Sourcing Seeds for an Abundant Harvest

When it comes to planning a garden, sourcing seeds is one of my favorite parts. Early January, as seed catalogs start arriving in our mailbox, it’s just the boost of excitement I need to get through the grey months of late winter; colorful varieties on every page paint a picture of what’s to come and the best part is, there’s no weeding to be done for a few more months! That being said, along with excitement it can also feel completely overwhelming, especially if you’re new to gardening. Over the years, we’ve honed our list of sources to fill each niche in our homestead gardens - from perennial fruit trees, to flowers and herbs, and hope our favorite sources can help you plant your dream garden.

Sourcing Seeds

Seed Exchanges & Libraries

Our first recommendation for sourcing seeds is to look local! We’re extremely fortunate to have a seed library built right into our public library catalog, called the Common Soil Seed Library, where we can check out up to 15 seed packets per month! It’s an incredible resource and a fun way to try new things without having to buy anything. And while it’s not required, at the end of the season you can “return” seeds from the plants you grow to continue supporting the longevity of the library.

This time of year, we’re also fortunate to have seed swaps hosted city-wide by several organizations in Omaha. If there aren’t any seed swaps where you live yet, it’s a pretty simple and fun thing to organize - just invite your fellow gardening friends, bring the abundance of seeds you have from seasons past (here’s a helpful guide about how to store seeds and how long they’ll last) and share! Old envelopes and a pen are about all the materials you’ll need in case you want to divide up seed packets. Here’s a great guide for hosting your own swap!

If you’re looking to buy seeds or plant starts, let the following list be a starting point based on our 10+ years of farming and gardening. Of course, there are many more seed companies out there and we encourage you to do your own research when choosing a company to invest in.

The primary factors we consider when choosing a seed company include:

• Does the mission and growing practices align with my values?

  • What does the company stand for and how transparent are they?

  • How do they support and honor Indigenous seed keepers and public seed saving initiatives?

  • Are they growing these seeds in a way that protects the environment or are they simply seeking profit?

  • If they don’t align with my values, is there somewhere else I can source these seeds from?

• Price is obviously an important factor, but often, low priced seeds are cutting costs somewhere else; perhaps quality, or ethically - remember that your money is an investment! We choose to reduce our seed costs from year to year by saving seeds when we can.

Our Favorite Seed Companies
(in alphabetical order)

Dixondale Farms is our go-to for onion and shallot starts! Be sure to order the correct “day length” for your growing zone for the best harvest. Don’t have room for a full bundle? Go in on an order with your fellow gardening friends! You can also start onions and alliums from seed, but we’ve found the best success over the years from starting with plant starts.

Fedco Seeds is a cooperatively run seed company, sourcing from a variety of seed producers. We source a lot of our seeds from Fedco and appreciate their transparency of sourcing, competitive pricing and large selection of open-pollinated and heirloom varieties! We have also source many affordable bare root fruit trees and perennial crops from Fedco over the years.

Grand Prismatic provides high quality, open pollinated seeds organically grown at the confluence of the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains in Utah. They have a fun selection of natural dye plants too!

High Mowing Organic Seeds are 100% organic, non-gmo seeds grown in Vermont. Super high quality seeds! With a low minimum for free shipping, this is our go-to for last minute orders!

Hudson Valley Seed Co has a pretty wide selection of seeds and plants, and works with artists to design beautiful seed packets. This would be a fun place to source seeds that you’re giving as a gift!

Johnny’s Seed Company based in Maine is a go-to source for market gardeners and farmers, with great bulk pricing available and tons of varieties available. We source a majority of our seeds from Johnny’s! Plus, they have a great selection of high-quality garden tools and materials. They also have really valuable growing guides for how to grow your crops.

Kitazawa Seed Company specializes in non-gmo Asian seed varieties and has a lot of unique offerings not found elsewhere. We love to grow different radish varieties and the Hinona Kabu turnips are a favorite of ours.

MIgardener is a seed coop (reader submitted!) Non-gmo seeds, broad selection and good prices!

Native Seeds is a nonprofit seed conservation organization based in Tucson, Arizona, who’s mission is to conserve and promote the arid-adapted crop diversity of the Southwest in support of sustainable farming and food security, focusing on Indigenous varieties.

Row 7 Seeds was started in partnership with chef Dan Barber as an effort to develop a collection of vegetables and herbs specifically for restaurants. What you get is super flavorful, unique varieties like the Lodi squash which is a perfect “single serving” and super flavorful squash. Best part? They offer cooking instructions to make the most of your harvests!

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit heirloom seed company based in Decorah, Iowa. I’ve had the joy of visiting their main farm campus and have been a proud supporter of their efforts each season! Since 1975, they have grown, saved, and shared heirloom seeds and led a movement to protect biodiversity and preserve heirloom varieties. Plus, they have a lot of unique seed varieties and helpful guidance on saving seeds from your crops.

Sprout Mountain Farms is our go to for seed potatoes and sweet potato starts - great quality, prices and availability!

Strictly Medicinals offers a huge selection of medicinal herbs, dye plants, and more - a great resource if you’re looking for something very specific! Plus, they have a great selection of tools for processing herbs, etc.

Stock Seed Farm is based in Nebraska and specializes in prairie seeds and cover crop seeds.

We’d love to hear what other seed companies you love to support and why. There are so many amazing seed companies and we’d love to add a running list of your favorites!

*Please note: we have intentionally omitted Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds because of various company-level decisions they’ve made, including the taking of and marketing of indigenous seed varieties without permission and racist comments in the past.

Saving seeds from season to season

This is one of our favorite ways to source seeds - and one that, while at first may seem overwhelming, is incredibly fruitful and empowering! You will be amazed at how many seeds are often produced by the fruits of our harvest. My best advice is to start with one crop to save seeds, non-hybrid tomatoes are a great starting place, and learn each season by practicing. The best part about saving seeds from tomatoes is that you can harvest them and eat the fruits - no waste!

There are tons of resources available at the library, talking with other gardeners, online and beyond. Be sure to dry your seeds completely before storing, label and date your seeds, and before starting them in the spring you can check their germination rate by sprouting ten seeds on damp paper towel - if they’re not viable, then return to your seed companies and try again next year!

Harvesting Sap: A Primer to Tapping Trees for Syrup Making

Updated February 2023

Harvesting sap for syrup making has become one of our favorite harvest activities of the year! The sap moon, typically the full moon in late February or early March, marks the beginning of the flow of sap. The flow of sap in trees is a simple miracle, one of abundance in a time of hibernation. When all the world seems to be asleep blanketed under a layer of snow, the sweet flow of sap begins in the trees around us. Of course, you cannot see it when you simply look with your eyes, but as you feel the warming of days contrasting with the freezing temperatures of the cold dark night, you can feel the changing of seasons present in the air and with it comes the sap flow; the sweetness an indicator of the sweetness to come as spring approaches. 

Practicing gratitude and mindfulness in the harvest

We owe our knowledge of sugaring to our Indigenous brothers and sisters, who have harvested the sap flow for generations, returning gratitude to the trees and the land through stewardship and care. In her essay titled “Maple Sugar Moon” in Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer shares the story of the Anishinaabe Original Man, Nanabozho, as he finds his people lying lazily beneath a maple tree, with their mouths open catching the falling syrup from the trees. “They had become lazy and took for granted the gifts of the Creator” … so he “went to the river and dipped up many buckets of water. He poured the water straight into the maple trees to dilute the syrup. … Today, maple sap flows like a stream of water with only a trace of sweetness to remind the people of both possibility and responsibility. And so it is that it takes forty gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup.” (Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer, page 63).

To harvest sap from a tree is a great responsibility and ought not be taken lightly. Harvest only from trees that are large enough to support themselves and you as well - with a diameter of at least 10” and in good health. Trees with diameters over 18″ can accommodate two taps, while those with diameters over 25″ can accommodate three. Throughout the rest of the year, offer gifts in return - spread compost at the base, care for the health of the tree, say thank you and reflect on the many gifts the trees offer us throughout the year: shade, oxygen and shelter. 

Tapping a line of Black Walnut trees along the edge of our neighbor’s homestead

Materials needed

• Power Drill

• Sharp drill bits, sizes to correspond with chosen spout size and dropline size

• Hammer

• Spout or Spile, 1-3 per tree depending on tree size
  The spouts, also called spiles, are used to tap into a hole in the tree and allow the sap to flow out of the tree and into a collection container. There are various sizes available on the market, and spiles can be either plastic or metal.  (Here is the one we use)

• Droplines, 1 per spout
  Droplines are plastic tubing that is used to connect the spile to the collection vessel. Some spiles don’t require droplines, but many do.  (Here is what we use)

• Collection container with lid (at least 1 gallon capacity), 1 per tree
  You can use any variety of collection containers, though we recommend using something that is easily cleanable and has a secure lid to keep out rain, snow and debris. We use 5 gallon food-grade buckets with lids. You can also use cleaned and empty milk jugs or any other food-grade container. 

• Filters
  Filtering your sap before and after cooking helps to remove any debris and sediment that collects in the sap, resulting in a cleaner finished syrup (Here is what we use) 

• Heavy-bottom Pot

• Candy Thermometer

Preparing your materials

Clean all of your tapping materials with hot water, boiling to sterilize. Avoid the use of soap, as it is hard to remove all the residue and can affect the final taste of your syrup. 

Assemble the spouts with droplines by connecting droplines to the down-spout of the spile. Using a drill bit that corresponds with the diameter of the dropline, drill holes around the top edge of the container. Insert the droplines into the holes, with the appropriate number of droplines per the size of the tree. 

Tree Selection

While the Sugar Maple is the most commonly tapped tree for making syrup, there are many types of trees that produce a sap flow with a sugary sap that can be cooked into syrup. In our experience, we have tapped primarily Black Walnut trees, which grow in abundance near our homestead. Other trees that produce sap include: Silver maples, Boxelder and Birch trees to name a few. Here is a great resource that explores the differences of these different trees (and more!) for syrup production: 27 Trees to Tap for Syrup. Each variety of tree will yield a slightly different flavor of syrup. Of course, you can combine the saps of many types of trees, but it may also be fun to keep them separate to taste the variances!

Identify your tree and inspect it for good health. Avoid harvesting from a tree that has signs of damage, such as splitting or bark peeling, as this will not only produce a lower yield but may also further damage the health of the tree. 

A sample of our set-up: holes drilled on the east, south and west side of a black walnut tree, into the ridges of the bark, spiles tapped into the tree with downspouts emptying into a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.

Drilling a hole

Identify the south-side of the tree - you will place your holes about 18” apart on the East, South and West sides of the tree, as these sides will be warmed by the sun and produce the best flow of sap. Only tap trees with a diameter of at least 10” and in good health. Trees with diameters over 18″ can accommodate two taps, while those with diameters over 25″ can accommodate three. 

Using a power drill and a sharp bit (very important that it’s sharp, so the hole is smooth and clean) that corresponds with your chosen spout, bore a deep hole in a tree to a depth of 2” to 2 ½” or until you reach the lighter inner sapwood of the tree. Blow out any wood shavings or pulp with a quick, close breath. For reference, you can wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit 2 ½” from the tip to use as a guide. Drill at a slight upward angle to promote a downward flow of sap from the hole. The hole should be situated at a comfortable working height, approximately 2′ to 4′ above the ground. If you tap the same tree each year, drill holes at least 6” apart from previous holes to allow the tree to recover from the holes and remain healthy.

Tapping the Tree

Place the pointed end of the spile (another name for the spout) in the hole and gently hammer into place, with the droplines pointing towards the ground and the collection container resting on the ground at the base of the tree. Collect the sap daily by pouring it into a collection bucket or replacing the current collection container with an empty one. Refrigerate the sap in a large covered container until you’re ready to boil it down. Filter your sap through a filter or two layers of cheesecloth before boiling to remove any debris or sediment.

Boiling the sap

Bring the sap to a boil in a large heavy bottom pot over high heat. Then, reduce heat to medium high and maintain a low boil. Using a pan with a larger surface area will help the cooking process to progress quicker, as the steam can cook off more quickly. It is best to start with at least a gallon of sap to prevent the final syrup from scorching on the bottom of the pan. As the water boils off, you can add more sap.

The temperature of the sap will indicate the sugar concentration. Using a candy thermometer is a great way to measure the sugar concentration. At 215 degrees F, pour your syrup through a filter to remove excess minerals before cooking to the final temperature between 217 and 219 degrees F. This is also a good time to transfer the syrup to a smaller pot to finish the cooking process so the syrup doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan. The syrup is finished when it reaches the optimal temperature between 217 and 219 degrees F - the higher the temperature, the thicker the finished syrup will be. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also use a clean spoon to do a “drip test” - dip your spoon into the thickened syrup and stop cooking when the syrup drips off the spoon in a thick drip. Note that the syrup will thicken as it cools. 

One gallon of sugar maple sap cooks into approximately 4 ounces of syrup. Other tree saps tend to have a lower sugar concentration, though final yields depend on the time of harvest, the location of the tree, tree species and other environmental factors. For example, trees that are higher on a slope or hill will tend to have a higher sugar concentration while trees at the bottom of a slope or hill will tend to have a lower sugar concentration, as they are subject to more water flow as snow melts and flows in the ground. There are many factors that can affect the final yield, and really, only time and experience will tell! 

Bottling the syrup

Using a metal funnel lined with a clean filter, pour the hot syrup into clean glass bottles, and cap them. To prevent the bottles from cracking, warm them by filling with hot water and pouring it out right before filling with syrup. To bottle for shelf-stability, fill with hot syrup (at least 214 degrees F), cap with a clean, solid lid (i.e. not a pour top) and invert the bottle until it’s cooled. Bottled this way, unopened bottles should remain shelf-stable for two years. After opening, store syrup in the fridge for up to a year. Some minerals and sediment may settle to the bottom of your finished syrup - it’s still edible, just slightly different texture and flavor! If you choose to bottle at a cooler temperature or into a container that you’re not able to invert, just store your syrup in the fridge to prevent spoilage.

End of season considerations

After the harvest season, typically when the temperatures no longer fall below freezing, it is important to clean up your materials and tend to the trees. Remove all taps from the trees and gather the materials you’ve used. Clean and sterilize all of your spiles and downspout tubes and allow to dry completely before storing. Do not plug the holes you’ve drilled in the trees - instead, allow the tree to recover on it’s own.

Think of reciprocity - how will you show your gratitude to the trees and their generosity? Will you plant more trees in your community? Offer compost to the trees who have shared their abundance? Or perhaps you will say “thank you” as you crack open a bottle of liquid gold and pour it a top a tall stack of pancakes on a cozy weekend morning. There are endless ways to share your gratitude as you enjoy the golden syrup of these crisp winter days throughout the year!

Planting Garlic

Scotty and I have been growing our own garlic together for over six years together and it’s truthfully one of our favorite things to grow. Not only is it super simple to grow, the flavors and varieties available with homegrown garlic are outstanding compared to store-bought alternatives. We’ve been growing a hard-neck variety for the past six years and this year are adding a soft-neck variety. Once you’ve grown your own, you can save your own seed for the following seasons, making it a very affordable crop to grow as well!

Here’s a primer in planting your own garlic:

Follow us step-by-step as we plant our fall crop of garlic for spring harvest!

When to Plant

Planting garlic depends on your what hardiness zone you’re in. We’re located in Omaha, Nebraska which is USDA zone 5b. To find your zone, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Map here! Hardiness zones are based on first and last frost date averages. In our zone, we plant our garlic around the time of the last frost date (average of October 15th) and before the ground is frozen. There is some flexibility in the planting time, and we’ve planted as late as the weekend before Thanksgiving!

Choosing a Variety

There are many varieties of garlic - but they are broadly categorized into two types: Soft-neck and Hard-neck.

Soft-neck Garlic

There are two main categories of soft-neck garlics: artichoke and silverskin. Soft-neck varieties are the most common varieties found in grocery stores and at farmers markets as they have a longer storage life and tend to have a milder flavor than most hard-neck varieties. They tend to have more cloves of smaller size, making them a little more difficult for peeling. Soft-neck varieties are most commonly used for making garlic braids!

Hard-neck Garlic

Hard-neck varieties are split into three main categories: rocambole, continental and Asiatic. Rocambole is most popular in this category, producing fairly symmetrical heads of garlic. Hard-neck varieties also produce garlic scapes in the spring, which can also be harvested and eaten! Scapes are an upright shoot that grows from the center of the plant and is often removed in the spring to promote larger growth in the garlic cloves.

Seed Garlic Sources

Often, you’ll have to order your seed garlic in mid- to late-summer. Some sources may be out of stock when it’s time to plant, so in that case, contact your local farmers to see if they have any extra seed. Unless you’re growing a huge amount, this can be a great way to get seed garlic, since often times they’ll have smaller quantities. Avoid planting garlic from the grocery store, as it is often treated for shelf stability and this may affect its viability.

• Grade A Gardens - Organically grown in Johnson, Iowa

• Filaree Garlic Farm - Organically grown in Omak, Washington - one of the premier garlic farms in the country!

• Hudson Valley Seed Company - Grown in Hudson Valley, New York

Planting Garlic

Preparing your Garden Bed

Prepare your garden bed by cultivating the soil so you can easily plant the cloves 3” deep. Add about 1” of compost to the top of the bed and smooth with the back of a rake.

Mark your rows about 10-12” apart. We plant three rows per bed, so that we can easily reach the center row for weeding in the spring.

Preparing your Cloves

Each clove of garlic will produce its own garlic plant and subsequently its own head of garlic! A garlic clove is a plant, not a seed, so orientation of the clove is important for planting - you will plant each clove with the “stem-base” down, as this is where the clove will grow roots in the spring and from it will grow leaves upright.

To separate your cloves from the head of seed garlic, use your thumb to gently brush off the outer layers of skin to reveal the inner cloves. Then, using gentle pressure, “pop” off the cloves. You want to be careful not to damage the cloves, as this can promote disease. Handle cloves like eggshells, not tennis balls! Additionally, you’ll want to plant the cloves within 48 hours of removing them from the head of garlic, so don’t pop them off before you’re ready to plant. Cloves will begin to dehydrate after they have been removed and this will affect the strength of the cloves to grow into a healthy bulb in the spring!

Select medium to large cloves that are undamaged, setting aside damaged or small cloves for eating later.

Planting your Cloves

Plant each clove with the stem-base down about 3” into the soil. Plant cloves 6-8” apart in each row, with rows about 10-12” apart. Once all of your cloves are planted, cover gently with soil. Finish by covering with a light layer of mulch about 1” thick. We use fresh straw or fallen leaves to cover ours!

Further Reading

• Growing Great Garlic, by Ron L. England, Filaree Productions