b'Tzimbalo Melon are about the size of a grape.Although they look like small watermelons, theyrenot true melons.PHOTO: BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDSAnother specialized firm is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Missouri. As the company name indicates, they offer only non-GMO heirloom seeds, with a few other impor-tant additional products like modern varieties of garlic. People love heirloom and theres a great deal of appreciation among our cus-tomers that we have varieties adapted to every type of climate, Baker Creek general manager John Brazaitis says. Wed actually like more heirloom seed companies to start up. Its a great com-munity. There is no end to heirloom. In the same vein, True Leaf Market in Salt Lake City, Utah exclusively offers non-GMO seeds, including heirloom and organic, as well as non-GMO hybrid seeds. The True Leaf team in California oversees the growing and conditioning of its own seeds there, which make up a large percentage of the seeds the company sells. In terms of product range, one of the founders, Parker Garlitz, says we try to offer a broad spectrum of what wed probably call specialty seeds like sprouts, microgreens, cover crops, grains, tobacco, cotton and others that are hard-to-find. We also have a huge selection of Asian varieties. We have recently added a selection of bulbs, edibles and flowers. Indeed, offering microgreen seeds and seed for sprout-ing (e.g. wheatgrass) has enabled True Leaf Market to have some year-round salesand they also aim for year-round sales through another important approach.Winning New Gardeners by Removing BarriersLike many specialty farms and seed companies, True Leaf Market has a large store. Garlitz explains that using a wide range of products (gardening supplies, planters, pet items, food prod-ucts, kitchen tools and more), they seek to be a one-stop shop for gardeners and cooks all year round. And in this store, special attention is paid to customers who are new to the gardening world. We offer a great selection of starter kits, Garlitz says. For example, if you want to grow and juice wheatgrass, we offer a complete starter kit with options for juicers. We want our customers to have a great experience out 16/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2026'