organic veg

[helly]

Hello all, well i've been scanning through the seed catalogues this weekend, and i am going to try most of my veg this year from organic seeds. I still can't get my head around what makes an organic seeds? the reason for planting all organic is that I have been given some land from a farmer who is an organic dairy farmer. I have always used the standard seed packets bought from shops (non organic) sown the and planted out never used anykind of chemicals, so to me I thought that is being an organic grower? Perhaps some on could explain the rules of being an organic grower. Also can anyone recommend a supplyer of organic seed, I've checked out Alan titchmarsh(suton seeds) and a few other T&M and found to be limited to choice. Any help would be grateful
cheers Helen

[helly]

Also just come across this site has anyone used them or any views about them
cheers


Organic and Non-Organic Vegetable Seeds

[Snadger]

Organic seeds are collected from plants that are grown organically...........simple as that.

It does have its advantages in that it has had no chemical help and should be a hardier strain of the plant!

[Alison]

I don't tend to buy organic seed, as you say the choice is very limited but do then try to grow the plant as organically as possible and am now starting to save more of my own seeds where possible. In order to save my own seeds I try to avoid F1 varities as much as possible and do like to keep some of the heritage ones too.

[BarleySugar]

It would be a good idea to look into the 'regulations' for organic labelling of seeds (I don't know what the criteria are), as I know some things, like organic meat only specify that a certain percentage of the food has to be organic etc. Organic labelling does not necessarily mean chemical free!
Also I am a bit of a sceptic about the organic label, as my brother personally knows a milk producer who has 2 farms, one certified organic, one not. The 'organic' farm produces many more gallons of milk than the non-organic one, The only organic producer I trust is me, and if I chose to use something not organic, at least I know what and how much!

[Snadger]

It would be a good idea to look into the 'regulations' for organic labelling of seeds (I don't know what the criteria are), as I know some things, like organic meat only specify that a certain percentage of the food has to be organic etc. Organic labelling does not necessarily mean chemical free!
Also I am a bit of a sceptic about the organic label, as my brother personally knows a milk producer who has 2 farms, one certified organic, one not. The 'organic' farm produces many more gallons of milk than the non-organic one, The only organic producer I trust is me, and if I chose to use something not organic, at least I know what and how much!

According to Sewer Rat who grows veg organically, he can't sell it as organically produced veg unless he uses organically produced seed!

[smallblueplanet]

For organic seeds and other stuff these are the three main sites I use

The Organic Gardening Catalogue

Tamar Organics Catalogue

Tuckers Seeds - Gardeners, Growers

[sewer rat]

According to Sewer Rat who grows veg organically, he can't sell it as organically produced veg unless he uses organically produced seed!

There's a bit more to it than that, as you are allowed, under derogation rules, to use non-organic seed if the seed you wish to grow is not available as organic, but you then would have to justify why you want to grow that particular variety and not another that may be available as organic.

[BarleySugar]

I didn't mean I produce stuff and label it organic, I meant that at least I know what I've used, I don't trust other people to have stuck to the rules. My brother, who has been in the farming community all his life, hears too many stories of people out for what they can get for me to be confident that everything labelled organic is produced in that way. I know there are trustworthy people around, I just do not know who they are!

[helly]

took alook at tcker seeds website and will place an order 2mor, thanks for your response, jsut hope those dam caterpillars keep away this year....