Where To Buy Heirloom Seeds
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When Jeff McCormack and Patty Wallens launched a mail order heritage seed business with their products stored in baby food jars in a hall closet and bushel baskets of potato onions lining their living room, they had no inkling the idea would gain amazing traction and continue uninterrupted for nearly 40 years. “We just jumped into a business we were passionate about and figured out how to grow and manage things as we went along,” says McCormack.
Today Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is one of the largest suppliers of heritage home-gardening seeds in the country. They offer about 800 different varieties of vegetable, flower, herb, grain and cover crop seeds. Their emphasis is on products for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast; however, SESE varieties are sold in retail stores in more than half the country.
As of 2017, about 60 percent of their varieties were certified organic and none of them are chemically treated. Some of their more unusual Southern heirloom products include peanuts, peas, naturally colored cotton, collards, okra, roselle, turnip greens, corn for roasting and meal along with butterbeans. About 60 different growers in Virginia and throughout the United States produce the seeds marketed by SESE.
McCormack and Wallens sold the business to Acorn Community Farm and soon started Garden Medicinals and Culinaries, which they also sold to Acorn Community Farm. A third venture, McCormack’s Botanicals, is also a thriving business.
“I’ve learned through these ventures that whatever one person does or accomplishes is really the result of a community of people. Our success isn’t something that Patty and I did alone. It involved a whole community of growers and people who really believed in what we were doing,” McCormack says.
In addition to sales, the company does workshops and presentations on seed saving, heirloom gardening, and seed growing as a farm enterprise. Events include seed swaps, variety tastings and seed saving resource materials. Store listings and events are on the company website.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, P.O. Box 460, Mineral, Virginia 23117 (ph 540 894-9480; gardens@southernexposure.com; www.southernexposure.com).
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Where To Buy Heirloom Seeds CROPS Miscellaneous When Jeff McCormack and Patty Wallens launched a mail order heritage seed business with their products stored in baby food jars in a hall closet and bushel baskets of potato onions lining their living room they had no inkling the idea would gain amazing traction and continue uninterrupted for nearly 40 years “We just jumped into a business we were passionate about and figured out how to grow and manage things as we went along ” says McCormack Today Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is one of the largest suppliers of heritage home-gardening seeds in the country They offer about 800 different varieties of vegetable flower herb grain and cover crop seeds Their emphasis is on products for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast; however SESE varieties are sold in retail stores in more than half the country As of 2017 about 60 percent of their varieties were certified organic and none of them are chemically treated Some of their more unusual Southern heirloom products include peanuts peas naturally colored cotton collards okra roselle turnip greens corn for roasting and meal along with butterbeans About 60 different growers in Virginia and throughout the United States produce the seeds marketed by SESE McCormack and Wallens sold the business to Acorn Community Farm and soon started Garden Medicinals and Culinaries which they also sold to Acorn Community Farm A third venture McCormack’s Botanicals is also a thriving business “I’ve learned through these ventures that whatever one person does or accomplishes is really the result of a community of people Our success isn’t something that Patty and I did alone It involved a whole community of growers and people who really believed in what we were doing ” McCormack says In addition to sales the company does workshops and presentations on seed saving heirloom gardening and seed growing as a farm enterprise Events include seed swaps variety tastings and seed saving resource materials Store listings and events are on the company website Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Southern Exposure Seed Exchange P O Box 460 Mineral Virginia 23117 ph 540 894-9480; gardens@southernexposure com; www southernexposure com
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