The Organic Seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production
by John Navazio
Published by Chelsea Green Publishing Co - January 2021 - Paperback - 408pp – 25.5cm x 20.5cm
The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a seed crop organically.
Detailed profiles for each of the major vegetables provide users with practical, in-depth knowledge about growing, harvesting, and processing seed for a wide range of common and specialty vegetable crops, from Asian greens to zucchini.
In addition, readers will find extensive and critical information on topics including:
- Seed-borne diseases
- The reproductive biology of crop plants
- Annual vs. biennial seed crops
- Isolation distances needed to ensure varietal purity
- Maintaining adequate population size for genetic integrity
- Seed crop climates
- Seed cleaning basics
- Seed storage for farmers
- and more . . .
This book can serve as a bridge to lead skilled gardeners, who are already saving their own seed, into the idea of growing seed commercially. And for diversified vegetable farmers who are growing a seed crop for sale for the first time, it will provide details on many of the tricks of the trade that are used by professional seed growers. This manual will help the budding seed farmer to become more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in producing a commercially viable seed crop.
Written by well-known plant breeder and organic seed expert John Navazio, The Organic Seed Grower is the most useful guide to best practices in this exciting and important field.
‘John Navazio has written a fantastic guide for organic seed breeders and producers. He has taken organic seed production to a higher level with extensive information on selection, genetic integrity, isolation distances, and seedborne diseases. Although his focus is on plant breeders and commercial growers, much of the information is also applicable to small-scale farms producing seed for on-site use.’ — Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed
John Navazio breeds genetically resilient, open-pollinated leafy greens and root crops for regenerative farming practices at Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine. His crops include carrots, onions, radicchio, purple-sprouting broccoli, and Swiss chard. John’s work focuses on developing varieties with robust, vigorous growth, broad resistance to disease and environmental stress, and superior culinary quality. He also concentrates on increasing the reproductive vitality of his varieties and their ability to produce good seed yields. To that end, he works with a diverse group of organic seed growers across North America to produce the highest-quality seed.
