Seed Friends: Special Collections
Seed Friends: Special Collections
Over the years we've connected with so many farmers and gardeners like you who care about seeds. We've also had incredible opportunities to work with a few other organizations and businesses who want to make a positive difference in the seed world.
This year we have seed packs that celebrate our collaborations and I wanted to let you know about a few that I'm excited about! If you look carefully at our Art Packs, some have an additional name in the bottom corner. These packs represent partnerships. Our partnerships are like adding a new chapter to the story of the seeds inside the pack.
Abundant Bloomsdale Spinach:
This pack stems from a collaborative breeding project stewarded by the Organic Seed Alliance. I believe so strongly in the mission of OSA that I'm on the board of directors. Not only does this pack contain seeds from their spinach breeding project, but a percentage of sales supports the educational, research, and advocacy work of the organization. You can learn more about their work on seedalliance.org. Get this pack and help support the organic seed movement here.
Hyde Park Collection:
When Kerry Truman told me about the un-paving of a parking lot at the estate of FDR in order to revive the original home garden, I knew I wanted to be involved. How many times have you heard Joni Mitchell sing about paving paradise to put up a parking lot? Here was a National Park, practically in our backyard, un-paving a parking lot to recreate an historic garden paradise. I met with Frank Futral, one of the kindest and most creative park rangers I've ever met, to find an exciting way of celebrating the new two acre garden. We researched the early 1900s varieties grown in FDR's garden, designed and built a gallery exhibit for the Philadelphia Flower Show, commissioned artwork for four of the historic vegetables, and produced the first four seed packs for the Hyde Park Seed Collection. Purchase these packs and support the Roosevelt-Vanderbuilt Historic Site's garden at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site Gift Shop.
Beekman 1802 Collection:
The Beekman Boys became famous on reality TV for their own show as well as winning the Amazing Race. They've been using their celebrity to educate folks about the importance of supporting small farms. They call it the Farm to Shelf Revolution. I got to chat with them when we were at the Heritage Harvest Festival at Jefferson's Monticello. While we were on the shuttle together from Jefferson's home back to the visitor center, Josh and Brent talked about their passion for gardening with heirlooms, their belief in seeds, and there love our our artist designed seed packs. Before we got off the shuttle we hatched a plan to create an heirloom Art Pack collection featuring seeds they grow and love. They selected one of their favorite artists, Cat Morris, to create quirky goat-inspired art for the packs. You can buy these limited edition seed packs and support the Seed to Shelf Revolution here.