The National Organic Standards require that you use organically grown seeds. If you can't find an equivalent organic variety that is commercially available, you must document your good faith efforts to find the organic seed you need. The same goes for planting stock, although all annual seedlings must be completely organic. However, there are no allowances for seeds treated with prohibited substances, such as chemical fungicides.
While there's still plenty of anecdotal evidence that good organic seed is sometimes hard to come by, the good news is that there are a growing number of quality organic seed sources, and plenty of locations on the Internet where you can browse for seed suppliers. We've included all of those resources here, as well as articles and guidebooks on producing your own seed, growing organic seed commercially, and testing your seed for viability. You'll also find links to organizations that are working hard to increase the availability of quality organic seeds that are suitable for different regions and growing conditions.

Finally, we've included some recent articles that address the barriers to acquiring good organic seed, and the concerns many organic growers have about the contamination of organic seed stock by genetically modified crops.

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Seeds/Planting Stock
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OMRI's Organic Seed Database The Organic Materials Review Institute's organic seed database allows you to select by seed type and get a listing of companies where a seed type...
Organic Farmers Left Holding the Bag for Substandard Seed Rules that require the purchase of organic seed--but don't guarantee seed quality as represented--create inequities in building the new organic...
Organic Seed Links from California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) A listing of companies that provide organic seeds.
Organic Seed Suppiers on OTA's Organic Pages Online This listing features seed supply companies located throughout the US with seed products for organic agriculture, horticulture, and gardening....
Seed: The Achilles' Heel of Organic The growing evidence in this country that much of our seed stock is GMO-contaminated raises tough questions about the future of organic--what it...
Database of Seed Suppliers for Certified Organic Production This database, from ATTRA, provides sources for organic seed of both agronomic and horticultural crops. Some national, mail-order suppliers of...
Essentials of Producing Organic, Certified Seed (video) and Raising Organic Seed: A Handbook for Growers These two resources, from the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society, provide essential information in a video and handbook on raising...
Insuring the Availability of Regional Seed Varieties Suited to Organic Conditions Cornell's Public Seed Initiative seeks to ensure development of regional varieties well-suited to organic conditions. In a world in which Big Ag...
Organic Seed Alliance The Alliance is dedicated to supporting the ethical development & stewardship of seed. It provides education opportunities and resources for seed...
Public Seed Initiative The Public Seed Initiative (PSI) is a joint cooperative effort between Cornell University Departments of Plant Breeding and Horticulture, the...
Requirements for Seeds, Planting Stock and Seedlings under the USDA Regulations This Pennsylvania Certified Organic Fact Sheet covers all the basic requirements, including documentation of good faith efforts to find organic seed.
Seed Production and Variety Development for Organic Systems Most of the research to develop seed varieties specifically for organic production is in public and participatory breeding, and good technical...
Dry Small-Seeded Specialty Seed: A Resource Guide for Oregon and Washington Growers This resource directory from Oregon State University covers specialty seed production, intellectual property issues, soil management, irrigation,...
ESSAY: Seed Crossings Bring Back Old Traits for Organic Farmers In this 2004 essay in the San Francisco Chronicle the author addresses the question: What if organic farmers could plant fruits and vegetables...
Native Seeds/ SEARCH Specializes in heirloom seed varieties from Mexico and the SW Native tribes. Sells dried peppers and other products.
Organic and Transitional Feed, Organic Seed in Minnesota This farmer cooperative sells a wide range of organic and transitional livestock and poutry feed, field and cover crop seeds. They also offer a...
Organic Bean Seed Production in the South Instructional manual: Organic production of high-quality bean seed in the Mid-Atlantic and South. $5.60.
Organic Seed Processing and Storage Principles and practices of seed harvesting, processing, and storage: an organic seed production manual for seed growers in the Mid-Atlantic and...
Organic Seed Producers Listing, from North Carolina Crop Improvement Association A listing of organic seed producers in North Carolina, by county and also by type of seed.
Organic Seed Resource Page from Washington State University This web page provides links to databases of organic seed suppliers.
Organic Seeds and Seed Sources from Hawaii Organic Farmers Association Provides a discussion of organic seed sourcing requirements, and a listing of seed suppliers.
Saving Our Seed Project: Working with Southeast Farmers in the Production and Sourcing of Organic and Heirloom seeds The Saving Our Seed Project helps farmers in the Southeast learn how to produce and save organic and heirloom seed varieties, diversify their...
Seed Certification - New Mexico State University Seed Certification (NMSUSC) The New Mexico State University Seed Certification office (NMSUSC) manages seed certification programs in the state. The agency is responsible for...
Seed crops: Weather-Related Risk Reduction Guidelines for Dry-Seeded Specialty Seed Crops This article from the Organic Seed Alliance is about preventing loss from adverse weather during seed maturation and harvest for dry-seeded...
Seed Production and Seed Sources of Organic Vegetables Smaller seed companies have produced the majority of organically produced seed to date. The commercial seed sector is starting to provide a more...
Seeds Trust, Inc . The Seeds Trust offers an 'Organic Seeds Trust' link on their website, which allows quick access to an organic and wildcrafted seeds section. As an...
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is an excellent source for heirloom seeds and other open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds with an emphasis on...
Southern Seed Legacy Southern Seed Legacy (SSL) strives to reverse the erosion of plant genetic diversity and cultural knowledge in the American South by encouraging...
The Georgia Crop Improvement Association The Georgia Crop Improvement Association is an organization of seed producers who are interested in growing and making available to the public,...
The North Carolina Crop Improvement Association, the Official Agency for Seed Certification in the State The North Carolina Crop Improvement Association (NCCIA) is a non-profit educational and service organization recognized as the official agency for...