I saw this place mentioned on another forum. The guy who runs the place is a member of that forum. The basic premise is that they give away seeds for various produce items which were collected from the previous years crop from the first and best veggies of the crop, hopefully ensuring to pass on the hardy and fast growing traits. You do pay I think $4.95 for postage, and if you want you can make a small donation but that isn't required, and they ask you to collect the seeds from your first and best produce to send back to them so they can keep improving their stock. They suggest just planting the seeds and watering them, using no or minimal extras so as to get good, naturally grown produce to ensure the best of the best natural growth. Some will grow well, some will be OK, some wont grow. Survival of the fittest. Natural cross pollination will keep "improving" each years seeds and make them stronger.
https://goingtoseed.org/pages/our-approach
On their website, "60% of commercially available seeds are distributed by four multinational chemical companies. These seeds, often produced under intensively sprayed and fertilized production systems, are generally unsuited to the gardens and farms where they will end up growing. When faced with adversity – whether it’s a short season, non-ideal temperatures, pressure from weeds, pests, and disease, or low soil fertility – many of these varieties fail to thrive."
I don't know the true accuracy of that info but I know I have had pathetic results from store bought seeds and store bought potted plants. The only success I had was from a few tomato seeds that the chickens missed (or pooped out) and got pushed just outside their fenced enclosure and grew from seed, we didn't plant them and they were the fastest growing and most producing plants I ever saw. Store bought seeds and plants planted in the same area did lousy in comparison. Sadly I didn't collect those seeds.
Just thought I would share, I am giving them a try. I can't do any worse and hopefully I can actually get something out of my garden this year. The soil around here is terrible, except by the chicken enclosure. If interested you might want to place your order sooner than later, many of the items are already sold out.
https://goingtoseed.org/pages/our-approach
On their website, "60% of commercially available seeds are distributed by four multinational chemical companies. These seeds, often produced under intensively sprayed and fertilized production systems, are generally unsuited to the gardens and farms where they will end up growing. When faced with adversity – whether it’s a short season, non-ideal temperatures, pressure from weeds, pests, and disease, or low soil fertility – many of these varieties fail to thrive."
I don't know the true accuracy of that info but I know I have had pathetic results from store bought seeds and store bought potted plants. The only success I had was from a few tomato seeds that the chickens missed (or pooped out) and got pushed just outside their fenced enclosure and grew from seed, we didn't plant them and they were the fastest growing and most producing plants I ever saw. Store bought seeds and plants planted in the same area did lousy in comparison. Sadly I didn't collect those seeds.
Just thought I would share, I am giving them a try. I can't do any worse and hopefully I can actually get something out of my garden this year. The soil around here is terrible, except by the chicken enclosure. If interested you might want to place your order sooner than later, many of the items are already sold out.