Where to Buy Seeds by the 1/4 lb, 1/2lb and the pound - Page 3

JackE · May 9, 2011

That's true, LIla. It all depends on the nature of your market - in upscale suburban areas there will be a demand for gourmet and organic stuff and it will fetch top dollar. Our people can't even spell hairloum. :-)

Jack

JackE · May 10, 2011

"They will not buy sprayed stuff"

Funny how areas are so different - we don't get more than 1 or 2 people a year asking about that, and then always off the highway - never local.

You are entitled to a premium price if you don't use pesticides.

I'm sure those people buy lots of stuff at the grocery store, and every single product they eat, whether fresh or prepared, has been sprayed with pesticides and almost everything contains GMO corn and/or soy beans in some form. Even meat, milk and eggs will contain traces of vaccines, antibiotics, pesticides etc. The same would apply to restaurant food.

It's very hypocritical. They won't let poor Lila spray her tomatoes with a little Sevin, but they happily woof-down tons of products that have been produced under the most artificial and chemical conditions imaginable!

I hope you are getting a premium price for your tomatoes,

Jack

Wi-sunflower · May 10, 2011

I forgot to mention that if I KNOW someone will want a larger amount for the coming season and lets me know before the end of the growing season this year, I am usually able to collect more tomatoes to get a larger amount of seed. I will try that is. There are always the odd things that happen that mess up the best of plans. Last year the weather and other things totally messed up an order I had for a bunch of seeds. Can't save seeds if the plants don't survive, or worse, survive but don't make fruit !!

But if I don't know I have a market for more, it doesn't make sense to collect a lb of seed when you expect to sell only about an oz / year.

Right now I do have a customer for a large amount of just a few varieties I grow.

Right now I'm hoping to save seed for varieties I still have plenty of seed but is getting older. So far it still germinates OK, but I would rather have newer seed to send out so people can use it for more than just 1 year if necessary.

Carol

Colorado_west · May 10, 2011

Jack, why would I want to spray the tomatoes to start with? I did have some corn worms in the tomato one year. Made black holes in some. Yes, corn ear worms do get into tomatoes. We did not have horn tomato worms. Maybe I would find a total of two a year. Curly Top Virus there is no spray for it and the flea hopper bites the plant and it has had it. They do not stay. I have never seen one but know what they are and I know what the plant looks like that gets it. I have researched it all I can. Back yard gardeners get hit too. Those flea hoppers come in from AR,NM, and maybe Utah. Come in on the wind and are gone. There area few varieties of tomatoes the bug do not like. Can't get seed to try. And the greenhouse one had seed they were going to grow for plants to sell. No seed to sell and it was cherry. Peron the seed cats sell is suppose to be bug resistant.

One year I bought Black Cherry seed. Did not germinate good and the plants never made it. Next year I planted the other half of the package and they germinated good and grew and had lots to sell.

It seems they put corn and soybean oil in so many things. I am trying to keep it out of my diet.

When buy seed I do expect it to be fresh seed. My OP's I try to keep a good 2 year supply in case of crop failure. Just for me. I try to save the seed I can.

davespitzer · May 14, 2011

Recommended to me, but I haven't used them yet so can't recommend them myself, Mountain Valley Seed (mountainvalleyseed.com I think) in Utah. Prices seem good.

imp · June 25, 2011

I've bought from both Knapp's and J.L.Hudson- and both very good.

There is E&R Seed, but they are amish and will have to send you a catalog; but the bulk prices are very good and they are prompt in delivery. Just no website.

May 9, 2011	#31
JackE Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Woodville, Texas Posts: 520	That's true, LIla. It all depends on the nature of your market - in upscale suburban areas there will be a demand for gourmet and organic stuff and it will fetch top dollar. Our people can't even spell hairloum. :-) Jack

May 10, 2011	#32
JackE Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Woodville, Texas Posts: 520	"They will not buy sprayed stuff" Funny how areas are so different - we don't get more than 1 or 2 people a year asking about that, and then always off the highway - never local. You are entitled to a premium price if you don't use pesticides. I'm sure those people buy lots of stuff at the grocery store, and every single product they eat, whether fresh or prepared, has been sprayed with pesticides and almost everything contains GMO corn and/or soy beans in some form. Even meat, milk and eggs will contain traces of vaccines, antibiotics, pesticides etc. The same would apply to restaurant food. It's very hypocritical. They won't let poor Lila spray her tomatoes with a little Sevin, but they happily woof-down tons of products that have been produced under the most artificial and chemical conditions imaginable! I hope you are getting a premium price for your tomatoes, Jack

May 10, 2011	#33
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I forgot to mention that if I KNOW someone will want a larger amount for the coming season and lets me know before the end of the growing season this year, I am usually able to collect more tomatoes to get a larger amount of seed. I will try that is. There are always the odd things that happen that mess up the best of plans. Last year the weather and other things totally messed up an order I had for a bunch of seeds. Can't save seeds if the plants don't survive, or worse, survive but don't make fruit !! But if I don't know I have a market for more, it doesn't make sense to collect a lb of seed when you expect to sell only about an oz / year. Right now I do have a customer for a large amount of just a few varieties I grow. Right now I'm hoping to save seed for varieties I still have plenty of seed but is getting older. So far it still germinates OK, but I would rather have newer seed to send out so people can use it for more than just 1 year if necessary. Carol

May 10, 2011	#34
Colorado_west Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: western Colorado zone 5 Posts: 307	Jack, why would I want to spray the tomatoes to start with? I did have some corn worms in the tomato one year. Made black holes in some. Yes, corn ear worms do get into tomatoes. We did not have horn tomato worms. Maybe I would find a total of two a year. Curly Top Virus there is no spray for it and the flea hopper bites the plant and it has had it. They do not stay. I have never seen one but know what they are and I know what the plant looks like that gets it. I have researched it all I can. Back yard gardeners get hit too. Those flea hoppers come in from AR,NM, and maybe Utah. Come in on the wind and are gone. There area few varieties of tomatoes the bug do not like. Can't get seed to try. And the greenhouse one had seed they were going to grow for plants to sell. No seed to sell and it was cherry. Peron the seed cats sell is suppose to be bug resistant. One year I bought Black Cherry seed. Did not germinate good and the plants never made it. Next year I planted the other half of the package and they germinated good and grew and had lots to sell. It seems they put corn and soybean oil in so many things. I am trying to keep it out of my diet. When buy seed I do expect it to be fresh seed. My OP's I try to keep a good 2 year supply in case of crop failure. Just for me. I try to save the seed I can.

May 14, 2011	#35
davespitzer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East of Stockton, California Posts: 97	Recommended to me, but I haven't used them yet so can't recommend them myself, Mountain Valley Seed (mountainvalleyseed.com I think) in Utah. Prices seem good.

June 25, 2011	#36
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	I've bought from both Knapp's and J.L.Hudson- and both very good. There is E&R Seed, but they are amish and will have to send you a catalog; but the bulk prices are very good and they are prompt in delivery. Just no website.