I am finally almost totally caught up on orders. Just a couple of large orders to go right now.

I've had several bad growing seasons in a row, so again this year we don't have very many new-to-me varieties. But I was able to grow out new seed for at least some of the varieties that were getting a bit older. I had wanted to do replacement seed at least every 3-4 years. But with the bad seasons, we are behind on that goal.

I'm quite behind on updating my web site, but that's rather normal for me. Hopefully I will have the new varieties listed in a week or so.

I retired a whole shopping bag of seed that I have newer stuff of. At least 5 lbs if not a whole lot more. Most is from the harvests of 08 and 09 and a few 2010. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that seed as I don't really want to just throw it away.

I'm open to suggestions on that seed.

Carol

Carol, I wonder if you have something there that is like our community gardens for school children. We have Hands on Broward which is a network of volunteers and also broward county employees that manage these school gardens. I donated many plants, and also seeds. In our area school children grow these, and the produce goes to a local food bank to feed the poor.
They grow organically, and starting from seeds, or picking off a worm is all part of the learning for them.

Marsha

Carol, if I try to pull my 2013 SSE YEarbook from the two piles next to me on the floor I may be trapped permanently since they'll come tumbling down. But you were a listed SSE member in 2012, I could get to that one, and even if you've just retained your membership, or even not, why don't you contact SSE and tell them you want to donate seeds.

They get requests all the time for donated seeds and I'm sure you've seen in the Heritage magazine pictures of gardens where kids from many areas in the US are growing out many items from seeds sent from SSE. For many of them, especially from areas where folks live that they don't have the money to buy fresh vegetables, it's just great.

Just another suggestion.

Carolyn, and no Too Cute again tonight ( Carol and I both love Too Cute) except for one doggie show, most of it tonight, again, is Pit Bulls and Paroles which doesn't interest me all that much when compared to other TV channels I could watch, or books to read.:)

My SSE membership expired in Oct or Nov and I just didn't bother renewing. Maybe later.

But I will look into donating to various groups. I plan on sending some of the seeds to Winter Sown too.

I may offer some of them in a special for a discount on my web site as long as people know they MAY have lower germination rates than the fresh seeds.


I'm not much for "Pit Bulls" either, but Hubby watches it at times. There wasn't much of anything I wanted to watch last nite so went to bed early.

Carol

I purchased several "low germination" varieties from you and had pretty much the exact same results as the other seeds -- nearly 100% germination in three or four days. Admittedly, I was using the Texas sun as a heat mat! But I would feel extremely comfortable (and a bit greedy since your prices are so reasonably anyway) purchasing LG seeds at a discount!

You wouldn't happen to have refreshed Gildo Pietroboni, by any chance? I have a soft spot for that one and wish it were more widely grown and discussed!

I've had the same excellent results with some older seed I've purchased from you as well, and the fact that you include extra seeds in the "low germination" packs is great insurance for anyone who does have some difficulties.

If you aren't able to find enough organizations and schools to donate them to, then yes, a "clearance"section on your website would probably be welcomed. You could even offer "collections" with X number of paste varieties, x number of cherries, etc., or allow customers to create their own "collections" for a discounted price. This would ensure that the seeds move out quicker than just offering single packs at a lower rate.

After reading the other suggestions I do think it would be best to make some offers at your own website.

You grew the tomatoes, you processed the seed and there's no reason why you shouldn't offer them in some way at your site.And not as freebies either.

Carolyn

[My SSE membership expired in Oct or Nov and I just didn't bother renewing. Maybe later.]

Welcome back, Carol,
I'm looking over your 'new' online yearbook listings tonight.
Great to see you back.

Well that's a surprise since I didn't renew yet. Or tell them to re-do the listings. So it seems SSE is about as well organized as usual.

Carol

[QUOTE=Wi-sunflower;383793]Well that's a surprise since I didn't renew yet. Or tell them to re-do the listings. So it seems SSE is about as well organized as usual.

Carol[/QUOTE]

Carol, I got an e-mail newsletter from SSE today and here's one of the marvelous statements made:

(We're putting our final touches on the 2014 Yearbook
and Online Seed Exchange
We hope to get it to the printer early in the new year.

Thank you to everyone who submitted listings!)

And I'm sure you read the comments from others about the online, there's a thread in General Discussion. And I've heard from other SSE friends who don't participate here the same gripes.

So they are puttng the Final Touches on the Online. I know that several have called Joanne about it but don't know what response they got.

I was going to ask someone who is on the Online if my few new ones are there. I asked Joanne to delete ALL the others I have been offering, for sevral reasons.

You might want to consider calling joanne, or e-mailing her at [email]joanne@seedsavers.org[/email] about it, especially if you don't have enough of the seeds you listed. Just a suggestion. And pointing out that you didn't renew your membership as well.

And onward we go.:)

Carolyn

Oops, sorry Carol

There were 20 of your listings in the online yesterday. Not present today.
It's still a transitional situation with a lot more work to be done. -Randy

It's OK if they are listed. I have plenty of the seeds for any of the listings.

But I doubt if it will mater anyway. Last year I only got 2 or 3 requests thru the yearbook. It's possible I did get a few orders at my web site when people looked up my name as I mentioned there that I had more varieties and listed cheaper than the SSE suggested price.

But between here (TV) and a couple of other boards I mostly lurk and Facebook groups, that's where most of the tomato seed business is these days. At least for me.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm doing germination tests on about 60 of my older stashes of seeds. When I see if they are still reasonably decent, I'll set-up some discount offers and let people know. I will also be sending Winter Sown some of the seeds if they are still decent. I already contacted Trudi about that.

Carol

Well now, that's exciting!

[QUOTE=carolyn137;383796]

I was going to ask someone who is on the Online if my few new ones are there. I asked Joanne to delete ALL the others I have been offering, for sevral reasons.

Carolyn[/QUOTE]

Carolyn,

I did a search on the Online Yearbook for tomatoes listed under your name. It looks like these are the only ones currently listed by you:
Brazilian Giant, Iva's Red Berry, Loka, Anna Margaret's Heart, Giroc, and Orangevyi Velikan.

Jim

[QUOTE=Douglas_OW;383830]Carolyn,

I did a search on the Online Yearbook for tomatoes listed under your name. It looks like these are the only ones currently listed by you:
Brazilian Giant, Iva's Red Berry, Loka, Anna Margaret's Heart, Giroc, and Orangevyi Velikan.

Jim[/QUOTE]

Thanks Jim, those are the new 6 I added after deleting all the others.

And I'll also be offering those 6 here at TV in my seed offer for an SASE.

Those 6 at SSE are kind of a test run since I get so few requests, even though I lowered the request price, and also b/c I get zero feedback from SSE requests, but do make feedback a requirement for what I send out from my seed offer.

I don't want to be distributing seeds that are X pollinated or low germinating, for the fresh ones, so it may come to pass that I'll just give up on SSE listing all together.

Carolyn