How to Start Saving Seeds

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]1. Seed Savers Exchange[/mf_h2]

Members-only non-profit Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook offers more than 12,495 unique varieties to members from members, making it one of the best sources of heirloom seeds in the world. seedsavers.org

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]2. Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants[/mf_h2]

At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson created a visionary farm and monument to American agriculture. Their website sells Southern heirloom favorites, such as Carolina Lima beans. monticellocatalog.org

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]3. Comstock, Ferré & Co.[/mf_h2]

Established in 1811, in Wethersfield, Connecticut, Comstock, Ferré & Co. is the oldest and likely the prettiest seed store in the U.S. The store’s staff still parcels out the seeds individually and stores them in antique tin-lined oak drawers. comstockferre.com

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]4. Arcoiris[/mf_h2]

Arcoiris is the place to find the best range of organic seed varieties from Italy. Their selection of Northern Italian chicories is particularly covetable. arcoiris.it

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]5. Native Seeds[/mf_h2]

Indigenous varieties from Northern Mexico and the American Southwest are the focus of these Tucson-based seed savers. Their well-loved catalog is the go-to place for rare varieties of amaranth, chile and corn. nativeseeds.org

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]6. Irish Seed Savers[/mf_h2]

These Irish seed activists have compiled an in-depth catalog full of whimsical varieties like the Tipperary turnip and Lucky Leprechaun tomato. irishseedsavers.ie

(Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to seeds sold as “heirloom,” when a more accurate term would have been “open-pollinated.” We regret the error.)