Ecological Crop Improvement For and By Farmers

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We are an organic seed farm in the Pacific Northwest, established in 1994, owned and operated by Frank and Karen Morton. We are known for farm-original varieties of many salad greens, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

in cooperation with allies at Avoca and Gathering Together Farms, 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.

We are partners in the Open Source Seed Initiative, and have dedicated all of our original varieties and breeding populations to the Open Source Seed Pledge:

“You have the right to use these OSSI-pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.”

New Additions for 2022

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 Collection Of Flowers!

Holy Ghost Angelica The varietal name here is an interpretation of the species name, giving an accurate sense of this plant’s bold appearance emerging from a border. A big presence, in sight and smell, and the sound of insect pollinators. An Umbelliferous native from northern Europe also called Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian angelica, among other locality names (everyone is happy to claim this species). Used as flavoring, food, medicine, beneficial insectary, and landscaping statement. Uniquely fragrant, without anise overtones, an important ingredient in gin and many cordials. Plants are biennial (sometimes perennial) in zones 4-9, forming giant rosettes of 2-3’ leaves the first summer, then putting up 6-8’ flowering stems the following year. Likes moist soil and partial shade (will grow in full sun if watered), can be naturalized into hedgerows and alongside trees. Space 1-3’ apart by direct seeding or transplanting. Seed should be impressed into moist soil without complete coverage (light is necessary for germination), allowing for 3 weeks of daily temperature fluctuations (getting below 40) before bringing into the greenhouse for germination, or expected outdoor temps reaching the 60s. Pricing and More Information	Early Wonder Tall Top Beet One of the old workhorses of commercial beet production. Tops are erect and impressive, as the name suggests, and low in oxalic acid, as we like it. Fine textured, dark red roots retain their tenderness even at a large size. A good market bunching beet, and still a favorite after 40-odd years of growing them. Pricing and More Information	Morton's Secret Lettuce Mix 2022 Lettuce Another year’s collection of unfinished projects. This is a yearly favorite for many, and probably the most sweated over seeds of the year. The year’s mix includes crispleaf, crisphead, and crisp romaines in many shades of red, green, and splattering patterns. Out of the "wavy jets" F4 selections, family R rocked Karen’s salad world, and family Q had such twisty curled margins it looked like political commentary. Then there are the crisped fuzz butts, that look better than they sound. Forms galore. Farm Original Variety! Pricing and More Information
Early Long Orange Bell Pepper The name describes the goal of this selection out of the Stoplight Orange breeding pool. Very early for bell peppers in our cool-night climate, and longer fruit than typical American bells, more Euro in pepper style. Heavy fruit set requires a low trellis to hold up the yield. Fruit holds well on the plant and keeps well in season’s end storage. Bright color is retained in cooking. Very sweet. Farm Original Variety! Pricing and More Information	Pride of Gibraltar Cerinthe/Honeywort Deep indigo bracts on nodding stems tipped with royal purple flowers. Bees enter these tubular nectar sources to nearly their full length, then “buzz pollinate” with their wings loud enough to get one’s attention. Hummingbirds defend patches of cerinthe like prime territory. Planted 3’ apart, these will develop small bush forms about 24” tall. Closer spacing or mixing with other species (grasses and grains are good choices) makes taller longer stems.? ? Does well by direct seeding or transplanting, tolerating light spring frost and autumn dips into the mid 20s. Full sun to partial shade. Pricing and More Information	Apricot Lemonade Cosmos This is a new cosmos from the breeders at Thompson and Morgan (UK), selected Flower of the Year for 2020. Yellow is a novel pigment in Cosmos bipinnatus (first appearing in variety ‘Xanthos’), and this is the first blending of yellow and pink into one flower. Color patterns vary from plant to plant, and with age of the flowers; from light yellow to apricot, often with pink-mauve centers that fade into the lemon background. These are generally more compact than most cosmos, growing from 24-30” tall. Space 12” apart. Transplanting recommended as early as possible in spring if longer stems are desired for cutting. Seed is apparently in high demand. Pricing and More Information
Purple Coneflower Echinacea These sturdy perennials make wonderful cut flowers with long erect stems prolific from a basal rosette. The purple ray flowers are long lasting, and set off by the fiery orange-red discs that are often covered in bees and butterflies. Native to the eastern US, found in full sun and partial shade, often used in “meadow” plantings to good effect. This is also the preferred medicinal Echinacea species, dug for its roots after 3-4 growing seasons. Seed doesn’t require cold stratification, but a week of chilling after sowing flats may enhance germination. Space 12-24” apart; closer spacing stretches stems for best cutting, wider spacing makes bigger roots. Seed heads may be used in dried arrangements; harvest when golden and petals are easily removed. If you leave the seedheads in place, they become goldfinch feeders during southern migration, and winter feeders and shelter for feathered winter residents. Pricing and More Information	Anemones Rudbeckia/Black-Eyed Susan This is a recent selection out of ‘Gloriosa Double Daisy’ with tubular ray flowers that taper toward the end, giving the effect of lifeforms from a tidepool. Still a work in progress, but too cool not to share. Forms vary from single to semi-double on 3’ stems. Some of these may have bicolor petals. Farm Original Variety! Pricing and More Information	Moppets Rudbeckia/Black-Eyed Susan A selection out of ‘Gloriosa Double Daisy’ to maximize the “muppet effect” of these robust tetraploid beauties. ‘Moppets’ (in truth, we call them “muppets,” but can’t sell that) are covered in golden ray flowers, scarcely showing their dark disc heads. Long stems, reaching 3’ in their second year. Still a work in progress. Farm Original Variety! Pricing and More Information
Sahara Rudbeckia/Black-Eyed Susan The most dramatic new Rudbeckia on the market, with colors from burgundy to bronze and copperish tones, with gold and sulfur highlights. Petals are broad and short, highly doubled, completely covering the disc in some cases, creating a mum-like effect. This population is actually a selection out of Sahara, enhancing the percentage of “mummy” types. We notice that plants are taller, with longer stems in the second year. These will live at least two years if given adequate winter protection, as in a tunnel or greenhouse. Pricing and More Information	Clary Sage Salvia/Sage A true biennial growing large rosettes of furry grey-green leaves its first year, followed by an impressive flowering stem 3-4’ tall in the second year. The powerful aromatic oils are found entirely in the flowering parts, leaves lacking any smell at all. Grown in large quantities for perfumery and medical use, or along walls and borders for a strong sensory impact. The fragrance has been compared to ambergris, and the stature and large floral presence have a personality that feels like an animal being. This particular strain comes from Redwood Seeds, and it is an outstanding one with large white-lilac-pink bracts outlined in sharp pink edges, surrounding light blue flowers. Pricing and More Information	Peruviana Red Zinnia A completely different Zinnia effect than the other species we offer. Plants are finely featured, 24” tall and stiffly self-supporting, slimmer and more graceful than elegans, not so skinny-petaled as tenuifolia, and colors more muted than either. The color ranges from a rich matte red through shades of ochre to bright rust as the flower head matures. Propagate like other zinnia, spacing 6-12” apart in the row. Stems are generously long for cut flowers (especially with closer spacing), but the nondominating presence of these flowers invites them for use with grasses and other elements of natural landscaping for a meadow effect. This variety comes to us from Southern Seed Exposure, who introduced this species to modern gardeners in 1992. We look forward to growing other colors of this species in the future. Pricing and More Information