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The comprehensive grower's guide to seed productionThe Seed Farmer is required reading for any grower who cares about being part of a truly sustainable local food system.
Whether you're interested in growing your own seeds for on-farm use, or scaling up for retail or commercial sales, this comprehensive manual will help you ensure reliable access to quality seed stock adapted to your own climate and bioregion. Coverage includes:
- The journey to self-sufficiency-how to extricate yourself from the modern seed distribution industry and develop varieties adapted to your location and climate
- When to worry about cross-pollination, crop timing, and poor seed genetics and when to ignore these issues on your small farm or market garden
- Detailed profiles and practical, hands-on growing and harvesting techniques for dozens of vegetable and flower crops
- The economics of seed production, and the business case for scaling up and selling seeds into local, retail, or wholesale channels
- Farm planning, sowing schedules, projected crop yields, and other considerations.
With everything you need to help integrate seed production into your small-scale farm or market garden simply, profitably, and successfully, this unique and exciting guide proves that going to seed is easier than you think!
List of contents
Introduction: You Can Grow Seed on Your Own Farm
My Seed Story
Chapter 1: Getting Into a First Seed Crop Mindset
Chapter 2: Main Challenges for Market Gardeners to Keep Seeds
Chapter 3: Crop Profiles
Chapter 4: Handling Your Seeds
Chapter 5: How to Become a Seed Steward/Seed Keeper
Chapter 6: How To Sell Seeds
Chapter 7: Crop Planning for Seed Farmers
Conclusion: Go and Grow Some Seed
About the author
Dan Brisebois is a founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm and has over two decades of experience as a market grower and seed producer. He mentors aspiring farmers at the Farmer Spreadsheet Academy, hosts the popular Seed Growers Podcast, and is co-author of
Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers. He lives and farms in Quebec, Canada.
Summary
Whether you’re interested in growing your own seeds for farm use, selling seed on contract, or scaling up for retail sales, The Seed Farmer is the essential resource you need to integrate organic seed production into your small-scale farm or market garden sustainably, profitably, and successfully.
Foreword
Save seeds, save money, and increase profit from your small-scale farm or market garden
