Field Report: 2006 Professional Seed Catalog
by Micaela Colley

Next season's seed catalog holds the dream and promise of a fresh field, the discovery of a new variety, and tools to help organic growers succeed. As we finish up the 2005 trial season, we've selected the best to include in our 2006 Professional Seed Catalog, which replaces and expands on our Bulk Seed Catalog. This full-color catalog includes twenty-five new variety introductions, five varieties of organically pelletized and primed lettuce seed, agronomic information on all major vegetable crops, and a wider selection of merchandise and cover crops.

Professional growers know that starting with the best varieties is crucial for success both in the field and marketplace. Our new variety introductions are chosen based on feedback from our network of cooperating trial growers and chefs. Each year we conduct on-farm variety trials on working organic farms to evaluate field performance and market popularity. Those same varieties are then brought to leading chefs for culinary and flavor evaluations. The result: a selection of seed varieties that ensure success in the field and keep customers coming back.

Highlights from the 2006 New Variety Introductions:

• Poppy Joe's Basil—Developed for exceptional fusarium resistance, this Genovese-type basil performed beautifully under intense disease pressure in our trials. A Seeds of Change original developed by Rutger's University.
• Armenian Cucumber—Actually a melon, this delicate, thin skinned, heirloom cucumber was a favorite in our culinary trials.
• Galia F1 Melon—A winner in our on-farm trials, this hybrid Galia-type melon has exceptional flavor, good keeping quality, and strong performance under powdery mildew pressure.
• Newburg Onion—Years of selection through our seed grower network has resulted in this excellent keeper onion with beautiful brown wrapper leaves and crisp white flesh.
• Cal Wonder Orange Bell Pepper—Large, bright orange, sweet bell peppers are produced prolifically by plants with a good canopy cover for sunscald protection. One of our trial growers remarked that this is the best open-pollinated bell pepper he's ever seen.

Success in organic crop management requires extensive knowledge. Much of that knowledge is gained through experience, but helpful guidance from other growers, university-based researchers, and field professionals can prove invaluable. To this end we've developed agronomic growing guides for each major vegetable crop to support professional organic growers in the field. Please look for our agronomic guides throughout our catalog and on our Professional Growers page.

Seeds of Change Agronomic Guides include:

• Growing Conditions—Information on ideal climatic and cultural conditions for each crop.
• Planting—Guidelines for seeding rates along with recommended timing, depths, and spacing. Useful when calculating seed purchases and field planning.
• Harvest/Storage—Tips on harvest timing and ideal storage conditions.
• Pest and Disease Prevention—Advice to help in managing pests and disease through organically approved measures.

We hope you enjoy perusing next year's seed selections while relaxing through the holiday season. If you have any questions as you map out the spring fields, please call us for answers and advice on our Grower Line at 866-339-3876. We look forward to partnering with you in the 2006 field season.