SEEDS & PLANTING STOCK
Question: Do all seeds have to be Certified Organic to be used in a Certified Organic operation?
Answer: Not necessarily, according to the National Organic Program (NOP) standard § 205.204 Seeds and planting stock practice standard. A producer must use organically grown seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock, unless the seeds or planting stock variety the producer is looking for is not commercially available. In that case, nonorganically produced, untreated seeds and planting stock may be used to produce an organic crop. However, organically produced seed must be used for the production of edible sprouts. The producer must provide seed search documentation to verify that they were not able to find the seed needed based on form, quality, or quantity.
To summarize, if you can provide documentation that you performed a seed search from 3 different vendors and were not able to find the seed you needed based on form, quality, or quantity, then you can use nonorganic seed as long as it has not been treated with prohibited substances.
For more information, read the NOP 5029 Guidance on seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock in organic crop production.
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High Mowing Organic Seeds - All Certified Organic seed
Johnny’s Selected Seeds - Certified Organic seed available
Kitazawa Seeds- Will provide documentation their seeds are non-GMO if the seed you are purchasing is not certified
Sow True Seeds - Certified Organic seed available
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Certified Organic seed available
Seed Savers Exchange - Certified Organic seed available
Sistah Seeds - heirloom vegetable, herb and grain seeds from across the African Diaspora, with a focus on African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and West African cultural crops; non-GMO, though not Certified Organic
Territorial Seed Company – Certified Organic seed available
Ujamaa Seeds - Culturally meaningful heirloom seed varieties; not Certified Organic
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High Mowing Organic Seeds – All Certified Organic seed
Johnny’s Selected Seeds – Certified Organic seed available
Seven Springs Farm Supply – Certified Organic available
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – Certified Organic seed available
Territorial Seed Company – Certified Organic seed available
Welter Seed & Honey Co. – Certified Organic available
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ANNUAL SEEDLING: A plant grown from seed that will complete its life cycle or produce a harvestable yield within the same crop year or season in which it was planted
Love is Love Cooperative Farm - Mansfield, GA; contact plants@loveislovecooperativefarm.com and/or follow them on Instagram
Organic Harvest – out of Florida; open year-round, ships within a week
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PLANTING STOCK: Any plant or plant tissue other than annual seedlings but including rhizomes, shoots, leaf or stem cuttings, roots, or tubers, used in plant production or propagation
Fedco Seeds - Certified Organic seed potatoes, onion sets, sweet potato slips, garlic seed
Grand Teton Organic Seed Potatoes - Certified Organic seed potatoes
Johnny’s Seeds – Certified Organic seed potatoes, sweet potato slips, garlic seed
Keene Garlic – Certified Organic garlic seed, seed potatoes
Lazy Eight Stock Farm – Certified Organic strawberry plugs, bunching onions
Mad River Garlic Growers – Certified Organic garlic seed, seed potatoes
Sprout Mountain Farms – Certified Organic onion sets, seed potatoes, sweet potato slips
The Maine Potato Lady – Certified Organic seed potatoes, sweet potato slips, garlic seed
Wood Prairie Family Farm - Certified Organic seed potatoes, sweet potato slips, strawberry plugs