RARE SEEDS

Browse and shop our open-pollinated rare seeds from Turkey. While some of these traditional seeds have been stewarded by small communities in specific regions in Turkey, others have been grown in home gardens and homesteads widely across the country, generation upon generation. These rare seeds not only reflect the significance of seed stewardship in Turkey but they also manifest the incredible diversity and richness of kitchen traditions, flavors, texture, and colors of food crops, among other traits, in the country.

In our catalog, we also offer seeds which were bred as part of commercial plant breeding efforts of the 20th century in Turkey. These seeds can be more commonly found at farmers’ markets across the country. While it is still possible to find these seeds in Turkish commercial seed catalogs, many of them are also disappearing from these catalogs due to unacceptable seed laws and regulations that force farmers to become dependent on hybrid and patented seeds. Hence, it is also one of our goals to offer these now commercially rare seeds to pass on their genetically powerful traits that also acknowledge and intersect traditions.

In addition, you will also find here the seeds from our culturally appropriate plant breeding and seed selection efforts.

Please note that some of the rare seeds in this category belong to food crops, such as wheat and melon, that have been stewarded in Turkey for thousands of years and that are native to the region where Turkey is while some others such as peppers and beans are newer to the communities in Turkey. These seeds have been stewarded by communities of color in and native to the Western Hemisphere, and across the globe since time immemorial.