Nice to meet y'all!
We are a small, dedicated employee-owned cooperative committed to making gardening approachable for everyone. We provide high quality, open-pollinated seeds in support of sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture. We strive to help our customers cultivate a sense of empowerment and connection in an era of disengagement from nature, food, and community. We’re proud to call Asheville, North Carolina home.
Sow. Germinate. Grow. Pollinate. Save.
Our Intentions
Sow True Seed operates with a social and environmental consciousness to the best of our ability by taking our beliefs and convictions and putting them into action. We provide gardeners with open-pollinated seed varieties, and actively work to create better access to healthy food in a regenerative, sustainable, and inclusive environment. We operate as a non-hierarchical “all voices heard and equal” organization.
We became an employee-owned cooperative in January of 2022.
SOWING COMMUNITY
Sow
We sow seeds of community, collaboration, and ecological care in as many avenues as we can, prioritizing opportunities for local and regional partnerships. We work with many organizations including seed libraries, community gardens, schools, and community aid groups, supporting their work to increase access to fresh food and educate their communities. We offer an Annual Donation Program, Sponsorship Program, and a year round 20% discount to non-profit organizations and public school gardens.
INVEST IN OUR FUTURE
Grow
We believe that growing your own food is the most powerful way to support yourself, your environment, and your community. Pollinators, vital for one-third of our food, face risks from habitat loss and pesticides. We provide a variety of pollinator-friendly seeds and promote organic practices and regenerative gardening to create habitats and ensure food security. Further, we believe that agricultural and ecological education is essential for environmental and communal preservation. We work hard so that everyone has the opportunity and skills to grow their own. We are committed to offering accessible low or no-cost educational resources through our blog, catalog, and classes. Our helpful staff can answer any of your gardening questions, or support you along the way to find the answer you need.
SECURE OUR SEED SYSTEM
Save
A secure food system depends on a secure seed system. We are a signatory of the Safe Seed Pledge put out by the Council of Responsible Genetics. We do not and never will knowingly sell GMO-Seed. We are committed to supplying seed from known and trusted sources, and to support organic seed over conventional seed whenever possible. We only offer open-pollinated seeds, which can be saved and grown "true" year after year, reducing dependence on "Big Ag" day to day in our communities and culturally over time. We offer rare and threatened varieties, and are actively seeking new ones to restore genetic diversity lost over the last century due to industrialization. We believe this diversity is crucial for food security in a changing climate, and provide seed-saving products and workshops to encourage gardeners to preserve varieties at risk of extinction.
We ship from our warehouse in 2 to 3 days so you're in your garden ASAP!
Our costs go to paying our employees a living wage as well as supporting the farmers that grow our seed.
We aren't just here to sell seeds, we're here to make sure you reap what you sow from your garden. Ask us anything!
Customer satisfaction and success is our #1 priority. Just take a look at what folks are saying!
Our Roots
Founded in 2009 by lifelong gardener and food activist, Carol Koury, Sow True Seed was created to preserve our shared botanical heritage and grow a new era of ecological wisdom. Her vision was to support independent and regional agricultural initiatives that foster a vibrant, sustainable economy, and true food sovereignty. We remain committed to growing our awareness and actions to honor the heritage of our seeds, and the diverse people and places that have contributed to our collective abundance, just as Carol intended.
Sow True Seed operates with a social and environmental consciousness to the best of our ability by taking our beliefs and convictions and putting them into action. We provide gardeners with open-pollinated seed varieties and we actively work to create better access to healthy food in a regenerative, sustainable, and inclusive environment.
Sow True Seed acknowledges that our business resides and operates on the stolen ancestral lands of the Cherokee people. As a company that specializes in Southern seed varieties (many of which continue to be stewarded by the Cherokee and have been for thousands of years), we acknowledge that as an organization we have benefited from the occupation of this land. The subjugation and violence that has resulted from colonization continues to affect and disenfranchise Indigenous people. With that understanding, Sow True Seed is committed to doing our part to accurately represent the agricultural history of the Cherokee people, accept critique and invite dialogue regarding the changing landscape of regenerative agriculture, and continue to explore ways to support and uplift Indigenous-led organizations.