b'We like to think our shopping experience for seeds and garden products is superior to the eve-rything stores like Amazon, Garlitz says. We also try to take a page out of Amazons playbook with top-notch customer service. Customers can reach us via phone, email, chat, etc. And we work really hard to ship orders out fast, the same day or next day. We also take a very strong educational approach with almost-daily blog posts and weekly newsletters. The Future Favors the Rooted and RegionalAnd on that note, Garlitz lists great customer service as a must for survival over the long termalong with a large selection of quality products at a competitive price. Of course its much easier said than done, but I think companies that can consistently offer that will have a bright and long future, he says.And he cant stress enough how critical it is that seed firms offer an easy and effective online shopping experi-enceone that the big online merchants just cant compete with. In the case of Amazon, they offer a zillion seed options from Siskiyou Seeds in Williams,a very wide variety of vendors, but in many cases getting the Oregon has been certifiedseeds you want will require you to do a lot of research if you organic non-GMO since itsdont already know exactly what you want, Garlitz explains. It start in 2009 and they offeralso might require you to buy seeds from a variety of brands and elite seeds capable ofvendors, some of which might be great companies, and others outstanding bioregionalmaybe, not so much. As a dedicated gardening site, we have adaptation such as theeverything sorted, organized, browsable. The overall shopping Orange Crazy Select Zinniaexperience for seeds is simply easier and less frustrating.and Silver Edge WinterAt Baker Creek, Brazaitis also points to an impactful online Squash pictured above.presence as critical, but also a strong local presence. PHOTO: SISKIYOU SEEDS People like to buy local, he says. I also think all smaller seed companies should find a niche and have a mission or vision and The colorful beans picturedstick to that. You also have to really love it or you wont survive. on the left are DragonIts not an easy business, with so many variables, so much data Tongue Beans.collection, so much detail. PHOTO: BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDS. For Tipping, success for small seed firms has the best chance if the company is farm-based and focussed on bioregionally adapted seed production. In fact, he considers this to be the historic and continued foundation that makes small-scale agriculture possible. The future is terroir and not one-size-fits-all, Tipping explains. I think there should be a small farm-based seed company in every significant agricultural region to respond to the unique pests, diseases, culinary trends and more For most of the long history of agriculture, everything was direct-seeded and relied on adapted genetics to be able to per-form well amidst a myriad of local stresses. Ultimately, we have no choice but to get back to this approach, so in my view, the future is bright for small-scale bioregional seed companies.SW18/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2026'