If you’re on the West Slope of Colorado, and you list seed hoarding among your favorite
hobbies, then you have certainly asked at one point, “What grows at a high altitude?” And it’s
an important question, right up there with “Where can I hide my new seed stash so my spouse
doesn’t find it?”
You may be lured to the shiny stands of Big Box Store seed packets, but keep in mind that there
are many great reasons to buy regionally adapted seeds.
It Grows Here AND It Tastes Good?!
Gardeners face unique challenges here. It’s smart to choose seeds that are regionally adapted
to our arid climate, drought-tolerant, and ideal for a short growing season. We take it a step
further to seek out the most delicious, nutrient-dense varieties, and that’s what makes us
different from other seed companies. Sure, it’s rewarding and addicting to watch your little
regionally adapted plant babies flourish where others may fail. But nobody wants to eat a bland,
run-of-the-mill vegetable, no matter how hardy it may be. So, we focus on food that is both
happy to grow in this area and pleasing to the palate.
Tempting examples would be our Jester Lettuce, Tepehuano Sorghum (an ancient grain that
doesn’t mind poor soil), or the Oros Roaster (a High Desert Seeds Original!)
Every salad deserves to be a gourmet salad.
Save a Seed, Save the World
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when local farmers routinely saved seeds to share
with friends and distribute to the local community. Precious seeds passed from hand to hand,
generation to generation, preserving delicious, heirloom varieties. With the rise of more
industrial growing methods, this practice has nearly died. It just isn’t feasible for most growers
to clean the seeds and store them. A little High Desert Seeds secret: we may or may not have
given the biggest house on the farm over to seed storage/handling and taken the little place for
ourselves.
Most seed companies (even some big names that would surprise you) ship their seeds from
abroad. The results are sad. Not only have countless heirloom varieties gone extinct, but many
friendships and shared tomato sandwiches have been thwarted. Neither is acceptable.
It’s our desire to grow the best seeds, and grow a strong local community.
Plant, Harvest, Steward
When you introduce a seed to your garden that was selected for your area, you’re planting a bit of history and
breathing new life into a variety that may have been endangered. Take, for example,
our rare Cassiopeia Popcorn or Little Gem Squash.
And when you save the seeds from your crop (after confirming that it is, indeed, exceptionally tasty), you’re helping to
ensure that your neighborhood has a chance to thrive in the face of whatever dire circumstances
may come. Economic trouble, pandemic, seed shortages, zombie apocalypse…no problem.
Will you become the next channel for introducing more regionally adapted seeds to the Western Slope? We’d love to
get you started!
We promise not to tell your spouse.