About Our Seed Safety
Johnny's does not knowingly sell genetically modified seeds; nor do we breed new varieties using genetic engineering. Our breeders use traditional, painstaking methods of natural crossing to create hybrid seeds that are healthy and safe.
We are proud to be one of the nine original signers of the Safe Seed Pledge:
Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners, and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically-engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families, or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing are necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically-engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems, and, ultimately, healthy people and communities.
Types of Seed We Offer
Seeds designated by the OG symbol are harvested from plants grown under the strict guidelines required by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), and more specifically the laws enacted by the Code of Federal Regulations. Organic certifying agencies are the vehicle for ensuring that farms/growers wishing to become and remain certified — including Johnny's Selected Seeds as a certified seed producer and handler — meet and follow these guidelines.
To be labeled as certified organic, seeds must have been grown, harvested, stored, and handled in accord with the rules and procedures outlined by the NOP. Certified organic seeds cannot contain genetically-engineered traits; must be grown under certified organic conditions using only those inputs — eg, fertilizer, weed, and pest controls — allowable in organic agriculture; and packed in a certified facility.
Johnny's has been farming organically for over 45 years, and we have been a MOFGA-Certified Organic Seed Handler since 1979. We offer hundreds of varieties of certified organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit, and farm seeds allowable for certified organic production, and remain true to our commitment to diversify our certified organic seed offerings.
All Certified Organic seeds are designated by an OG in the product name.
F1 Hybrid seeds are the result of a cross between two genetically distinct parent plant lines. The plants grown from these seeds will usually show more vigor than either of the two parent plants, and often more vigor and uniformity than similar non-hybrid (standard) varieties. To create a hybrid (F1), traditional breeding methods are used that involve the cross-pollination of two parent varieties that were selected for specific traits.
Commercially, hybrid seed must be produced by the seed producer each year by crossing the inbred parents. Inbred parents are used because they express characteristics uniformly, and this uniformity is also seen in the F1 hybrid plants — F1 referring to "first filial" or first generation after the cross.
Natural crossing in the field may also result in useful hybrids. However, the F2 or second generation after the cross, grown from seeds saved from F1 hybrid plants, will not be uniform, and in fact often will have numerous different types as a result of genetic segregation.
Johnny's hybrid varieties are selected for improved flavor, disease resistance, and climate adaptability. We offer numerous F1 hybrids.
