Much the way innovations in horse-drawn technology ended with the invention of the tractor, innovations in open-pollinated (OP) breeding nearly ceased with the arrival of hybrids. Finally, however, the trend is starting to wane, and a select group of independent and public breeders are once more putting time and energy into developing high quality OPs. We are proud to be actively working with these breeders and are excited to share the results of their years of work with you, comprising a broad selection of new and improved OPs developed to thrive in organic conditions. CA Blackeye 46 Cowpea Cool-tolerant · Upright habit Our earliest dry bean and one of the most popular black-eyed peas grown in the South. The classic Southern pea, with a cream-colored seed coat decorated with a single black "eye". High yields of long green pods that can be eaten fresh, frozen, dried or canned. Vigorous plants have a more upright habit than CA Blackeye 5. Bred by UC Davis and the CA Agricultural Experiment Station.  (Vigna unguiculata) Days to maturity: 65 days fresh, 80 dry Disease Resistance: Fusarium Wilt   Chiba Green Soybean Early · Compact habit Super early edamame with delicious, very large green seeds. Consistently 5-7 days earlier than Midori Giant, yet still blew away the competition for flavor. Compact, upright plants make harvesting easy and produce predominantly 3-seeded pods with attractive deep green color. Widely adapted throughout North America. Great for small gardens!  (Glycine max) Days to maturity: 75-80 days   Golden Acre Cabbage Early fresh market · Compact habit · 3-4 lb heads Super early, adorable green heads on compact plants; perfect for smaller households! This cute OP impressed us in our 2015 trials with its small stature and high percentage of marketable heads. Round and solid, with delicate but crunchy texture and sweet, spicy flavor with buttery undertones when cooked. Few outer wrapper leaves; short harvest window. Habit suitable for dense plantings. Slightly larger than Early Bird; earlier and more uniform than Copenhagen. (Brassica oleracea) Days to maturity: 62 days   Dolciva Carrot Long storing · 8" roots. The hands-down winner in our taste tests even after months of storage! Great sweet flavor, juicy crunch and incredibly long storage life made this variety a standout in our 2014-15 trials. Slightly tapered roots with good uniformity, bright orange color and strong, healthy tops. Widely-adapted and versatile for bunching or storage, but stands out most as a fall-harvested root for winter storage. (Daucus carota) Days to maturity: 105 days   Nash's Green Kale Productive · Ideal for overwintering · 24-36" tall Vigorous and productive green curly type perfect for fall and winter crops. Stout, strong plants packed with curly leaves; the highest-yielding variety in our 2015 kale trials! In our trials it was sweeter and more tender than Ripbor, with more variability in height. Produces late into the season with minimal leaf yellowing; ideal for overwintering from June plantings & pairing with Olympic Red. Good resistance to powdery mildew in the damp winters of the Northwest. Bred by farmer-breeder Nash Huber of Nash's Organic Produce in Washington State, with support from Organic Seed Alliance. (Brassica oleracea) Days to maturity: 55 days   Red Ursa Kale Open Source Seed · Bolt-resistant · 24-30" tall Deeply lobed, frilly tender leaves with broad pink and purple stems. A rainbow of showy signature frills and bright, contrasting stems. Colors intensify in cold weather and vary from emerald green with light pink stems to dark blue-green leaves with magenta stems. Not a curly type; tender texture and lobing similar to Red Russian. Adds loft to raw salads with similar cold-hardiness to Siberian. From Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds and released under the Open Source Seed Initiative. (Brassica napus) Days to maturity: 65 days   Siber-Frill Kale Open Source Seed · Specialty variety · Cold-hardy · 24" tall Intensely cut and curled, lacy blue green leaves with tender texture. A standout in our extensive 2015 kale trials, with stunning leaves so frilly they barely require chopping. Sweet flavor; delicious cooked, as a beautiful garnish or for adding loft to raw salads. Eye-catching frills increase with age; use row cover to reduce flea beetle feeding. Selected by Jonathan Spero at Lupine Knoll Farm in Oregon and released under the Open Source Seed Initiative. (Brassica napus) Days to maturity: 60-70 days

Purple Sango Radish
 

Red Acre Cabbage
Purple Sango Radish Microgreens are highly sought-after thanks to their deep purple leaves and stems with spicy flavor. (Raphanus sativus) 10 days Red Acre Cabbage Microgreens are appreciated for their beautiful emerald green leaves and bright purple stems with mild flavor. (Brassica oleracea) 8-10 days   New York Early Onion Long to intermediate day · Stores well · 3-4" bulbs An early and dependable yellow onion selected to store until spring! Medium-sized round bulbs with attractive warm brown skin and white flesh mild enough to eat raw all winter. Milder and more tender than most yellow onions, but equally reliable in storage. Developed for direct seeding in the rich muck soils of Orange County, NY; further selected by Johnny's Selected Seeds. (Allium cepa) Days to maturity: 98 days   Lively Italian Orange Pepper HMOS EXCLUSIVE · Italian-type · 6-8" fruits High quality OP with uniform, juicy orange fruits. Thick-walled, bright orange fruits make a beautiful OP market display combined with Stocky Red Roaster and Lively Italian Yellow. Impressed us with its ability to set fruit, size up and ripen; large plants loaded with fruit competed well with hybrids in our northern Vermont trials. Bred by Tom Lively of Eugene, OR and further selected by High Mowing.  (Capsicum annuum) Days to maturity: 75 days green, 100 orange   Lively Italian Yellow Pepper HMOS EXCLUSIVE · Italian-type · Vigorous, upright habit · 8-10" fruits Stunning sweet, thick-walled yellow fruits. Large, tapered golden yellow fruits with sweet, juicy flesh on vigorous plants. Prolific and reliable, performing well in the open field across a variety of climates and ripening well even in our northern VT fields. Bred by Tom Lively of Lively Organic Farm in Eugene, OR and further selected by High Mowing. (Capsicum annuum) Days to maturity: 75 days green, 100 yellow   AmaRosa Fingerling Potato Fingerling · Gourmet variety · Moderate storage Gorgeous burgundy skin reveals intensely dark red flesh rich in antioxidants. A high-yielding fingerling with smooth wine-colored skin and sweet, creamy red flesh that resists fading during cooking. Superb, versatile culinary quality—delicious fried, baked, boiled, steamed or as mouthwatering pink chips. Handle gently to prevent skinning during harvest. Scab resistant. (Solanum tuberosum) Days to maturity: Mid Season Disease Resistance: Scab   D'Avignon Radish Fresh market specialty · 3-4" roots. The traditional French Breakfast radish with rose-pink roots and mild flavor. Long cylindrical pink roots with bright white tips are eye-catching at early farmers markets. Vigorous and fast-growing, performing best in rich soil. Excellent for spring and fall crops of delicious mild roots. Originally from the South of France where they are traditionally eaten fresh with butter. (Raphanus sativus) Days to maturity: 21 days   Schwarzer Runder Radish Fall/winter crop · Stores well Unusual jet-black skin makes a gorgeous contrast with the bright white flesh. Also known as Black Winter radish, with rich spicy flavor excellent for salads and crudites. Coarse outer skin allows for exceptionally long storage in the ground or the root cellar. Often eaten in Germany as a "beer radish", served thinly sliced with salt and paired with a light beer. (Raphanus sativus) Days to maturity: 45-50 days   Abundant Bloomsdale Spinach Open Source Seed · Spring/fall crop · Ideal for full-sized leaves Delicious glossy, dark green leaves with the most savoyed texture we've seen! Thick, sweet-tasting leaves with rounded shape and juicy, succulent texture. Slow growing with very large, upright leaves in the mild Pacific Northwest and slightly more compact habit in our Northeast trials. Started at the Abundant Life Seed Foundation in 2002; breeding finished by a team of organic farmers with support from Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and released under the Open Source Seed Initiative. A portion of sales from this variety supports OSA's breeding program. (Spinacia oleracea) Days to maturity: 45 days   Bush Delicata Winter Squash PM-tolerant · Bush habit · 1.5-2 lb Compact, tidy plants with sweet, oblong fruits. Delicious smooth, nutty flesh with hints of butter and brown sugar. Skin starts creamy white with green stripes and flecks, curing to striped light yellow. Compact plants spread only 4-6 feet. AAS winner bred by Molly Jahn and George Moriarty at Cornell University. (Cucurbita pepo) Days to maturity: 80 days   Pink Boar Tomato Indeterminate · 2-4 oz Gorgeous wine-colored fruits with metallic green striping on vigorous vines. Strong plants loaded with rich, sweet juicy fruits perfect for slicing in salads or as an hors d'oeuvre with basil and mozzarella. Deep pink skin is stunning with contrasting olive stripes and luscious deep red flesh. An irresistible treat for chefs and farmers markets! From the Wild Boar series; bred by famer/breeder Brad Gates. Offers great performance in the challenging climates of northern CA. (Lycopersicon esculentum) Days to maturity: 75 days   Elidia Basil Slow to bolt · Compact habit · Ideal for containers Compact, high-yielding plants with strong disease resistance. Large, shiny dark green leaves on thick, sturdy stems with short internodes; shorter than Keira. Well-suited to containers and field production, with intermediate resistance to Fusarium. High yielding and very slow to bolt. 18M seeds/oz. (Ocimum basilicum) Days to maturity: 65 days Disease Resistance: Fusarium Wilt   Greek Basil Uniform compact habit · Container variety Early and adorable topiary-like plants with dark green miniature leaves. Captured our hearts with the cutest, most uniformly rounded habit of any mini basil in our 2015 trials. Small, sweet leaves excellent for garnishes and salad dressings. Ideal for containers, transplant sales and a popular wedding table-topper! Our replacement for Fino Verde. Moderate resistance to downy mildew. 20M seeds/oz. (Ocimum basilicum) Days to maturity: 55 days   Wega Parsley Container or field production · Upright habit A refined curly parsley with excellent uniformity and upright habit. Finely cut and curled, dark green leaves with mild flavor on sturdy, upright stems. One of the most attractive curly varieties we've seen, with lots of branching and an excellent upright habit for ease of harvest. Produces a uniform stand great for selective or mechanical harvest. Versatile and well-suited to containers as well as field production for fresh market or processing. A great alternative to Triple Curled! (Petroselinum crispum) Days to maturity: 75 days   Hella Sonnenblume Sunflower Superb cut flower · 2-3' tall · Annual A stunning dwarf sunflower for bouquets! Lovely 4" diameter gold-petaled blooms are incredibly uniform on sturdy 12" stems. Cute, undeniably dwarf plants reach only 3.5' in height, but from the main stalk each produces an abundance of long, ruler-straight stems perfect for cutting. Easy to harvest with long vase life—an instant stand-out in our 2015 trials! From our friends at Swiss biodynamic seed company Sativa Seeds. 2,000 seeds/oz. (Helianthus annuus) Days to maturity: 75-80 days   Pierrot Poppy Prefers poor soil · 2-3' tall · Re-seeding annual Striking, intensely red blooms with jet black markings float above airy foliage. Silky scarlet petals form 3" diameter flowers with four large black markings in the center. Adds a vibrant splash of color to beds and borders! Flowers have long, wiry stems over light green, ferny foliage. An abundant seed producer; may naturalize in mild climates. Scatter seeds and rake in lightly, then thin to 6" apart. 142,000 seeds/oz. (Papaver rhoeas) Days to maturity: 65 days   Planète Rouge du Jura Poppy Prefers poor soil · 3-4' tall · Re-seeding annual Tall, gorgeous poppy in shades of lavender, magenta and mauve. Large, luxuriant 4-6" blooms are mostly lavender-pink with a few bright magenta heads mixed in. Each flower center is ringed by four deep eggplant markings. Blooms contrast attractively with the waxy gray-green, scalloped foliage. A rare Swiss variety originally developed for seed and poppyseed oil production. 28,000 seeds/oz. (Papaver somniferum) Days to maturity: 75 days   Pink Lavatera Bedding plant · 3-4' tall · Annual Tall, sturdy spires of pink blooms set off by glossy dark green foliage. Prolific large, smooth pink flowers on tall, upright stems. A garden classic with cupped flowers ideal for borders, cottage gardens and cutting for bouquets. Similar habit to hollyhocks with attractive glossy foliage; more tolerant of Japanese Beetles than other mallows. Seed should be barely covered with soil and takes 15-20 days to germinate. Carefully transplant 12-18" apart into full sun and poor soil with good drainage. 4,000 seeds/oz. (Lavatera trimestris) Days to maturity: 60 days   Looking for more? Check out all of our NEW Varieties for 2016!