The lost art of the seed catalog.

It’s been 27 years this month since we mailed the first issue of The Cook’s Garden seed catalog to home gardeners. Originally a two-page listing of lettuce and salad greens based on hard to find European seed varieties that we imported from Switzerland, France, Italy and Holland.  It was a simple statement against the larger seed catalogs who offered only flashy color photographs accompanied by standard hybrid varieties. Ours was printed with black soy ink on recycled paper, the artwork featured the elegant woodcuts of Mary Azarian and depicted our simple way of life that revolved around our organic farm and market garden.

That first winter we packaged seeds at the kitchen counter, books were removed from the book cases to hold seed bins and the living room was converted into a shipping warehouse. We were proud to offer the best tasting greens and herbs that were carefully tested from our trial gardens, and I developed recipes to match as incentive to encourage gardeners to try new and unfamiliar varieties.

Our catalog grew in spite of the competition and we found an audience who loved the flavorful varieties we offered and trusted us to introduce the very best since ” we grew it ourselves.”  But like all good things, times change and the catalog was sold in 1993 to Park Seed catalog, and then transferred to WA Burpee in 2003.

This morning, when I flipped the pages of the newest 2011 Cook’s Garden catalog, I was saddened that the heart and soul of our original catalog has clearly been lost. The photos are gorgeous yet the copy is stiff and the varieties are typical of choices made by a marketing department rather than a cook who loves to garden. The Cooks Garden sadly looks like just another WA Burpee catalog and is the total antithesis of what we first envisioned almost three decades ago.

I am proud that the catalog is still alive after all these years, and encouraged that more gardeners than ever are buying seeds to grow in their gardens. Yet this year I am choosing to buy my seeds from a smaller, local supplier who offers varieties that are open pollinated and bred for the northeast and collected by hand, Solstice Seeds.

As gardeners value open pollinated and the power of local, it’s important that we seek out sources that are closer to home that reflect the regional nature of our gardens. Planting a garden is a practical way to save money and eat with the seasons and when you buy local seeds you support the innovative small seed companies, like our first catalog and it is the truly local way to go.

Solstice Seeds Catalogue

One of Sylvia Davatz’s objectives in compiling and publishing the Solstice Seeds Catalogue is to encourage cultivation of varieties and seeds that are specifically adapted to her immediate geographic area in the Upper Valley in Vermont. The 2011 catalogue, the third annual edition, was completed at year end; to request an electronic copy, contact Sylvia at sdav@valley.net. However, seed quantities are very limited. Sylvia encourages gardeners to seek out seed sources close to their home, or to patronize companies in their region, for suitable varieties and best results.