The Living Seed Company Best sellers, deals, coupon code & our review

About The Living Seed Company

The Living Seed Company is a family-owned seed company selling organic and non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. According to its About page, husband and wife Astrid and Matthew Hoffman started it in the winter of 2011; the site says it was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area and is now based in North Carolina. Its stated mission centers on preserving food diversity and teaching seed saving. ### The catalog

The store lists 215 products, and most are seed packets at very consistent prices: from $3.50 to $4.75, with a median of $4.50. Vegetables dominate (119 listings), followed by herbs (24), flowers (22), and seed collections (11). The one outlier is Custom Wedding Seed Packets at $325 a wedding favor product. The variety list leans toward heirlooms and less common picks. In tomatoes, you'll find the Bear Creek Tomato ($4.50), which the listing describes as a stabilized Brandywine and Cherokee Purple cross bred by Keith Mueller, plus Mountain Miracle, Prairie Fire, and the Opalka paste tomato. Peppers include the Charleston Hot and Carolina Cayenne ($4.75 each), Organic Shishito ($3.50), and Sweet Chocolate. There are Asian greens like Organic Mizuna and Tatsoi ($3.50), roots like Organic Cosmic Purple Carrot ($4.50), and pollinator flowers like Butterfly Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed, which the listings describe as neonicotinoid-free. Nothing was on sale when we checked. ### What sets it apart

Every seed in the store is open-pollinated, which means plants grow true to type and you can save seed from your harvest for next year. That's the key difference from many big seed brands that sell F1 hybrids. The FAQ is clear that not every variety is an heirloom (some are modern favorites) and not every listing is certified organic, so check the product title if organic matters to you. The company says it has signed the Seed Integrity Pledge and the Open Source Seed Initiative. The refund policy also says the company runs germination tests on all seed stock twice a year to make sure what it ships exceeds federal germination standards. ### Shipping and returns

According to the shipping policy, orders usually ship within 1 to 3 business days via USPS Ground Advantage or Priority Mail. The company stopped shipping internationally after 10 years because of import restrictions and the cost of phytosanitary certificates. If a package comes back undeliverable because of a wrong address, you pay to reship it. We didn't find shipping rates or a free-shipping threshold in the policy text. Returns aren't accepted because of how seeds are stored, but the policy says that if you're unhappy with your seeds for any reason, the company will send a replacement. Liability for a lost harvest is limited to the cost of the seeds.

What stands out

• Only open-pollinated seeds. Every variety can be saved and replanted.
• Low, flat pricing. Packets run $3.50 to $4.75.
• Germination testing. The company says it tests all seed stock twice a year.
• Replacement promise. Unhappy with your seeds for any reason? The policy says they'll send a replacement.

Our favorite The Living Seed Company products

• Bear Creek Tomato Seeds - Lycopersicon lycopersicum: A rare, stabilized Brandywine and Cherokee Purple cross for $4.50, producing bicolored beefsteak tomatoes, per the listing.
• Charleston Hot Pepper Seeds - Capsicum annuum: A $4.75 open-pollinated hot pepper developed by USDA scientists at the Charleston lab.
• Organic Cosmic Purple Carrot Seeds (Daucus carota) | Non-GMO Heirloom Carrot Seeds: Organic heirloom carrot seeds for $4.50 with deep purple roots and a sweet flavor, a fun crop for young gardeners.
• Butterfly Milkweed Seeds - Asclepias tuberosa: Neonicotinoid-free native milkweed with bright orange flowers, $4.50 a packet.