Maine Seed Distributors
By Tayla Mann, UMaine Extension Staff, Administrative Clerk
Here at the UMaine Extension we love local. Local foods, local farmers, and local seeds. Lucky for us, Maine has some great seed distributors worth talking about!
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny’s, created in 1973, prides themselves in being 100% employee owned and producing safe, non-GMO seeds. They provide a great variety of organic, hybrid, heirloom and enhanced seeds. Throughout the years several of Johnny’s squashes and other vegetable varieties have won All-America Selections (AAS) awards and two of their breeders have won All-America Selections Breeders Cup awards. In 2000, Johnny’s also joined the Safe Seed Initiative pledge. Johnny’s has three sites located in central Maine within 25 minutes of each other. Their business office is located in Fairfield, retail store in Winslow and their research farm where they hold farm tours is located in Albion.
Fedco Seeds
Fedco, located in Clinton, is one of a small amount of cooperative seed companies in the United States. They have been in the seed business since 1978 with continual product growth as the years go on. Fedco is made up of five divisions including seeds, trees, potatoes and bulbs. Unlike the other distributors they do not have their own retail store and work solely through mail and internet orders. Though they do have public sale days and partake in the Common Ground County Fair each year. Starting out as a small Maine base with only 98 orders their first year, Fedco has grown to serve all 50 states and filling thousands of orders annually.
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, AS&L for short, have been producing seeds for over 100 years! Located right in our very own Cumberland County right up the street on Route 1 in Falmouth, AS&L has a four season garden center, seed house and nursery open to the public. Not only do they provide a variety of seeds from herbs and vegetables to perennials, annuals and so much more, they also have a great shop filled with accessories and gifts for your gardening loved ones. The AS&L website also provides great tips and instructions along with planting timelines. AS&L also lists all the nurseries throughout Maine where you can pick up their seeds.
Pinetree Seed Company
Located in rural Maine, Pinetree Seed Company is a family owned and operated business. Operating since 1979, Pinetree Garden Seeds was founded with the simple mission of offering low prices on quality seeds to the home gardener.
Or,
Call ahead to your local garden center or hardware store to see what’s on their seed racks.
Be sure to check them out and keep your seed buying local this gardening season!
Links are provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any content on the linked site. No endorsement is implied nor is discrimination intended against similar products or services.
Also, see UMaine Extension Publication: Bulletin #2751, Starting Seeds at Home.