From the Fields - Patty Buskirk

By Patty Buskirk, Glenn County vegetable seed producer

Seeds By Design grows all kinds of species, from artichoke to zucchini. We contract in 21 countries for seed production, but the majority of our production is done in the northern Sacramento Valley. We select and breed our own varieties and specific hybrid varieties.

Our No. 1 market is to the U.S. home garden market. We are one of the largest suppliers. We do strictly wholesale. We contract with growers to grow our seed. We also sell to dealers that sell the seeds to greenhouses, to somebody who’s producing for farmers market stands and (other) direct-to-consumer markets. Another portion of our business is contract production. People send us their stock seed and tell us they want X-amount of a particular variety.

We’re continually planting and harvesting almost year-round. Most watermelons and cantaloupe are harvested in August and September. Right now, we’re doing our harvest for tomato and pepper seeds. Later, we harvest things like pumpkins and slicing cucumbers.

In October, we’re sowing next year’s crops like cauliflower, broccoli, mustards and radishes. We’ll harvest those in May, June and July. We’re also preparing to seed for our kale and brassica species. In another month, we’ll be seeding our pea crops. It’s a crazy, busy place around here. When you think about the different species, there’s a different planting and harvest time for every one of them.

We’re experiencing the same challenges you hear from every farmer in California. Fertilizer and fuel expenses are off the charts. Labor is going to continue to be difficult. It’s way more expensive than it was five years ago. It’s hard to pass along those input costs to customers. The seed industry is historically very stable without a lot of changes. It’s difficult to go to a long-term buyer and tell them, “Hey, you’re going to have to pay 30% more for this product.” They look at you and say, “I’m just going to buy it from somebody else.”