Painted Desert Seed Company

We grow and stock Heritage Quality, Heirloom, Open-Pollinated seeds ONLY. We want to provide seeds that grow beautiful, tasty and productive plants, that also happen to be tough as nails when it comes to surviving harsh conditions. We sell only Open-Pollinated, Non-Hybrid seeds, that are grown only with natural input, both for nutrients and for pest control. Extensive use of compost and soil building with mulch and crop remains are standard practice. Pest control is practiced by excision, selection, companion planting, regular treatment with compost teas to maximize plant health, and the careful cultivation of birds, reptiles and beneficial insects. Our criteria for selecting from large plant populations are vigor, size, production, flavor, drought resistance and outstanding hardiness to both hot and cold temperature extremes. Our final criterion is for unusual colors. We constantly select for traits that thrive in our bio-region. Since our operation is located in Arizona, we emphasize ancient and adapted Heirloom Seed varieties for the Southwest Desert US, Southwest mountains, the West Coast, the Intermountain West and the Big Sky Redoubt. The unique geography of Arizona allows for two separate climates in which to grow: the Southern and Western Deserts (Mohave, Yucca and Sonoran) with four full seasons and heat reaching 115-plus degrees on a regular basis, and the Northern/Eastern, Alpine Life Zone at 6000+ feet of elevation, which lies alongside the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest of about 5000 feet elevation, where temperatures can drop to below freezing at any time of the year. We select for family subsistence, based on landrace traits when possible, for easier regional adaptation. We also undertake ongoing trials to determine the suitability of heirloom varieties from around the globe that might take well to our regional conditions. Painted Desert Seed Company is a FarmVetCo Farm, certified "Homegrown by Heroes" by the Farmer Veteran Coalition.