Blog #15: Integrating Seed Production into an Existing Operation And Seed Selling as a Secondary Revenue
We currently sell produce, meat, eggs, and honey at the Grande Prairie Farmers Market. We believe in having a sustainable and diverse farm. Naturally, this makes one interested in seed security. We live in a short summer zone, yet we are buying seeds that come from the warm south and who knows where. I want to start growing seeds so that we can be planting seeds that are suitable for a shorter cooler growing zone. And I would love to make those available on a small scale to small backyard gardeners. The best way to market the seeds is through the farmer's market booth that we already have, which happens to be year round. During the winter months, our booth starts to look a little bare so it would be exciting to start to fill it up with seeds.
It will be a challenge to integrate saving seeds because they are going to be an added chore on the to-do list, and we also don't have the infrastructure set up yet to thresh and clean the seed so the work will be that much more labor intensive. My goal is to get the seeds off the crop before the cool fall hits and the risk of snow starts to strike, which can be as early as October 1st, and get the seeds curing in a covered building or greenhouse. This will give me a little time to fit in threshing and cleaning without weather being an imminent threat.
We value having multiple revenue streams because we know that mother nature is unpredictable and markets are always fluctuating. To balance out nature and markets we know diversity is a key to success.
Hopefully, in the near future, we are able to work with other farmers to grow that diversity even more. We don't need to be growing seed for every variety, rather we get to work with other farmers to make seed saving in the north a reality.
The short-term goals for seed production is to start small with about 3-5 different seeds. I will share them among close gardening friends and get them to grow them out for feedback. At the same time, I will have the opportunity to grow them out and see for myself how they are producing. Then in the next couple of years, I would be able to start marketing seeds at the Farmers Market as well as a health food store that I sell to.
Looking forward to the future of seed saving!
It will be a challenge to integrate saving seeds because they are going to be an added chore on the to-do list, and we also don't have the infrastructure set up yet to thresh and clean the seed so the work will be that much more labor intensive. My goal is to get the seeds off the crop before the cool fall hits and the risk of snow starts to strike, which can be as early as October 1st, and get the seeds curing in a covered building or greenhouse. This will give me a little time to fit in threshing and cleaning without weather being an imminent threat.
We value having multiple revenue streams because we know that mother nature is unpredictable and markets are always fluctuating. To balance out nature and markets we know diversity is a key to success.
Hopefully, in the near future, we are able to work with other farmers to grow that diversity even more. We don't need to be growing seed for every variety, rather we get to work with other farmers to make seed saving in the north a reality.
The short-term goals for seed production is to start small with about 3-5 different seeds. I will share them among close gardening friends and get them to grow them out for feedback. At the same time, I will have the opportunity to grow them out and see for myself how they are producing. Then in the next couple of years, I would be able to start marketing seeds at the Farmers Market as well as a health food store that I sell to.
Looking forward to the future of seed saving!
Hi Lisa;
ReplyDeleteI love reading about the diversity of foods you and your family are producing at your farm, and I can tell that you love the lifestyle, the work, and are committed to the long term sustainability of your farm enterprise. For the time being I see that you are taking on seed growing as a means of diversifying your farm, becoming more self-sufficient, adapting crops to your shorter growing season, and eventually collaborating with others to network around growing seed crops for each other.
I love that you may package and bring seeds to the farmer's market and agree it's a great customer base to market them to. And I like that you are planning to focus on a smaller number of seed crops to begin with and to share them among friends and gardeners at the beginning. Letting yourself get a season or three of producing seeds under your belt in the midst of a busy farm operation, without immediately aiming for big sales from the seeds, can be a great way to get comfortable and familiar with the process of growing seeds and the time it takes you to fit it into the rest of farm work/life.
I hope you have a good experience with growing out your carrots and beets in 2019 and that you fall in love with the magic of growing seeds. It's been a pleasure reading your blog and learning a bit about your farming story.
All the best,
Patrick
Hi Lisa - your post demonstrates a very realistic perspective on what the challenges will be for you to integrate seed production into your current farm operations. I think it is sound business planning to start small, test the seeds out with others and yourselves and then gradually increase your seed production as you get used to accommodating it into your other farm activities.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing this course! I'm so pleased that you continued. Your posts show a clear understanding of the material and sound application of the theory to your particular situation. All the best with your future seed growing and expansion!