Where Do We Get All Our Vegetable Seeds?

Did you know most of Pahl’s vegetable seeds come from the state of Idaho? The state of Idaho produces approximately 70% of the vegetable seeds used in the United States. If there is a short fall in production, the seed companies have also added production areas in South America, preferably Chile as well as parts of  Argentina. Most of our grass seed production occurs in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and some in the state of Washington. Field corn and soybean seed production occurs across the upper Midwest.

The test production of seed, with new characteristic traits, start in the sterile environment of a greenhouse. Once they have established a plant with the desired results, the seed producers moves it to field plot testing and finally onto mass production. This can take up to 10 years, with many varieties eliminated throughout the process.

What do seed breeders look for when developing new varieties? They are simply looking for the best tasting vegetables. Other characteristics include: seed vigor, lodging issues, herbicide resistance and much, much more. What you eat today may have been developed many years ago perhaps in a secluded little greenhouse in the middle of nowhere. We continue to strive for the perfect vegetable for you to eat.