like the cosmic purple carrot 🙂
not sure if I put the right answer or not, but here’s hoping!
Garnet Giant Mustard, Vivid Choy, Megaton Leek, Topepo Peppers are on my list! The Black Trifeles I have grown here and they are beautiful tasting. Blue Coco Beans are a standard in my garden now. The taste is outstanding, the beans are tender even when large and I always get a prodigious number of them.
My goal this year is to grow my own dry beans, so the Organic Silver Cloud Cannellini Bean look like a good one to try. Then it would be a toss up between the sunflower seed collection and the winter garden.
I want to try the Baron Mache – I love how mache extends the season for fresh local greens so much.
I’d choose the Heirloom Vegetable Lovers Seed Collection – it looks like a great selection of favourites and varieties I’ve never tried.
I’m thrilled that this is open to Canadians!
Ooh, orange chard!
I’m all about destroying the ” we can’t grow corn west of the cascades”curse this year. I have been collecting large livestock waterer’s this last summer ( the joy’s of living in the country and barn sales ) and will be trying like hell to prove everyone wrong! So If I win I would pick the three sisters mix. After all, if i fail to produce edible corn, it sure will look cool hanging out and over a big black tub!
The orange chard looks interesting, and I have had a hard time with radiccio lately, so I would beinterested in trying that to see if I have more luck.
I’d probably pick the Container Garden Collection, since I’m moving to a house with a slightly small garden space! And I definitely have an interest in the Vivid Choi for the new 2013 varieties!
It’s difficult to choose! I’m such a seed addict. I’ll go with the Stocky Red Roaster, though. Coming in a close second are all of those yummy loose leaf lettuces.
Oh, and the Heirloom Gardeners would be my collection of choice.
Garden Starter Collection
I would love to try the garden starter collection and I am going to get the wheat grass for sure!!
I’d love to try out the Australe Lettuce, I love different lettuces in my salads and butterhead and romain are some of my favorites and this one combines qualities of both…
I would absolutly love to try the Cocozelle Zucchini. I love putting zucchini in fresh summer salads and mixing it up with the Cocezelle sounds wonderful! Which brings me to the Easy Salad Greens Organic Seed Collection. What an amazing mix! Sounds like all my favorite things packed in one packet!
Of the new seed varieties I’d really like to try the Maayan Calendula. This year I’ve really gotten into making herbal medicines and calendula is one of my favorite herbs, but it is so expensive! I’m seeing great swaths of calendula in my 2013 garden. As for the seed collections, I would go with the Heirloom Vegetable Lover’s Collection because I’m, well, an heirloom vegetable lover. Thanks for bringing this seed company to my attention, Erica!
Orange Chard for me please. Yummy!
I think the one I’d enjoy trying the most is the Winter Luxury Pumpkin; it looks like a fun thing to grow and a tasty thing to eat.
As for the seed collections….the one that interests me the most would be the Container Garden Organic Seed Collection….I don’t do much with containers and I’ve been wanting to!
Thanks for the opportunity to win seeds. I love all the great photos on the High Mowing website, which is inspiring the spring garden! If I had to pick just one seed packet it would be the Heirloom Vegetable Lover’s Seed Collection. And the Magnifienza F1 Hybrid Melon from the 2013 collection is calling my name. I love a great melon!
blue coco bean…. prinz celeriac… ALL the potatoes/onions/garlic… eeeeekkkkk
hello.. I am a seed addict (so thought I should branch out to tubers/bulbs!)
I’d love to try the Black Trifele Tomato!
Oh and if I won, I would try the Heirloom Vegetable Lover’s collection
I grow heirlooms almost exclusively, and have ordered from High Mowing for two years — they are fabulous people who grow fabulous seeds. I would ask for the Bee Garden Collection, because I’d like to see more native pollinators around my farm… and I’d love to try the cocozelle zucchini in my garden, while growing the wheatgrass indoors for the early markets. Hope this sneaks in under the wire! It’s after 6 pm here, but I’m Atlantic Time, so I think I have a few more hours! Fun to read everyone’s comments, too…
Hello everyone!
I am new to all this and would love to start a garden for my family so we can all eat healthy and share with others… I am realy looking forward to gardening as though i live in florida and its going to be a new exsperince with growing in this climate and sand everywere.. wish me all the luck god bless
I’d have to go with the garden starter, the kitchen herbs, or the easy salad greens or maybe even the vegetable lovers kit!
Oh no! I hope that I am not too late to register for some “free seeds”. I would love to try some of the cherry tomatoes and perhaps the spinach varities. I love spinach.
Seeds!!! Anything!!!! Love plants, love gardening! I have limited space, though, so I would love the “Container Gardening” packet.