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Greetings! This has definitely been one of the most snowy winters in a long time! Hope everyone has been staying warm!
If you're looking for some Spring-inspiration, there is quite an assortment of local workshops on planting, gardening, flowers, and permaculture this coming weekend... and I thought I would share some of my favorite seed sources for those of you who may be wildly planning your garden like me!
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Events and Workshops this Saturday:
 Seed Starting for your Organic Garden Workshop
Saturday, February 22nd 2014, 10 am - 12 noon
For over 8 years, we have been perfecting seed-starting, and I have come to realize that most of what home gardeners are told about it isn't complete and actually leads to failure or weak, unsatisfying seedlings. In this workshop, we'll demonstrate and go over how to start your own seeds professionally and successfully. We are also doing this organically and biodynamically - using herbal teas to prevent damping off, using organic nutrients, etc. For anyone planning a big garden, starting your own strong and healthy seedlings is imperative! Participants will be going home with seed starting tray already seeded. Workshop takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | Cost is $43 (online cost is $46 to cover fees) | Registration closes 2/21/14 | You can register by emailing us at info@midsummerfarm.com
 Free - Permaculture Introduction Lecture - Everyone's Welcome! Saturday, February 22nd 2014, at 11 am At the Warwick Public Library in Warwick, NY
Events and Workshops this Sunday: 
Your Cutting Garden Sunday, February 23rd 2014, 11am-12pm | $20
Learn how to incorporate plants for cutting throughout your yard and gardens. Discover the best plants to grow throughout all the seasons along with tips and practical information including when to cut and how to store and condition flowers to use in your own arrangements. With Elissa Cimino, floral artisan.
Sunday, February 23rd 2014, 2pm-3pm | $20
Class will explore local garden history and teach practical peony-growing information. Examine garden records documenting the expansive peony collection and discover how the plants have survived through division and replanting. Learn the "how-to's" of growing perfect peonies in your own garden. With Susan MacAvery, Locust Grove horticulturist.
Plotting Out Your Home Organic Garden 
Workshop
Sunday, February 23rd 2014, 10 am - 12 noon
This is the PERFECT time of year to plan out your garden for the spring!
With a strong emphasis on Bio-Intensive Methods. This is an interactive workshop - bring you garden plans and seed catalogs. We'll create a garden plan for you to grow your favorite veggies in less space for a longer season! We'll discuss seed starting, creating a new garden bed, companion planting, boosting the efficiency of an old garden and so much more! Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 2/21/14 | You can register by emailing us at info@midsummerfarm.com
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
 Sunday, February 23rd 2014, 12 noon - 2 pm
This is the PERFECT time of year to make your chicken plans for the spring!
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. They also provide backyard joy. They are easy to take care of, are not noisy or smelly, and are an important part of the Organic garden. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 2/21/14 | You can register by emailing us at info@midsummerfarm.com
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Sourcing Seeds for Your Organic Garden and Farm
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First, a quick explanation of seed labeling....
Certified Organic Seeds
are seeds that have been harvested from certified organic crops. These seeds may be a hybrid or heirloom variety, but they cannot be treated with any chemicals. And certified organic seed cannot be Genetically Modified (GMO). 
Heirloom Seeds
are seeds from cultivars or varieties that were grown and used during earlier times. Basically, they are seeds that were pushed aside for modern, large-sized, factory-style agriculture methods. Heirloom seeds have been carefully saved and stored and preserved over many years by people who appreciated their unique characteristics. Many heirloom seed varieties have retained their traits through open pollination.
Open pollination
is pollination by natural forces like wind, insects, birds, etc. Open pollination is nature at work adapting and changing and diversifying. Open-pollinated plants will produce seeds for new generations; however, because the pollen of these plants is uncontrolled, open pollination may result in plants wide genetic variations. This increases biodiversity, although if you are not careful you may lose the characteristic you love about a certain heirloom. You can do careful breedings of open pollinated heirlooms using row cover to insure that your heirlooms stay true.
Hybrid seed
is a naturally-bred seed, although it is not open pollinated. If a seed is labeled as a hybrid, that doesn't mean that the seed is bad or factory ag or GMO. Hybrids are bred to improve the characteristics of the plants, creating varieties with more yield, uniformity, disease resistance, fun colors, and so forth. Hybrids are produced by manually cross-pollinating plants. Hybrid seed cannot be saved, as the seed from the first generation of hybrid plants does not reliably produce true copies. The parent plants of hybrid seeds were bred naturally - they were not genetically manipulated as GMO's are.
 Seed-Sourcing - some of my favorite places to get great seeds:
I believe in diversity, and I am a bit obsessed with plants so I order seeds from a lot of different places. But I do have my favorite sources that I go back to year after year.
As a certified organic farmer, I must always order certified organic seed. However, the National Organic Program recognizes the need for diversity, and so if there is a variety of something that I can't find anywhere organically, I'm allowed to buy it, as long as it isn't genetically modified, pelleted, or treated. I also try to save seed from those plants for the next year, building a bigger base of organic seed diversity. So the following list has a lot of certified organic seed companies as well other companies who sell heirloom and wonderful varieties. None of the companies below sell Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds - they have taken the "Safe Seed Pledge." Here's the list - in no particular order!
Johnny's Seeds: [large percentage of certified organic, no GMO, Safe-Seed Pledge]
The Johnny's Seeds Catalog is jam-packed with info and direction and insight. It really is a great reference tool. This is where I buy the bulk of my vegetable and greens seeds.
Peaceful Valley
carries a selection of seed brands, but they also have their own line of certified organic seeds, which are well-priced and high quality.
And they offer free seeds with purchases. I get all my bulk cover crop seeds from them as well. Their catalog really does contain everything anyone growing organically could use - fertilizers, greenhouse supplies, soil amendments, row cover, etc. etc. .... Check out their growing videos too - very informative!
If you want to find a rare and unusual herb seed that is also organic, this is where you go! Owned by Richo Cech, who is one of the top North American Gurus of medicinal herb growing, this is a huge resource!
Richter's is another fabulous herbal seed resource - huge variety of unusual and hard-to-find herb seeds from ajmud to zataar...
A fabulous selection of unusual pollinator-friendly flowers. I get many of my viola, agastache, foxglove, columbine, and a whole slew of other fun things from them every year. Nice clear growing instructions on their website.
This is a truly awesome place to get your seeds - you can join the Seed Library as a member. Members can save the seeds from the plants they grow and return them back to the Seed Library. You are a part of the whole process of building a Hudson Valley seed bank!
A wonderful selection of all certified organic seeds.
Baker Creek: [not certified organic, but I have been assured by the company that they do not use any GMO seeds]
I love these people - I've been getting Jere Gettle's catalog since I think he was in high school, and he sure has turned his passion into a huge company! The catalog is absolutely gorgeous - the photos make it clear that these people sincerely and truly love vegetables and plants! And the variety of totally cool things! Just awesome!
This is John Jeavons' company. He is the pioneer of Bio Intensive Agriculture, and has written How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine and The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields, two of my favorite gardening books. I practice Bio Intensive Methods on my farm and have based much of my own gardening-philosophy upon his books. The seeds he sells are chosen and developed to work well in intensive, organic, sustainable systems.
Turtle Tree Seeds: [Demeter Certified (Biodynamic)]
Turtle Tree features unusual European varieties that are steeped in Biodynamic Tradition, as well as being certified biodynamic. I've always done great with these seeds. They even have Mangels, a traditional winter feed for rabbits and chickens. I also make sure to buy the 4 of the 5 most important biodynamic herb seeds from here - Stinging Nettles, White Yarrow, Valerian, and German Chamomile. (The 5th is Dandelion, actual dandelion, taraxacum, for which I don't need seeds!)
Franchi Seeds of Italy is the world's oldest family owned seed company founded in 1783.This is where I get my arugula, many chicories, punctarella, agretti, erba stella, white gherkins, escarole, wild fennel.
Dedicated to heirlooms! A source of over 600 heirloom and open-pollinated varieties, and a large selection of organic seeds.
This is where I get my seed potatoes and shallot bulbs from. Fabulous assortment.
Even though they don't carry a huge variety, their assortment of varieties is well-crafted - you can easily get all your garden seeds from here and have an extremely unusual and exciting mix of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and greens.
Sandhill Preservation: [not certified organic, but a company with a very strict heirloom philosophy; no GMO seeds.]
Sandhill is intense; they raise and nurture heirloom seeds and heritage poultry. They also sell sweet potato slips, chicks and turkey poults. This company is very small and so give them time to get your order together by ordering as early in the year as possible.
For An Extra-Variety of Cool Nightshades:
Although these sources are not certified organic, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are all easy to save seeds from. So once you order the new variety of seed, you can easily start saving your own for years to come.
Amishland Heirloom Seeds: [not certified organic, but I have been assured by the company that they do not use any GMO seeds]
This is another very small company - great variety of really unusual tomatoes. I always order "Stump of the World" tomatoes from here - and last year I tried a nice variety of smaller pear-shaped varieties - germination was solid.
Tomato Growers Supply Company: [not certified organic, but I have been assured by the company that they do not use any GMO seeds]
Fabulous variety of tomatoes as well as peppers and eggplants~
Totally Tomatoes [not certified organic, but I have been assured by the company that they do not use any GMO seeds]
Fabulous variety of tomatoes as well as peppers and eggplants~
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Disclaimer
© Copyright 2014 Barbara Taylor-Laino, HHC / Barbara Taylor Health. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Barbara Taylor Laino is required.
This information newsletter is designed as an educational tool for better health. Recipes and information are included as examples for you learn from; they are not diagnostic or prescriptive. Everyone's health needs are different. This newsletter is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider. The entire contents of this newsletter and the websites of Barbara Taylor Laino and Midsummer Farm are based upon the opinions of Barbara Taylor Laino, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author(s), who retains copyright as marked. The information on the www.midsummerfarm.com website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Barbara Taylor Laino. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@midsummerfarm.com
Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@barbarataylorhealth.com
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