Late January Catalog and Shipping Update

Kate surveys the inventory before it heads to our storage room.

Hi folks! Just wanted to give everybody an update on how things are going around here during this (surprisingly balmy) late January.

We've received plenty of January orders, for which we are very grateful! Our shipping season began this week, and by Thursday the 21st we'd managed to get out about a third of all orders received so far. We anticipate nearly all remaining orders will be shipped today (Friday the 22nd) or Monday (the 25th). Thanks for your patience and understanding; our business model doesn't give us much down time anywhere during the calendar year, but early January is the best window we can find for a brief hiatus. In future years, we hope to be able to afford coverage during this window, too, but much depends on the success of this year's seed-selling season (so please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in our project!).

Last year’s surge of interest in gardening--combined with the difficult weather much of the nation experienced last season--has taxed seed resources nationwide, with companies everywhere experiencing more early-season backorders than in previous years. So, unfortunately, we have more Garden Packs currently on backorder than we would like to see. If you’ve never ordered seed from a mail-order company before, please rest assured that varieties go on backorder every year--it’s nothing to worry about. If you do order a backordered variety, we will send it to you as soon as it is in stock. You don’t need to track it; it will arrive at your shipping address when it is available. If we are unable to get you the backordered items by the end of March (tomatoes and peppers, as well as cool season crops) or by the beginning of May (beans, corn, and other tender direct-sown crops), we will let you know immediately and refund that portion of your order.

Friends and helpers Kate, Linda-Brook, Aileah, and Erin wind down a seed-packing marathon.

Two Library Packs have done a switcharoo and become Garden Packs; this is because the locally grown seed for these varieties fared poorly in germination tests. So, commercial seed has to be obtained. It was a bummer to discover that these great varieties didn't cut the mustard, but overall we're very happy: our germ tests for the year have just concluded and, excepting these two let-downs, they were a resounding success.

A final note: Planting and seed-saving instructions for all varieties will be updated and current on the website by the third week of February, the earliest any of our varieties can be started in the Hudson Valley and similar climate areas. Do check in for detailed, thorough, fun-to-read growing instructions tailored to upstate New York and the metro New York area.

Thanks again for your support, and do not hesitate to e-mail us with any questions or concerns via our contact form.

p.s. We love our customers! What other seed company can report that its top-selling seed of the year so far is a ground cherry?!