Compiling a consistent seed list.

[Alan]

The past few weeks I have been compiling a comprehensive and limited though interesting seedlist for the farm and produce business for 2009. After facing the adversity that we have faced this year it has come to my intention more than ever that I need to seperate breeding plots from production plots. I will be continuing with plant breeding and research in the coming years, particularly segregating out the crosses that I have already made that I see potential in as well as segregating other breeders crosses and trialing new introductions.

However, that seed list has met completion for years to come I am sure and can only in the future represent 25-30% of all future plantings on farm.

So I am left looking particularly for open pollinated, preferably local or regional strains of seed, suitable for farmers market, co-op sales, and also market stand and restraunt sales which fill in the gaps in my production practices. I prefer to stick with two or three small seed companies, particularly those selling seed adapted to local regions.

I am very interested in strains of open pollinated, disease resistant, and productive varieties adapted to or from the Ohio valley region and the appalachian mountain region.

Amongs the things that I am looking for advice on include:

Red Slicing or Beefsteak type tomato
Yellow Slicing or Beefsteak type tomato
Long type cucumbers
Early season, small type, orange fleshed watermelon
Large, open pollinated bell pepper (cal. wonder doesn't cut it)
Purple or bi-color and white eggplants
Pole beans
Greasy Beans
Soup beans, preferably of pole type
Large cabbage (early flat dutch is too common)


If you have any suggestions pleas let me know and let me know about productivity, growth characteristics, if it would be a good market variety, and disease resistance as well as a seed source if available. I definetly prefer something rare and with a backstory as well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Alan

I'll shortly be posting my seed list for 2009 (production crops) and breeding crops with what I've discovered and picked out so far for production.

One thing that I have discovered with winter squash is that C. Maxima types are out. Too many issues to name anymore!
C. Moschata Cheese types are the way to go....
Oh, and the work in progress Ultimate II butternut, It's going to be a winner in time!.

[Alan]

Any suggestions guys? Best seed sources, anything?

[bluelacedredhead]

Alan, I didn't see this before now. I have something in mind for the large cabbage, just let me confirm it and I'll post back later.

[bluelacedredhead]

Alan, I remembered reading good things about two heirloom varieties of German origin that had been grown in the Ohio Valley. I believe it was an old Isbell's seed catalogue that sold the Kraut King and had a bit of background on it?
They were Kraut King and Winningstadt. But both are very rare.
I haven't been successful in finding a current source for Kraut King.
And Winningstadt can be ordered from
www.heritageharvestseed.com
But she states in her catalogue that she was many years finding a source for it, so I'm assuming that quantities may be limited?

Hope this gives you a bit of a help.

[Alan]

Thanks for the heads up bluelaced, I'll have to get on it and track that stuff down, my window of opporotunity for winter trialing is closing shortly. The garden is plowed, will be disced tomarrow and I'll start planting some of the fall and winter crops later this week to be covered with some low tunnels (clouches) when cool weather hits.