Why Buy Organic Seeds? How To Ensure Your Organic Garden Success

Gardening is not just a hobby; it's a multitude of very real connections with the earth itself. Physical, interactive, mutually supportive connections; mutually supportive relationships! Gardeners promote sustainability by engaging in fostering connection and relationship. PLUS you get to truly enjoy the fruits of your labor. Taste and see...

 

Key Decision

One key decision every gardener faces is whether to use organic seeds or non-organic ones. Here are some compelling reasons to choose organic seeds that foster relationships:

 

* Environmental Impact

Organic seeds are produced without synthetic pesticides and commercial fertilizers. Pesticides kill things, as in insecticides, herbicides, fungicides. The suffix – ‘cide’ means "killer" or "the act of killing."  Commercial fertilizers runoff and end up where they’re not supposed to be—think green swimsuits). Organically produced seeds reduce pollution, foster life, and protect and promote biodiversity.

 

* Healthier Plants

Organic seeds are better adapted to organic growing conditions, so if you garden organically, you need organic seeds. Better adapted seeds produce better adapted seedlings, meaning your seedlings are less susceptible to pests and diseases. And organic seeds are non-GMO.

 

* Soil Health

Organic farming practices enhance soil health. There’s a whole microbial world above and below the soil surface. And different soil microbes have symbiotic relationships with different types of plant roots, delivering much needed nutrients and even water to your garden plants, leading to better yields over time. Microbial biodiversity is hugely important and organic farming practices are designed to utilize those synergies, and maximize them.

 

* Better Flavor and Nutrition

The better the soil health, the more diverse its soil microbes, and the more diversity of plant roots in the ground-- the more optimized the organic system. And an optimized organic production system will deliver greater nutritional content and flavor!  

 

* Ethical and Social Responsibility

Buying organic seed supports environmentally friendly and socially responsible farming and seed breeding practices. Taking plants through their seed production process means longer growing seasons to produce mature seeds; in non-organic systems that means more pesticide use with continual chemical maintenance.

 

In organic systems only the strongest plants survive the natural stresses of the longer growing season to bear seed-- more resilient seed, with no chemical toxicity.

 

* Biodiversity

Organic seed producers recognize and support the preservation of heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Maintaining this irreplaceable genetic diversity and utilizing that diversity for the development of regionally adapted open-pollinated varieties helps to keep seed and their precious genetic resources in the public domain, reducing corporate control of seed.

 

* Support for Organic Plant Breeding

Choosing organic seed supports the development of organic seed varieties specifically bred and selected for organic gardening = more synergies! 

 

Some of the varieties bred on our farm include: Dakota Black Pop popcorn, Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert squash, Sweet Dakota Rose watermelon, Dakota Sister muskmelon, Dakota Tears onion, Dakota Winter onion, Sweet Dakota Bliss beets, Dakota Sport tomato, and Dakota Bumble bean. Enjoy!

 

Your garden coach,

Theresa

 

PS. As you know, gardening is a living system-- and seed is a crucial part of that living system. So are you! 😊