Clark Farm Hosts Collective Seed Ordering

On Thursday, February 3rd at Flanders Nature Centers trail house, Clark Farm CSA, a local organic community-supported agriculture farm, is offering to share its seed contacts with the community.

“For years we have offered some of our plant starts for sale in spring, but we never tried to facilitate the bulk seed buying beyond friends and other organic growers,” said John Clark the farm’s owner. “Many of the seed houses that we buy from are very small family operations or collectives defying the trend of centralization by the large houses. I don’t know if the public realizes that the vast majority of seed is owned or offered by less than a dozen parent companies. Being organic, we never buy treated seed and that includes the genetically modified junk, which is unlabeled, that is flooding the market. If we have the slightest doubts about a seed company, for the health and safety of our members and the community in general, we not only don’t buy from them, but we freely share our findings.”

The farm buys seed from over three dozen seed companies and is offering these resources to other gardeners. “For many people; buying a packet from this company here and another from over there, doesn’t work. Since we are already buying from everywhere, we can share our buying power with like-minded gardeners.” Many seed collectives such as Fedco and NOFA-CT already try to offer cooperative buying strength through the efforts of their members. The deadlines vary from late January to the first week of March depending on the seed house as hard to get seeds are often gone by the new year.

“Most of the very small or incredibly devoted seedsmen and seedswomen grow heirloom and open pollinated stock often not available from larger companies. In addition to the several dozen companies we do business with, Clark Farm has a master list with addresses of the remaining seed companies. It also has the Seed Savers Exchange – Garden Seed Inventory – Master, with characteristics of all available open pollinated stock as of 1999, to use. Many other resources and literature will be available.

The meeting will begin promptly at 7 pm. The farm’s own herb teas will be available as well as light snacks. The evening is free to members of Clark Farm and Flanders Nature Center and $5 to all others. due to space limitations, pre-registration is required. To register call Flanders Nature Center at 203/263-3711 or to get more info call Clark Farm CSA at 203/263-5801 or fax at 203/263-0096.