It begins in December as the seeds begin arriving in the mail. We start poring over the pages; admiring the gorgeous pictures and studying the variety descriptions. We begin by circling or highlighting the ones that catch our interest. We get excited about the coming season as we discuss new varieties we want to try and ones we know we need to grow again. After the first of the year we seriously get down to the business of figuring out our seed order. It takes quite a bit of planning and thought. We decide how much area we have to plant and how much of it will be used for each crop. Next Andrew does the calculations for how much of each type of seed we will need. Soon we are back in the catalogs, making our lists. Usually it is a shock when we add up the total cost of everything we want which leads to cutting a few items out and narrowing down the varieties. We have to ask ourselves questions like "Do we really need three varieties of pickling cucumbers or can we just grow one?" "Is this variety available for less in another catalog?" or "Would a cheaper variety do just as well?" Sometimes the answer to these questions will be no and sometimes yes. Since we are certified organic we also have to buy organically grown seed when it is available and may not use treated seed. Usually it takes much refining before we are satisfied with our final orders. We usually order from 3-4 different seed companies each year. This year we are ordering from Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Osborne Seeds, and Fedco Seeds. Deciding our seed order for the year is an enjoyable job, but it is always a relief to get it finished. We have finally completed our seed order this year and now get to look forward to their arrival. Soon we will be starting the first of them in flats!
