Get Ready to Garden this Spring with Hudson Valley Seeds!

This year we have a colorful display of seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Company. 

Hudson Valley Seed Company grows and sells only non-GMO and open-pollinated seed. Most of the seed sold is grown on their farm, Four Fold Farm, in the Hudson Valley. Hudson Valley Seed Co is committed to preserving crop diversity and saving heirloom seeds by choosing to grow varieties that are unique and hard to find. They value organic and sustainable growing practices and believe that every seed is a "time capsule telling tales of the plants, crops, and people that came before us."

The company also works with small growers to teach them how to save seeds and diversify their income and crops. To learn about what else the they are up to, The Hudson Valley Seed Company has a blog with content about gardening tips, planting ideas, and facts about different plant varieties. 

So what does open pollinated mean? And what are heirloom seeds?

Open Pollinated seeds are pollinated without limiting pollen flow between individual plants. This means that plants can be pollinated via wind, water, pollinator insects (like bees), birds, or humans. 

Heirlooms are seeds or varieties that have been grown "within a family or community or region for a period of many generations." and produce consistent characteristics year after year. 

What about seed saving? 

Seed saving is an important practice to preserve the genetic diversity of seed varieties. To save your own seed and regrow your favorites the following year, chose from any of the Hudson Valley Seed Co's Art packs we have on display at our store, start your garden, and then follow tips here about how to harvest seeds. Find more gardening resources from Cornell here.