Updates
November 1st, 2024: Please note that, as usual, we are pausing order shipping between now and December 15th. During this time we are focusing on seed cleaning, germination testing, inventory, and updating listings. Seeds ordered during this time will ship on December 15th! If you are in a warmer climate and need to plant right away let us know at commonwealthseeds@gmail.com and we’ll do what we can to get you the seeds sooner.
September 2nd, 2024: We have a new crop of Mira Red Stem Kale in stock! This is an original variety bred by Care of the Earth Farm.
February 3rd, 2024: Our new 2024 print catalog finally started arriving in mailboxes this week!
Click here to get a free catalog sent to you in the mail.
January 2nd, 2024: Our new seed store is live! All our seed listings are up and the seeds are ready to ship. We have 12 new varieties this year, including five new CWSG originals – Easter in August Cherry Tomato, Bakers Branch Butternut, Mira Red-Stem Kale, Margie’s Melon and Solar Flare Sweet Pepper!
Also we’re printing a catalog! To receive one, click on “Mailing List” in the top menu and enter your address. It should arrive around January 22nd.
While we’ve now opened our own online store, we want to express our appreciation for Seedwise — a website for farmers to sell seeds that we’ve used for many years. It is a valuable resource for seed growers, farmers and gardeners. We’ll continue to maintain our listings there as well.
Who We Are
Common Wealth Seed Growers is a cooperative project to research, breed, produce and sell regionally-adapted, open-pollinated seeds for a limited number of outstanding varieties. We grow all the seeds we sell, and we only sell what grows well on our farms. We don’t sell outsourced or commodity seeds! We especially seek to serve market growers and small farms in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
We are primarily a collaboration between Twin Oaks Seed Farm in Louisa, Virginia (managed by Edmund Frost), and Care of the Earth Farm in Corryton, Tennessee (run by Megan Allen and Lalo Lazaro).
Living Energy Farm (Louisa, VA); Laughing Springs Farm (Boone, NC); and Rock Cottage Farm (Farmville, VA) also contribute through seed production and selection.
Read more about the growers here.
Most of our varieties are certified organic. All are grown using organic or biological farming practices, and all are untreated and non-GMO. Common Wealth Seed Growers has an organic handler certification from Baystate Organic Certifiers.
Along with the work we do in the field, we aim to spread knowledge and excitement about working with seeds, and to help reconnect farmers and gardeners with seed work. Farming and seed work belong together! Restoring this connection will make our farms, gardens and communities more resilient, more connected to place, and more fulfilling for all of us. We can’t afford for seed work to just be the domain of seed companies, plant breeders and university or company researchers.
We work with many types of food plants, with a special focus on downy mildew resistant cucumber, squash, pumpkin, melon, watermelon and gourd seedstocks.
From the Farms
Kristina with Easter In August Tomatoes at Twin Oaks Seed Farm (Mid August 2024)
