Seed Savers Exchange

SpookyShoe · November 23, 2018

I have never seen SSE seeds sold in a commercial setting before. These were at Maas Nursery on Todville Road in Seabrook, Texas. They were advertised as open-pollinated and non-GMO.

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

**carolyn137** · November 23, 2018

Donna, I have never seen racks of SSE seeds either,but then I don't get around much anymore,like out of my Home.

But I am not surprised at all. I'm a lifetime member of SSE as I think you already know, get the Annual Yearbooks and can see where membership is dropping in the chart they show.I also receive the four magazines from Heritage Farms each year.

They have tried everything under the sun
to ramp up membership ,I won't got into detail on that. I also receive the numerous e-mails asking for money donations to SSE. I think it was just a week or two ago I got an e-mail saying that I had been a long time member and they would appreciate any donations that I wished to make.

What I am thankful for is that Kent and Diane started SSE and b'c of that the number of varieties of everything,not just tomatoes,has had a huge impact on what we have today at MANY commercial seed sites. Many members joined SSE , ,I mean ones from other countries,and that helped increase the diversity of many kinds of seed,that's good as well.

But I speak mainly in the past tense now as to non US members.

But I fear that the glory days of SSE are over,just my own opinion from being a member since I think 1988 or 1989.

Lastly,what I treasure most are the many friends I first met via SSE and many of them still are friends.

Carolyn

oldman · November 23, 2018

I've not seen a display like that before either. I'm not sure if I would call it "SSE seed". My guess would be (based on the varieties pictured and how retail works) that SSE is licensing their brand rather than packaging their own seed. It would let them generate revenue from casual gardeners and encourage membership by more serious growers who want the rarer varieties they can't get "off the rack".

I don't think SSE is suffering because of anything they're doing wrong. It's just that they're dealing with a generation (or several generations) of people who are happiest with their food when it involves the least amonnt of effort. GrubHub and Doritos are convenient. They leave time for Instagram and Facebook so people can discuss TV shows and rant about how bad their day was.

Given that I didn't see a single honeybee all year I'm skeptical about the future of agriculture, never mind SSE.

greenthumbomaha · November 23, 2018

There are two retail outlets in Omaha that have sold SSE as pictured above; Paradigm Gardens (a hydro type) which carries the entire line, and Lanoha Nursery which has about 6 racks like the one pictured above. Guess I'm lucky that I an drive a few minutes and oogle over the available wares!

I just remembered another store here; Mulhalls joined the party this past year. I bought out the rat tailed radish from them but some varment ate the seeds. Think I still have a pack left.

- Lisa

**carolyn137** · November 23, 2018

I think I may have almost solved the Problem.

Kent Whealeys son Aaron moved to WI and opened his own seed site,he changed that name back to Whaley as it originally was.

There were two places I know of that were sending seeds to Aaron for commercial production, well actually more than that since Fred Hemple ( Artisan Seeds) and some other breeders were also doing that a swell.

Aaron was also producing seeds for SSE,that I know.

So when you see SSE seeds on a rack I'm thinking that they might well have been produced and packaged by Aaron's company,which is

https://awhaley.com/

See what you think.

Carolyn

greenthumbomaha · November 23, 2018

Carolyn, I'll take pictures of the back of the seed packages so you can have more information. I have to dig thru several boxes so don't stay up waiting!

- Lisa

Goodloe · November 24, 2018

I can't find my last copy of the SSE catalog, but it seems that I remember them selling these types of seed displays to gift shops, etc...and for use by organizations in fundraising. I'll try to confirm that if I can find the catalog...

**carolyn137** · November 24, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodloe

I can't find my last copy of the SSE catalog, but it seems that I remember them selling these types of seed displays to gift shops, etc...and for use by organizations in fundraising. I'll try to confirm that if I can find the catalog...

You refer to an SSE catalog which is very different from the Annual Yearbook. Anyone anywhere can request the catalog and they don't have to be a member.

This year I don't think I got a paper catalog but I did get an e-mail version of it sent to me by e-mail. I think that happened maybe twice before but I don't read it since it is far too difficult, trying to go from page to page.

I have the 2018 Annual Yearbook right here next to me and saw zero about seed racks.

But I'm confident that someone here will solve this issue.

Carolyn

Raiquee · November 24, 2018

Donna, on the website you can “find a retail supplier near you” looks like there is quite a few.

I became a member of SSE recently.

Old man has some truth in what he says. This generation doesn’t have the same ties as previous generations had to food. Being someone like myself, who is 33, and not finding people my age that is involved into this is hard as well. It’s hard being the odd duck.

I find also there is a big divide between older generation gardeners and the newer ones. Not sure why, but it’s hard when people don’t want to give you the time of day. New generation needs to be mentored, or these varieties will be lost.

Nan_PA_6b · November 25, 2018

This place sells Seed Savers:
https://www.jesusreignsusa.com/colle...avers-exchange
Quick service and free shipping, btw.

KarenO · November 25, 2018

If you look on their website, any retailer can arrange to display and sell their seeds as per the first photo.
Here’s the link to a form to request to retail their seeds.
https://www.seedsavers.org/seed-rack...089.1543075809

greenthumbomaha · November 25, 2018

Here is the photo of new and old style packaging:

Another source without an added shipping charge on 2 or more packs is paradigmgardens.com

**carolyn137** · November 25, 2018

What I see is seed packs sold by SSE.

What I don't see is where they got the seeds from, but as I posted above I didn't expect to see that.

Anyone who thinks that SSE itself grows and processes seeds and has equipment to fill packs with the right # of seeds and to automatically seal the seed packs and then sell them, well,maybe it's just me, but I don't believe that.

But I know that Aaron Whaley does have that kind of equipment and that based on the feedback from initially Linda Sapp at TGS as well as Fred Hemple, etc.

Ah well,

Carolyn

greenthumbomaha · November 26, 2018

A local grower near here supplies a different major seed vendor with two products, one tomato and one pepper. There are other growers supplying this vendor with the two varieties as a back up. They are strictly regulated as to what else and where they can grow, but it didn't seem fool proof to me. The isolation distance for the peppers was quite close considering other growers in the area. I will leave it to the experts though.

- Lisa

roper2008 · November 26, 2018

Thing I don't like about SSE is they don't add new varieties very often. A lot of the same old same
old. They need to liven it up!

November 23, 2018	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Donna, I have never seen racks of SSE seeds either,but then I don't get around much anymore,like out of my Home. But I am not surprised at all. I'm a lifetime member of SSE as I think you already know, get the Annual Yearbooks and can see where membership is dropping in the chart they show.I also receive the four magazines from Heritage Farms each year. They have tried everything under the sun to ramp up membership ,I won't got into detail on that. I also receive the numerous e-mails asking for money donations to SSE. I think it was just a week or two ago I got an e-mail saying that I had been a long time member and they would appreciate any donations that I wished to make. What I am thankful for is that Kent and Diane started SSE and b'c of that the number of varieties of everything,not just tomatoes,has had a huge impact on what we have today at MANY commercial seed sites. Many members joined SSE , ,I mean ones from other countries,and that helped increase the diversity of many kinds of seed,that's good as well. But I speak mainly in the past tense now as to non US members. But I fear that the glory days of SSE are over,just my own opinion from being a member since I think 1988 or 1989. Lastly,what I treasure most are the many friends I first met via SSE and many of them still are friends. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

November 23, 2018	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I think I may have almost solved the Problem. Kent Whealeys son Aaron moved to WI and opened his own seed site,he changed that name back to Whaley as it originally was. There were two places I know of that were sending seeds to Aaron for commercial production, well actually more than that since Fred Hemple ( Artisan Seeds) and some other breeders were also doing that a swell. Aaron was also producing seeds for SSE,that I know. So when you see SSE seeds on a rack I'm thinking that they might well have been produced and packaged by Aaron's company,which is https://awhaley.com/ See what you think. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

November 24, 2018	#7
Goodloe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Steens, MS 8a Posts: 410	I can't find my last copy of the SSE catalog, but it seems that I remember them selling these types of seed displays to gift shops, etc...and for use by organizations in fundraising. I'll try to confirm that if I can find the catalog... __________________ ~Jon~ Downheah, Mississippi

November 24, 2018	#9
Raiquee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 307	Donna, on the website you can “find a retail supplier near you” looks like there is quite a few. I became a member of SSE recently. Old man has some truth in what he says. This generation doesn’t have the same ties as previous generations had to food. Being someone like myself, who is 33, and not finding people my age that is involved into this is hard as well. It’s hard being the odd duck. I find also there is a big divide between older generation gardeners and the newer ones. Not sure why, but it’s hard when people don’t want to give you the time of day. New generation needs to be mentored, or these varieties will be lost. __________________ Desire' Mother of 3, homesteader, canner, gardener, dwarf tomato participant.

November 25, 2018	#13
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	What I see is seed packs sold by SSE. What I don't see is where they got the seeds from, but as I posted above I didn't expect to see that. Anyone who thinks that SSE itself grows and processes seeds and has equipment to fill packs with the right # of seeds and to automatically seal the seed packs and then sell them, well,maybe it's just me, but I don't believe that. But I know that Aaron Whaley does have that kind of equipment and that based on the feedback from initially Linda Sapp at TGS as well as Fred Hemple, etc. Ah well, Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

November 23, 2018	#3
oldman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Kansas 5b Posts: 198	I've not seen a display like that before either. I'm not sure if I would call it "SSE seed". My guess would be (based on the varieties pictured and how retail works) that SSE is licensing their brand rather than packaging their own seed. It would let them generate revenue from casual gardeners and encourage membership by more serious growers who want the rarer varieties they can't get "off the rack". I don't think SSE is suffering because of anything they're doing wrong. It's just that they're dealing with a generation (or several generations) of people who are happiest with their food when it involves the least amonnt of effort. GrubHub and Doritos are convenient. They leave time for Instagram and Facebook so people can discuss TV shows and rant about how bad their day was. Given that I didn't see a single honeybee all year I'm skeptical about the future of agriculture, never mind SSE.

November 23, 2018	#4
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	There are two retail outlets in Omaha that have sold SSE as pictured above; Paradigm Gardens (a hydro type) which carries the entire line, and Lanoha Nursery which has about 6 racks like the one pictured above. Guess I'm lucky that I an drive a few minutes and oogle over the available wares! I just remembered another store here; Mulhalls joined the party this past year. I bought out the rat tailed radish from them but some varment ate the seeds. Think I still have a pack left. - Lisa

November 25, 2018	#10
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	This place sells Seed Savers: https://www.jesusreignsusa.com/colle...avers-exchange Quick service and free shipping, btw.

November 25, 2018	#11
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	If you look on their website, any retailer can arrange to display and sell their seeds as per the first photo. Here’s the link to a form to request to retail their seeds. https://www.seedsavers.org/seed-rack...089.1543075809

November 26, 2018	#14
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	A local grower near here supplies a different major seed vendor with two products, one tomato and one pepper. There are other growers supplying this vendor with the two varieties as a back up. They are strictly regulated as to what else and where they can grow, but it didn't seem fool proof to me. The isolation distance for the peppers was quite close considering other growers in the area. I will leave it to the experts though. - Lisa

November 26, 2018	#15
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Thing I don't like about SSE is they don't add new varieties very often. A lot of the same old same old. They need to liven it up!