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Seed to Sower Restoration Project

Seed to Sower Restoration South GA Seed Co

The Seed to Sower Restoration Project

The Seed to Sower Restoration Project began in 2013 with a simple gift.

A fellow seed saver from Georgia mailed us a small kraft envelope containing a rare heirloom garden pea known as King Tut. It wasn't a large package or an expensive purchase, but it carried something far more valuable — a living piece of agricultural history.

That small envelope sparked an idea that would grow into a mission.

From that day forward, we committed ourselves to finding rare heirloom varieties, growing them, saving their seeds, and placing them back into the hands of gardeners, homesteaders, and small farmers across America.

Since 2013, we have acquired and preserved more than 25 rare heirloom varieties, many of which are offered by only a handful of seed companies and some that are not commercially available at all.

Among the heirlooms that have passed through our preservation efforts are:

  • Merrimack Sweetheart Watermelon

  • Rhode Island Red Watermelon

  • Six Nations Ohsweken Flour Corn

  • Giant of Benares Eggplant

  • Ladyfinger Okra

  • And many more rare varieties still being evaluated and multiplied

Each season we continue searching for heirlooms that have become increasingly difficult to find, with the goal of keeping them alive through active cultivation and seed saving.

Why Preservation Matters

For more than a century, countless heirloom varieties have quietly disappeared from gardens, farms, and seed catalogs.

The seed market operates much like any other marketplace. Varieties that sell well remain available, while those with limited commercial demand often vanish over time.

As a result, hundreds of unique heirlooms are believed to have been lost from cultivation.

With every lost variety, we lose more than just a seed.

We lose:

  • Valuable genetics

  • Regional adaptations

  • Unique flavors

  • Historical connections

  • Reliable producers developed over generations

Biodiversity is not something that can be recreated once it is gone.

When an heirloom variety disappears completely, a small piece of agricultural history disappears with it.

More Than Seeds

While we make our living growing and selling heirloom seeds, preservation has always been the heart of what we do.

We do not grow heirlooms simply because they are old.

We grow them because they matter.

Unlike many modern hybrids, heirloom varieties produce seeds that can be saved and replanted year after year while remaining true to type. They allow gardeners to become stewards rather than simply consumers.

Every generation that grows and saves heirloom seeds helps ensure these varieties survive for the next generation.

Giving Seeds Back to the Sower

Every packet of heirloom seed purchased from South GA Seed Co. helps support the preservation and multiplication of rare varieties.

Your support allows us to continue searching for endangered heirlooms, growing them out, saving seed, and sharing them with gardeners across the country.

Together, we can help ensure these varieties remain available for future generations.

Because once they're gone, they're gone.

Thank you for helping us preserve our agricultural heritage and continue giving seeds back to the sower.

With gratitude,

Andy & Jenny
South GA Seed Co.

 

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