Ecological Crop Improvement For and By Farmers
Welcome to our 2017 catalog and website!
We are an organic seed and vegetable farm in the Pacific Northwest. We produce farm-original varieties of many salad greens, vegetables, herbs and a few flowers.
All of our seed is Organically Grown by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm
in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a world class place to grow specialty seeds.
Few places on Earth have the climate, latitude, soil, water, and intellectual resources found in this rare north-sloping river valley. Seed companies from every continent come to the Willamette Valley to contract quality seed production. We are fortunate enough to live and farm here.
Many of these varieties originated in our on-farm breeding program for organic conditions and fresh market quality, denoted by our  farm-original mark. Other varieties have come to us over thirty-odd years of farming, either as heirlooms or good commercial standards, now with generations of selection on the farm. All seed at risk of GMO contamination has been tested and found free of genetic engineering components.
Our ecological approach to plant breeding and crop protection generates superior varieties for farmers who don’t use chemical crop protectants and fertilizers. The small-scale care and authentic fertility of our farm fields yield fat seed with exceptional seedling vigor, a key trait for organic crop success. This seed is organically bred to be organically grown, just like your crops.
New Additions for 2017
Gift Certificates are now available! Click here for more information.
These are a few of our new offerings. Be sure to check out all our new additions on our New Products Page, and our All New Collection Of Flowers!
Yella Bella Peppers
 Like 'Bella Red', a crumpled and twisted Italian type with thinner walls, intended more for fresh salad use or light saute than roasting. Creates interesting shapes for presentation when sliced crosswise. Farm Original Variety!
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Red To The Heart Romaine Lettuce
I have several lines of this phenotype, one of which will become the final selection to go with the name. For now this can be considered a type that includes solid rose-red heart leaves, or hearts that are painted in red and gold patterns. At the Portland Breeder's Variety Showcase, bowls or these were mistaken for Treviso chicory hearts. But the taste and texture is all lettuce--crisp, juicy, sweet, and always welcome. Farm Original Variety!
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Manoa Leopard Lettuce
A beautiful dark spotted heading lettuce with a strong Hawaiian influence, selected for a preponderance of short rounded leaves in a tight blanching head of medium dark green leaves, selected against tip burn and downy mildew. A rare kinda cat that's adaptable to both Oregon and Hawaii. From 'Manoa' x 'Leopard', creators of the Island Gems project. Farm Original Variety!
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Big Island Lettuce
From our Island Gems project, this early release is a full size green heading lettuce with a slight pink blush around its crown at maturity. A bit volcanic. Makes tight creamy hearts of blanched oval leaves. Farm Original Variety!
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Elf Ears Oak Lettuce
This is a big upright oak, ice green with somewhat savoyed leaves that comes from 'Crisp Mint' romaine in the parentage. The leaves have rather fancy "ears," elongated tips that extend from the head, and form heavy strong hearts. The best mildew resistance out of the 5 Elf Ear lines we compared. Farm Original Variety!
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Merlo Nero Spinach
The name means 'Black Bird', appropriate for this dark green autumn-winter spinach. Rounded savoyed leaves, intensely green and robust. Begin planting in August for October harvest, continue sowing through November for continuous harvests into January. Resume sowing January through April for harvest into June.
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Estate Tomato
This comes from the crossing of three varieties that worked for us over the years. Stupice x Homestead was later crossed to Peron Sprayless when we lived in the cold hills. Peron provided a smooth round lushness that is very upscale in appearances. Terrific full tomato flavor, large juice-filled locules, and a meaty heart. Grows to about 6-7' with fruits 3-3½". Farm Original Variety!
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Home Stoop Tomato
'Stupice' was introduced to the US by Abundant Life Seed Foundation along with a number of other East European varieties circa 1980, and immediately found a home on every mountain homestead in the Northwest. Damp hardy and cool adapted, it delivered great flavor and results in marginal situations, but the fruits were small. 'Homestead' was once a commercial variety in Florida, an exact opposite of the Northwest climate and soil. It came to us as a free seed packet with a subscription to National Gardening magazine. I liked the size and flavor, and soon a cross was born. I've called it 'Home Stoop' for years. Semi-determinate vines to 6-7', somewhat flattened fruits can reach 4" across, with a cross section netted with small juicy locules. Great slicer. Farm Original Variety!
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Biobio Quinoa
A short season, short stature white-seeded quinoa from Chile. We found it as an off-types in purchased 'Kaslaea' seed last year, but have strong confidence it is actually 'Biobio.' Looks very similar to Redhead, also with very white seeds. 'Biobio' seems to have smaller seeds in general, but I did make some larger-than-average seed selections from this population. Earliest maturing kind in our trials this year, and high yielding.
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Kaslala Multicolor Quinoa
This diverse variety has a number of unique qualities that have gained my attention. First, the plants themselves are striking, a large percentage having the "magenta leaf" trait in the young leaves, and growing to 7' tall, many plants with bright red stems. The seed is vividly multicolored from jet black through chocolate, nut brown, buff, pink, cherry, yellow and white. Seeds are larger than the other varieties offered here. Makes a handsome cut flower for the adventurous florist. Originated in the Bolivian/Chilean introductions to Colorado, ca. 1980, fostered by John McCamant and farming partners at White Mountain Farm.
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Magenta Sunset Quinoa
This is a selection out of Brightest Brilliant Rainbow made with the cut flower grower in mind. The ripening panicles are brilliant magenta-orange, with stems that become red-pink-orange striped as they dry. Dru Rivers at Full Belly Farm in Guinda CA has pioneered the introduction of quinoa into the fresh and dried cut flower trade. This bud's for you! Farm Original Variety!
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Meriviglia d' Inverno Lettuce
An Italian butter head especially suited to winter harvests from September-October plantings without bolting. Keep in mind, that's a Mediterranean winter, but a tunnel can create an Italian winter almost anywhere these days...sort of. This variety can be planted March through October, but shines in the cold short days. Name means "Winter Marvel."
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Dragon Feathers Mix Mustard: Indian
This is what we get after mixing Magma, and Gold Frills, selecting selecting and selecting again to maintain diversity while removing the undesirables. Makes a fantastically textured, colored, frilled and flavorful mix of pungent greens. Farm Original Variety!
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Vibrant Joy Mustard: Mild
Absolutely vibrant shades of magenta violet, purple, and rose pink pervade this pac choi mix, coloring the succulent petioles, sometimes the leaf veins, sometimes the entire leaf. The color saturation during autumn growth and cold weather is especially stunning, so the recommended outdoor planting period is Sept-Oct. Tunnel plantings Jan-Feb should also color well. Replaces 'Purple Rapa Pop.' Farm Original Variety!
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| Remember to check the New Products Page for all 37 of this year's introductions, and our All New Collection Of Flowers! |
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