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Redwood City Seeds
In 1972 , Craig Dremann learned that Michigan seedsman , Harry E. Saier , was consider retirement after 63 years in the business . Craig remembers , “ I called him up one day to buy some seed from him and he says , “ I ’m sick and shopworn of this concern . I think I ’m choke to take it and cart it to the shit and get rid of it ! ” Horrified , Craig and his childhood friend David Theodoropoulos decided to thumb - hike 2,400 miles from northerly California to Dimondale , Michigan in an endeavour to keep Harry Saier ’s seed collection . Ultimately , this was the accelerator that helped Craig foundRedwood City Seed Company , and give up David to startJ.L. Hudson Seedsman .
Redwood City Seeds opened in 1972 , and Craig believes it was the first seminal fluid company in North America to focus on open - pollenate and heirloom veg seeds . Craig prefers to source his varieties immediately from their places of source . This frequently mean shrink with modest , home - run farms from all corners of the globe . “ It ’s more than a fair trade . It ’s having regard for the originators and supporting them economically . ”
Craig still feed and operates Redwood City Seed Company out of his hometown of Redwood City , California , bid heirloom vegetable seeds and a fulgurous array of pepper varieties . The Seed Savers Exchange seminal fluid coin bank compendium maintain nearly 140 seed change from Craig . In add-on , his work now also include the ecological restoration of wild aboriginal grassland and wildflower meadows across the United States with his second company , The Reveg Edge . As of 2018 , Craig has restored 800 Akko of state previously well over by invasive species .
Craig Dremann is part Tuscarora, and explained that many of the people in his family believe their images to be sacred. This is his only public photograph. Photo courtesy of Craig Dremann.
Seed Savers Exchange has extend the heirloom cum motion since 1975 , inspire a coevals of come company to speciate in rare , regionally adjust , pleasant-tasting , and irreplaceable open - cross-pollinate varieties . Many of these companies were found by our own Seed Savers Exchange member . Rather than allowing heirloom and historic varieties to vanish or go unnoticed , these members launched an uncoordinated , organic , and tenacious resistance to the disappearance of heirloom seeds . This first undulation of heirloom seed company did not offer source catalogs in reaction to consumer demand . or else , they make it .
This is the story of one of nine small seed company and a few of the smorgasbord they have keep up . While each and every one of their background is as singular and bluff as the varieties they share , they all have one thing in coarse : the passion for sharing come .
Bios written , interview , and commensurateness by Kelly Loud with help from Sara Straate .
Special thanks to the following people : Alan and Linda Kapuler , Suzanne Ashworth , Craig Dremann , Steve Sando , Mike and Denise Dunton , Tom Wagner , Joanne Ranck - Dirks , Sue Ellen Majer , Bill McDorman , andGlenn Drowns .
3094 North Winn RoadDecorah , Iowa 52101(563 ) 382 - 5990
Copyright © 2025 Seed Savers Exchange . Images on this site are protected by right of first publication — unauthorised use is not permitted .
Redwood City Seeds catalogs are always full of unusual, and sometimes hard-to-find varieties.
Seed Savers Exchange is a tax - nontaxable 501(c)3 non-profit-making organisation commit to the saving of heirloom seminal fluid .
