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Organic Vegetable Seed

According to the National Organic  Standard, organic growers must use organically produced seeds and transplants.  There are three basic rules that apply to seeds, seedlings, and planting stock.

The first basic rule is: organic seed and planting stock must be used in organic production.  If an equivalent organic crop variety is not available, untreated conventionally grown seed and planting stock may be used.

The second basic rule is that transplants used to produce an annual organic crop must have been organically grown.  A variance to use conventional seedlings may be granted only if the original transplants were destroyed through drought, wind, flood, excessive moisture, hail, tornado, earthquake, fire or other business interruption.

The third basic rule is that seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock used in organic production may not be treated with prohibited substances.  The only exception is when the application of those substances is a requirement of Federal or State phytosanitary regulations.

Organic growers have the responsibility to ensure that no genetically modified material is used including GMO pollen contamination.  Conventional seed treatments using fungicides which are not approved for organic production are prohibited. 

Allowed treatments include natural materials such as biological inoculants and synthetic substances that are on the National List. Examples are seaweed extracts and the inoculation of legume seeds with rhizobium bacteria.

Organic seed requirements also applies to cover crop seeds, but some certifiers treat this as general guidance and consider cover crop seed as plant materials for managing soil fertility.  As in all cases, be certain as an organic grower, you understand your certifier’s views on all matters.

Understanding terms:  Equivalent variety is a cultivar of the same type with similar plant characteristics when compared to the original preferred variety.  Example: type refers to the basic plant type, head lettuce type vs. leaf lettuce type; characteristic refers to factors such as color, pest resistance, and maturation.

Commercially unavailable would be if an organic supplier could not be located or if the organic supplier could not provide seed in the quantities needed, or if the available seed quality were substandard.  Higher seed cost of organic seed and propagation materials are not considered acceptable reasons for using nonorganic seed.  Your certifier ultimately makes the final decision on whether the use of nonorganic seed or planting stock is justified.

The term ‘seeds’ is self-explanatory.  Annual transplants are seedlings of annual crops that have been removed from their original place of production and replanted elsewhere.  Planting stock is any plant or plant tissue other than annual seedlings including rhizomes, shoots, leaf or stem cuttings, roots or tubers used in plant production or propagation.  Planting stock includes sweet potato slips, garlic cloves, white Irish ‘seed’ potatoes, and flowering bulbs as well as tree seedlings, strawberry plants, and blackberry root cuttings.  (Most of this information came from NCAT’s Organic Crops Workbook, A Guide to Sustainable and Allowed Practices, ATTRA, Fayetteville, AR).

Sources of Organic Seeds

W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Warmister, PA 18974, 888-333-5808, www.burpee.com

Fedco Seeds, PO Box 520, Waterville, ME 04903-0520, 207-873-7333, www.fedcoseeds.com

Heirloom Seed Project, 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, 717-569-0401 ext 200, www.landisvalleymuseum.org

Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 310 Foss Hill Road, Alvion, ME 04910, 800-437-4290, www.johnnyseeds.com

Seeds of Change, PO Box 15700, Santa Fe, NM 87592-1500, 888-762-7333, www.seedsofchange.com

SeedWay, Organic Grower Vegetable Seed Catalog, 1255 Zeager Rd, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, 800-952-7333, www.seedway.com

Territorial Seed Company, PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, OR 97424-0061, 541-942-9547, www.territorialseed.com.

The Cook’s Garden, PO Box 535, Londonderry, VT 05148, 888-457-9703, www.cooksgarden.com

Harris Seeds, 355 Paul Rd, PO Box 24966, Rochester, NY 14624-0966, 800-544-7938, www.harrisseeds.com

High Mowing Seeds, 813 Brook Rd, Wolcott, VT 05680, 802-888-1800, www.highmowingseeds.com

The Maine Potato Catalog, Jim and Megan Gerritsen, 49 Kinney Rd, Bridgewater, ME 04735, 207-429-9765, www.woodprarie.com

Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 N Winn Rd, Decoran, IA 52101, 563-382-5990, www.seedsavers.com

Sow Organic, PO Box 527, Williams, OR 97544, 888-709-7333, www.organicseed.com

Veseys Seeds, PO Box 9000, Calais, ME 04619-6102, 800-363-7333, www.veseys.com

(J. M. White, MREC-Apopka - Vegetarian 04-08)