Seed supplier update

[Wi-sunflower]

Thanks so much,
Carol

[Jayc]

The UK branch of Kokopelli is no longer active.
www.kokopelli-seeds.com/ is the main one over here.

[jennifer28]

Dar

Would you consider adding Everwilde Farms? They are a very nice and honest family operation. I have always gotten great service from them and seed with excellent germ rates, above 90% per pack. They are very honest and good sellers in my opinion.

Their web site is http://www.everwilde.com/wildflower-store.html

[where_with_all]

It's been a very long time since I have posted on this board... So it is fun to be back

Just one comment... Nice list, but there are way too many suppliers... It would be better if you listed the black listed suppliers to avoid.

ranking would also help but that is probably a lot of work....

I personally love tomato growers supply.. They are my first choice ...Johnny's is number two...

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by where_with_all

It's been a very long time since I have posted on this board... So it is fun to be back

Just one comment... Nice list, but there are way too many suppliers... It would be better if you listed the black listed suppliers to avoid.

ranking would also help but that is probably a lot of work....

I personally love tomato growers supply.. They are my first choice ...Johnny's is number two...

Good to see you back.

What's happened here at Tville with the black listed ones on the seed supplier list is that they aren't even listed.

I'd prefer to see that rather than have a separate listing for black listed ones done publicaly, b'c the reasons are many why some folks don't like a particular site and I just think it's not nice to place names out there.

Some folks are better at seed germination than others, so will diss a site on that issue when it shouldn't be an issue. Some will say they got the wrong seeds when in fact the error was at their end with labelling problems.

For several years I did a wrong varities thread at GW and it was quite clear as to which sites at that time were way better than others when it came to trueness of seeds, germination and service. I offered to inform the less good companies, b'c some folks didn't want to do that themselves, and ran into trouble doing that b'c in some cases a person was confused about WHERE they got the seeds from and one seed site owner said he could not confirm that the person ever ordered seeds from his site, and that b'c he has his computer records. And said that folks should either inform him directly, or not at all.

Ranking seed sites? Well I think that's an impossibility based on my experience doing those wrong variety threads at GW and now there are so many new sites since I did that, which was somewhere in the perhaps the early 2000's, I cant remember right now.

I'm all for encouraging folks to BUY at least half of their tomato seeds from the smaller family owned sites b'c it's they who are the major ones who help preserve varieties by offering lots of them, talking OP types now, and in these economic times they need all the support they can get.

For hybrids one usually has to go to different sites and there are some great sites out there that do offer lots of hybrids.

I know it's an old story, so I'll make this short, but what bothers me the most is seed trading, not seed offers, but seed trading, b'c in general that's where most of the wrong varieties show up and many new to tomato growing don't know they have a wrong variety and perpetuate that wrong variety by sharing it with others.

Each person should know ALL of the traits of a specific variety before they even buy the seeds so they know after they grow a variety if it's correct for the variety, but many times that does not happen/

Yes, I do recognize the thrlll of the game by trading for seeds to get something rare, something exclusive, that will always be there I know, but since we're all sitting in front of a computer and many have lots of money invested in that as well as all the software, I doubt that money is the problem in actually buying some seeds and doing less seed trading.

I didn't mean for this post to be so long but my fingers are feeling rather nimble this AM and my brain cells are fired up, so at my age you do what you can when you can.

[Cole_Robbie]

I'd prefer to see that rather than have a separate listing for black listed ones done publicaly, b'c the reasons are many why some folks don't like a particular site and I just think it's not nice to place names out there.

A black list also subjects the publisher of the list to potential legal liability. People think it's ok if they are telling the truth, but you can still get sued for libel. Truth is an affirmative defense, which means the burden is on the accused to prove their innocence...while their attorney bills about $350/hr. There is no winning in such a scenario, except of course for the attorneys.

[ginger2778]

Darren,
A personal thank you for such a complete listing of ethical seed sites. This became a favorite page. The work you put into it is appreciated. Well done!
-Marsha

[Ken4230]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I'm all for encouraging folks to BUY at least half of their tomato seeds from the smaller family owned sites.

I didn't mean for this post to be so long but my fingers are feeling rather nimble this AM and my brain cells are fired up, so at my age you do what you can when you can.

I know I am going to be laughing or grinning or both every time I read one of your post.Keep it up.

On a serious note, I try to buy from people that I think are making an honest effort to perpetuate the gardening lifestyle(as I visualize it).
I end up giving away most of what I buy each year as seeds or plants in hopes of growing another gardener.

We got some new neighbors last year, a single lady with two teenagers. I showed them my garden and talked the 15 year old boy into trying one this year.
He has a good corn patch, 2 doz. tomatoes and some peppers. It's full of grass but still an awesome first garden.
I've got him hooked, he's already planning for next year.