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.
All seed listings and seed packets note who produced the seeds. Our seeds come from ten farm projects:
Twin Oaks Seed Farm in Louisa, Virginia, managed by Edmund Frost.
Care of the Earth Community Farm in Corryton, Tennessee, managed by Megan Allen and Lalo Lazaro.
Living Energy Farm in Louisa, Virginia, managed by Debbie Piesen.
Laughing Springs Farm in Boone, North Carolina, managed by Jay Bost and Nora Rodli.
Rock Cottage Farm in Farmville, Virginia, managed by Lyndsey Walker.
All-Farm Organics in Louisa, Virginia. Vegetable seed production managed by Brenda Callen.
French Farms in Redland, Florida, managed by Chris French.
Bay Branch Community in Mineral, Virginia. Garden managed by Carrie Piesen.
East Wind Community in Tecumseh, Missouri. Garden managed by Richard Goerwitz.
Common Ground Ecovillage in central North Carolina. Seed production done by Doug Jones.
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. Organic certification status is indicated on each listing and on each seed packet. 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.