Seed Sources
Obtaining Seed for Specialty Crops
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One of the challenges in working with many new or alternative crops is finding sources of seed. With a few exceptions, most of these crops are not easily available from local seed dealers and must be ordered from regional or national distributors. In some cases, there may be only one regular distributor of bulk seed for a specialty crop. When ordering larger quantities of seed from out-of-state, shipping can become a considerable expense, making it important to plan in advance so lower cost (and slower) shipping methods can be used.
In general, seed dealers are either distributors of ?bulk? seed for multi-acre plantings or garden seed distributors. There are some seed dealers, such as Johnny?s Selected Seed and Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, that sell to both audiences and thus have seed in a range of quantities. This guide provides listings of seed distributors of both bulk and garden-sized seed packages.
For less common crops, there may be only one readily available variety, or all seed of that crop may be generic or ?common? seed, which is the case for many cover crops or seed sold for wildlife plantings. Where named varieties are available, however, it often pays to research which ones will perform best in your area. Variety tests conducted by the Jefferson Institute and university partners have shown that some varieties can get to twice the yield of other varieties, making a huge difference in their potential profitability. In some cases, certain varieties may be faster maturing, which can help fit the crop into a double crop system.
The ten alternative grains, oilseeds and legume crops listed in this guide are ones that have been determined by the Jefferson Institute to be economically viable alternatives for at least some Midwestern locations. Over 60 alternative crops were field-evaluated before identifying these ten. However, farmers are encouraged to consider other alternative crop enterprises, including fruits, vegetables, native plants, forage and grass seed crops, and agroforestry crops.
The Jefferson Institute staff have fielded a number of calls about wildlife seed and cover crops, so listings of seed sources for these crops are included. Some of the wildlife seed companies have websites with lists of recommended plants for wildlife. For cover crop use, a number of options are available, including buckwheat, rapeseed (canola), rye, oats and several legumes such as red clover, crimson clover, sweet clover, hairy vetch and Austrian winter peas. Remember to obtain innoculum to mix with legume seeds to enable them to form root nodules that can fix nitrogen for the plants.
Seed costs obviously vary by dealer and season. Be sure to inquire about the germination percentage of the seed (in most cases it should be 85% or above). Most alternative crop seed is not coated with fungicide, but a dealer may be able to provide coated or uncoated seed. Some dealers will have both organic and conventionally-grown seed. Finally, remember to order seed in advance of the growing season because sometimes supplies will be used up or sold out early in the season.
NOTE: This directory is not intended by the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute to be an endorsement of any company, nor is it an exhaustive list of all seed dealers supplying these crops.
| Amaranth (plant 2 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Albert Lea Seed House Nu-World Amaranth Sanders Farm |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
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| Buckwheat (plant 55 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| named varities from: Minn-Dak Growers, Ltd. (for contract growers or research only) Albert Lea Seed House “common” buckwheat from: Peaceful Valley Farm Supply Missouri Southern Seeds MFA, Inc. Pennington Seed |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds Peaceful Valley Farm Supply |
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| Canola (plant 6 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Kansas Foundation Seeds Peacefull Valley Farm Supply Pennington Seed |
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply |
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| Cowpea*(plant 50 lbs/acre; higher for forage types) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Missouri Southern Seeds (forage variety) Pennington Seed Peaceful Valley Farm Supply |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Peaceful Valley Farm Supply Vermont Bean Seed Company |
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| Dry Edible Beans* (plant 50-100 lbs/acre, depending on seed size) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
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For bulk sources, contact: |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny’s Selected Seeds Peaceful Valley Farm Supply Seeds of Change Vermont Bean Seed Company |
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| Flax (plant 50 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
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Albert Lea Seed House |
Albert Lea Seed House Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
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| Mungbeans* (plant 15-20 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Eckroat Seed Company Pennington Seed |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds Vermont Bean Seed Company |
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| Pearl Millet (plant 4 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
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Albert Lea Seed House (forage variety) |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds (ornamental grain hybrid) |
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| Sesame (plant 2 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
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Sesaco Corporation (for contract growers or research only) |
Seeds of Change |
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| Oilseed Sunflower (plant 3-4 lbs/acre) | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Croplan Genetics Missouri Southern Seeds (seed for wildlife food plots) Monsanto Company Mycogen Seeds Pennington Seed Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. Triumph Seed Company |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds |
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| Edamame Soybeans* | |
| Bulk Quantity Sources | Garden Quantity Sources |
| Rupp Seeds | Johnny’s Selected Seeds Territorial Seed Company |
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| Cover Crops | |
| Common Midwest Cover Crops | Cover Crop Seed Sources |
| Legumes*: Austrian Winter Peas, Cowpeas, Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Red Clover, Sweetdove Grasses*: Other*: |
Johnny’s Selected Seeds MFA, Inc. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply Pennington Seed Seeds of Change Siemer Enterprises |
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| Wildlife Seed | |
| Food Plot Seed Sources | ÿ |
| Missouri Southern Seeds Pennington Seed Seedland, Inc. Siemer Enterprises Southern States Cooperative |
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| *Legume seed should be innoculated. Specialty innoculum can be purchased through Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, or check with your seed dealer to obtain commercial quantities. | |
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