Full disclosure: I had zero idea anything like this existed in the world. I am definitely not the target audience, but even so, I respect everything they're doing If you visit, Seed Savers is, essentially, a gigantic "shop" of bags of heirloom seed varieties. Away from the claws of gigantic chemical seed companies, Seed Savers sells seeds that have been preserved over the last couple of hundred years. It's honestly impressive! Especially with the "backstory" included on many of the seed varieties, you'll feel a whole new respect for people who fall in love with gardening. The amount of note-taking and attention to detail it requires to save seeds that can be planted 60 years in the future seems downright impossible. It isn't a matter of picking up "some tomato seeds to plant" if you come here; you get to choose from a ridiculous different variants. (Probably over 80). What type of tomatoes do you want? Each one of the seed packets includes planting instructions as well the backstory of where the seeds come from. Each packet is between $3.75 and $5.50 per packet; they accepted credit cards just fine. They also sell gardening-adjacent items (all with a focus on sustainability and organic farming), so organic fertilizer, pots, gloves, books about gardening, and more. When you're done, you're free to walk around the property which includes growing flowers and veggies from their heirloom seeds. They also have watch list and threatened farm animal breeds on the property that you can look at as well. Placards displayed around the property help you understand what you're looking at. ACCESSIBILITY NOTES: -They have indoor bathrooms and running water (and water bottle refill stations!) inside the gift shop. -If you just want to get to the shop itself, it's a very very short walk over a gravel parking lot. -If you want to look around more of the grounds, there's a little bit of paving, but it's mostly uneven grass. It's, essentially, just walking around a working farm with a few placards around it. It isn't necessarily designed to be a "shiny" farm where you'll be removed from the day-to-day of farming. read more

They're shipping is a total scam. My cousin had the same thing happened to him. Ordered seeds got nothing and their response was they don't track things. They just take the orders and if we don't get them then it's on us. I was actually stunned. I actually have it in writing. It's pretty astounding. They said once they take the orders it's out of their hands and it's up to us to figure out where it is. They don't deal with the shipping companies or tracking or anything like that. Bananas. read more

Order very early. I placed an order on March 10th. An email on March 21st (eleven days later) said the order had shipped. As of March 31st (another ten days later) the order still hasn't arrived. On the other hand, an order I placed with a different seed company on March 10th arrived within three days. These seeds from Seed Savers will likely arrive too late to start for this summer. read more

Fantastic selection and quality. One of my favorites. Lifelong member here. The work they are doing here is beyond noble. Going to help us avoid becoming soulless gardeners. read more

Great place. Super informative Staff. They have many varieties of seeds. They also donate seeds to the Global Seed Exchange in Norway! read more

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The seeds came in quickly and customer service was polite, but the product isn't as advertised. I ordered some seed quantities in 250, and there's MAYBE a dozen seeds in the package. A couple had even less. read more

Love this site, their mission, membership opportunity to support the cause, educational and community information blogs and articles. Seed Savers Exchange is doing important, non-profit work in a movement to preserve heirloom plant varieties: vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Some of the collections of varieties are huge. There are 82 different tomato seed listings and 41 different listings for lettuce seeds, for examples. Seeds come in envelopes with instructions and photos. Seed packets are carefully shipped in modest, intentional packaging. After I became a member, I received a handwritten thank you and welcome card. Nice touch. Overall, a quality product and service, positive message and healthy resource, user-friendly website and shopping experience, satisfactory pricing, swift shipping with tracking, and the characteristic I value most here: a sophisticated and benevolent bigger purpose. Grateful for Seed Savers Exchange. Proud to be a member. read more

This place is amazing! The gardens are so beautiful and the amount of seeds is overwhelming and fantastic..can't wait to go back!

I wish everyone could experience Seed Savers. It's a beautiful spot with amazing gardens and orchards, friendly people and of course a huge variety of heirloom seeds. We visited for the annual Tomato Tasting. 73 varieties! Wow! And there was a salsa contest going on as well, OLE! Make sure to walk up the hill to see the historical marker, apple orchard and the cold-tolerant grapevines. Fantastic! Seed Savers is doing important work and I wish them all the best!!! read more

A wonderful organization dedicated to saving our heirloom seeds and continuing the diversity in our food system. Wonderful member benefits - the publications alone, sent out many times throughout the year, make the price worth it! Not too mention top notch gardening classes, seeds and seedlings, etc. all discounted! The Visitor's Center has beautiful tools and books for gardeners as well as household decorations to make you jump for joy! We always recommend friends and family to take a drive to Seed Savers and then wander through the gardens! One of Winneshiek County's finest! read more

This amazing business is truly committed to the propagation and continuation of heirloom seeds. My household ordered tons of their seeds for vegetable gardening. A membership gets you seed discounts, information on seed conservation, and "green living" bragging rights. This business is one of the few that gives me hope for the future of our country! read more

This place makes me proud to be from Iowa.... keep on keepin on SSE read more

One of the very few organizations in the US that gets the import of seed diversity, preserving the heritage of our food stuffs, and truly should be commended. Join the group for top notch seed selections and you'll never look at a garden store seed display the same again! read more

Seed Savers Exchange - Heritage Gardening - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Decorah, Iowa

The SSE was enthusiastically recommended to my husband and I by a family friend who has been gardening for a few decades. They sell only heirloom and open pollinated seeds, and membership connects gardeners from all over the world (and also gets you 10% off future seed orders). The variety of seeds they offer is astounding. You can find rare varieties, organic seeds and even some oddball plants solely for decoration or surprising your guests. We've found some of the most delicious vegetables (Dester tomatoes, oh my!!) and have had nearly 100% germination rates using their seeds. I'm particularly pleased that we've been able to find a strain of peppers, cantelope and pumpkin which were originally propagated in Wisconsin, so we know they will grow well where we live. Every seed has a back story covering where they were found, the family who originally grew them, stories of near extinction or how they eventually came to the SSE. Seed Savers has a mission that we can stand behind, knowing that the food we grow and share is not a part of commercial agriculture. You won't find any GMOs here, and you know the seeds you're buying are fresh and healthy. I love knowing that we are helping to maintain genetic diversity in an era of monoculture, almost as much as knowing that the plants I tend have been cultivated and passed on by generations of families like mine who just want good food to share with the friends and families they love. You can visit their headquarters where they have heirloom gardens and orchards on display as well as events and learning opportunities. We plan on visiting this year. I'll be sure to update when we do! read more

I am so very grateful to have discovered this company. Not only are the seed varieties unbelievably fabulous but when you have a question , they take the time to answer it . Excellent Customer Service and an extremely Excellent Company !!!! read more

Travelled all the way from san francisco to visit seed savers and i wasn't disappointed. The farm is a gift to the world, allowing everyday gardeners to see the possibilities with love and persistence. I bent down and cupped the earth, like a whipped froth of loam and chalk, it sifted between my fingers and scattered in the breeze. That fine tilth supports every manner of edible and ornamental, rare ducks, chickens, turkeys, pigs and cattle. We toured the apple and grape orchards and enjoyed crispy apples in sizes from large beans to nearly grapefruit sized. The grapes ranged from dusky gold to midnight black and were rare and perfumed. The grape collection was particularly inspiring and was paired with the history of the man responsible for most of the incredible, and mostly unknown, variety. Staff welcomes visitors and encouraged us to explore, enjoy and forage. We could not have been more welcomed. We returned the next day for the annual tomato tasting, a 73-strong collection of all the tomatoes grown at seed savers. What a rare opportunity, we had our favorites but the experience itself was a huge delight. Thank you seed savers! Diane ott wheatley's memoir of a seed saver was my introduction to the heirloom farm and concept and provided the onus for the trip to decorah, iowa. I recommend the book, the farm and the town most highly. The beauty and peace you will enjoy at this farm will stay with you forever and call for your return. read more