Seed Testing & Quality Control

At High Mowing Organic Seeds, we are committed to providing the highest quality, 100% organic seed.  We have an in-house lab where we perform regular germination and purity tests and evaluate seedling vigor on all seed lots to ensure they pass our standards, which exceed federal germination standards.

On our production farm we test varietal purity by growing out seed from a given lot.  We routinely grow out several hundred plants of certain varieties to ensure a minimal percentage of off-types in the strain. We also monitor for seed borne disease and screen for disease in our production fields.

All of these steps ensure that you are getting the cleanest, best germinating organic seed on the market with highest degree of genetic purity.

"Tom [Stearns, founder of High Mowing Organic Seeds] understands how important seed quality is," says Matthew Dillon, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Organic Seed Alliance, which works with farmers, university researchers and seed companies to increase genetic diversity and adaptability of seed varieties, "He works hard to make sure his seeds are disease-free and have good germination, as well as good genetics. He really makes an investment in these areas."
Burlington Free Press | February 7, 2007 – by Melissa Pasanen