About Our Seed
Why Buy Organic Seeds
As a leader in the organic seed movement, High Mowing takes pride in being one of the few fully organic and Non-GMO Project Verified seed companies in the world.
Why Organic?
It is our mission to provide the highest quality seed to growers and to do so without the use of environmentally harmful synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. There are several benefits to using organic seed:
Your choice to grow from organic seed positively impacts the world.
Conventional seed production is one of the most chemically intensive types of agriculture. Because seed crops themselves are not for human consumption, pesticide regulations are less stringent than for vegetable crops. Organic seed crops are managed with strict regulations that protect the native habitat, waterways and local communities from the harmful effects of agricultural chemicals. It is our belief that organic seed is better seed and, from development to cultivation, contributes to a better world.
Seed produced organically is developed for success in organic systems.
As a seed company, it’s our job to find varieties that will perform reliably in a wide variety of conditions, and for us at High Mowing these are all-organic conditions. Our trials team identifies and selects varieties exhibiting high yields, strong disease resistances, genetic purity and exceptional flavor that are grown successfully using the same organic methods that will be utilized by our growers. So long as growers need reliable, organic varieties to plant, we will be there to heed the call, knowing that bringing these powerful tools to skilled hands will bring about good for all.
Organic seed production prioritizes flavor.
Vegetable farmers who grow organically sell their food to customers who care about flavor more than anything else, and organic vegetable breeders know this. Unlike some conventional breeding programs where flavor is seen as a drag on yield, or a subjective trait that can’t be quantified, we live by a creed that flavor is first. So, we taste everything.
The Safe Seed Pledge
The Safe Seed Pledge was created in 1999 when High Mowing Organic Seeds guided a coalition of 9 other seed companies in drafting a statement about the signers' stance on genetic engineering. To date the Pledge has been signed by over 370 seed companies worldwide. Since the signing of the Safe Seed Pledge, High Mowing has also taken the extra step of becoming Non-GMO Project verified.
"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms poses great biological risks, as well as economic, political and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities."
Certifications
High Mowing has been USDA certified organic since our founding in 1996, and we have been non-GMO verified by the Non-GMO Project since 2014. We believe that consumers have a right to know what’s in their food – and that knowledge should go all the way to the food’s inception: the seed.
At a time when genetically modified crops and potentially harmful agricultural chemicals are entering our food supply and wild ecosystems, it is more important than ever to preserve the purity of our seed resources. Providing our customers with two layers of safeguards – organic certification and non-GMO verification – will help ensure the future we want to see.