A Week In The Life Of
A Seed Company

Over the next seven days, we will look at a week in the life of a seed company in the United States. Most seed companies buy seed from the same farmers for many of their seeds. Some companies grow some of their own but due to limited space, they cannot grow many. If they did, there would be a lot of cross-pollination.

Have you ever wondered where those little packets of seeds you buy online or in stores actually come from? Well, let me take you on a fascinating journey through a seed company, David's Garden Seeds® and how it works from day to day. This will help you understand the many steps involved before those seeds end up in your garden.

To start with, it's important to know that seed companies don't grow all their seeds themselves. They rely a lot on farmers who specialize in growing seeds. You might wonder, do farmers grow seeds specifically for these companies? Yes, they absolutely do! Farmers grow seeds under contract with the seed companies, ensuring a diverse range of high-quality seeds for you.

Let's dive into what these seed companies actually do. From overseeing seed production to distribution, every day brings unique challenges and tasks. The week in a seed company is divided into seven parts, each playing a crucial role in getting seeds to customers.

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company -
1/20-1/26/2025

Monday, January 20, 2025

Good morning and Happy Inauguration Day! Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! It is 6:30am and 24° here in Rossville, Texas. I don't even want to think about having to go outside and feed all of the animals! Those poor babies out there in the cold...Matt is not here so it will have to be me.

I woke up starving. David had already made coffee and I toasted a bagel to go with it. The weather forecast says we will have a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain starting around 6pm today and finishing up around noon tomorrow. I am so glad that I am no longer working at my insurance job in San Antonio because I would have had to go in today.

So this week, we are talking about a week in the life of a seed company, namely our seed company, David's Garden Seeds®. This week is not typical because I decided we should be closed today to see the Inauguration of President Donald Trump. I have looked forward to this day for a long time.

David is over at the business already. He got up around 4:30am to prepare for the helpers coming in today to pack much needed seeds. The seed packs are flying off the shelves this month, a bit earlier than last year.

This morning, I have printed out more orders that came in since yesterday afternoon when I last printed them out. David has printed out a large stack of Amazon orders.

Seed Sale

We have well over 1,000 heirloom seed varieties on sale today!

Today is the final day of our current seed sale so take advantage of it. All of our single packs of seeds are on sale until midnight Central Standard Time. They are 20% off. You can find them here at David's Garden Seeds®.

I watched the morning unfold on TV. I cheered during the inauguration and I loved the speech! This was the finest inaugural speech I have ever heard.

"The Golden Age of America begins right now!" -- Donald Trump

Yes! What a way to start a new presidency. Trump signed a lot of executive orders this afternoon, including freeing all of the January 6, 2021 prisoners--around 1500 people who did nothing wrong.

Wormwood Seeds

Meanwhile, early this morning, some woman has sent us seven messages because she feels we are running a scam. She ordered wormwood seeds and received them from us. She wants her money back because the seeds are tiny. Again, because the seeds are tiny, she thinks we are scamming her. Are you serious, lady?

We sent her a pack of 100 wormwood seeds. We mail these out all the time to customers but this is the first time we got accused of scamming because God made wormwood seeds tiny.

Just because she is not pleased with the size of the seeds, I really don't think God is going to change the size of them to please her. We don't make the seeds. God made wormwood and when he did, it pleased him to have the plants make tiny seeds. Any complaints, talk to God about it. Can you imagine??? Complaints about some of the strangest things are part of what a seed company, or any business for that matter, has to endure.

It is now almost 3pm. It is 36° and the low tonight should be 27°. There is a 40% chance of snow at 6pm. That is crazy. We all know it will shut the towns down around here. When we had five days of snow back in February of 2021, no one around here had water or electricity for days on end. We did because we had a generator. No one came to work for that entire week because they would not drive on icy roads and I cannot blame them. Texans are just not equipped for winter weather.

The freeze dried lemons can be ground up into lemon powder or I can drop a slice in a hot cup of tea.

This was my first time to freeze dry apples and they make a nice snack like this.

I took everything out of the freeze dryer this morning. It all came out so good.Of course, I tasted everything. Even the lemon peel was edible and tasted very lemony.

The ice cream sandwiches are pretty tasty and crunchy.

The sleet started in the early afternoon. Matt got here around 3:30pm and winterized the coops with the plastic that was rolled up all year long. Nacho and his crew left about the same time after spending the day stuffing seed packs with seeds that had already been counted last week.

I made a taco meal including guacamole for dinner and it was delicious.

When I let the dogs out at 10:30pm, I stepped out onto the side deck and it was coated with ice. It was then that I realized everything would be shut down tomorrow.

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

Part of our Farm Store showing seeds, snap clamps, the counter and across the store. Have you visited our store? If not, make plans to visit next time you are in the San Antonio area.

First of all, a big part of the week revolves around sourcing seeds. This is where seed companies establish connections with farms. Seeds come from farms which are owned by farmers, and these farmers are the unsung heroes who cultivate the seeds to meet the company's standards.

An important aspect of this process is the contracts with farmers. Seed companies contract with farmers who have the right land and conditions to grow specific seeds. This helps ensure that each seed variety is grown under the best possible conditions for maximum yield and quality.

Why wouldn't the seed companies just grow them all themselves, you ask? Well, it's a bit complicated. Seed companies can't own massive lands because they risk the problem of cross-pollination.

You see, if you grow several varieties of a plant too close together, they can cross-pollinate. Cross-pollination is when pollen from one flower fertilizes another flower from a different variety, leading to seeds that might not be true to type.

This is crucial because mixed seeds might not give you the plants you're expecting! Imagine planting what you think is a certain type of tomato, only for it to turn out quite different.

For instance, David's Garden Seeds® grows different seeds each year. We have just eight acres so there is no way we could grow over 1,000 different plant varieties ourselves. Seed companies buy from other seed companies and they contract with local farmers to grow seed. Remember, farmers grow things. Seed companies pack seed and ship them out or sell to customers in their store. They don't have time to do a lot of farming and provide seeds. There are not enough hours in a day to do it all.

Yet customers come into the store asking me all the time if we grow every seed here on our tiny farm. No, I always tell them. We couldn't. We only have eight acres. No seed company can do that with all of their seeds.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

A shot of our back deck through the window at 6am. Yes, there is some snow.

You can see some snow on the back deck and on the ground through the window at 6am. Lots of ice.

Good morning. It is 6am and 27°. There is some snow and lots of ice on the ground. It is supposed to snow more right now. Everyone is still asleep but I woke up hungry so here I am. Matt stayed the night so he would be here for work. I have the San Antonio TV news on and there are lots of wrecks all over the city. We will have to salt the walkways and stairs so we don't fall.

Flights out of San Antonio have been canceled as well as most schools for the day. Pretty much everything is shut down. I am sure that our other employee will not be coming to work today and I do not want her to risk her life to do so. I told her that on Friday. I was always expected to go to work when I lived in San Antonio when there was bad weather but I am not that kind of employer.

The news is showing that East Texas is getting lots of snow. Glad it is not us. The weather report shows that we are pretty much done with it.

Here is our snowy parking lot this morning.

Snow in our driveway

Matt came in from feeding the animals a little after 7am. I made French toast and eggs and David made bacon so we had a great start to a cold day. Our seed counter called in which was no surprise seeing how icy everything is. We don't want her to risk her life for the business.

It is now time to go out and mail a bunch of orders. We are open today if you care to stop by later. Stay safe. Stay home.

It was a busy day. I pulled orders, shipped orders, put away boxes and boxes of seeds, and did a whole lot more. David was out in Fulfillment as well working on orders and organization. Matt worked hard over in Production. Nacho showed up alone at noon and he worked until 8pm.

It warmed up to 43° today and tonight it is supposed to get down to 20°. Much of the ice melted but there is still some in certain places. I salted most of the steps down today.

All in all, it was not a good day.

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

David, the founder and CEO of our company is working on the computer in Fulfillment. He has spent the past week rearranging seed storage to make room for a lot of new seeds.

The second part of the week at a seed company revolves around quality assurance. Before any seeds are sent out, they undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet the required standards.

Testing involves germination tests, which check how many seeds will sprout if you plant them. It's like giving the seeds a little exam to test their readiness.

Seed companies also test for purity, making sure there are no unwanted seeds mixed in. This ensures that when you plant your pumpkin seeds, all you get is pumpkins, not a surprise mix!

It's interesting how much work goes into ensuring the quality of these tiny seeds, isn't it? The attention to detail is all about providing you, the gardener, with the best possible start.

Here at David's Garden Seeds®, most of our seeds have about an 80% germination rate. A few have a 60% germination rate. The germination rate for every single seed we show is in the listing on our website.

The seeds we sell have a great germination rate.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

I woke up this morning at 4:25am and could not get back to sleep. I finally got up at 5am and went to the living room. I turned on the fireplace, made a cup of coffee, and sat down on the couch to read. Everyone was asleep so it was great. When I say everyone, let me clarify--David, Kitty, Sue Ellen, Pamela, and Trump. Matt went back to his own home last night.

So at 6:30am, David got up and I asked Alexa what the temperature was. It was 18°! Total insanity!

At 7am, I got a text from Matt saying he was here taking care of the animals. Then Nacho arrived shortly thereafter with a bag of breakfast tacos. They were good.

I have been in my office working on finding a new social media scheduler. So far, they are all hard to use. I used to use a pretty good one and then their prices went sky high so I dropped it.

I hope everyone is here today because there is so much to do. I do not want to go outside at all but I know I have to.

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

A row of vegetable seed storage in Fulfillment. This is where seeds stay until we ship them out to our customers. They don't stay here for long.

Another everyday job has to do with sorting and packaging. This is where the magic happens, turning seeds from bulk batches into the neat and tidy packets you find on store shelves.

Imagine a factory floor with different machines and conveyor belts. Each type of seed requires a specific method for measuring, sorting, and packaging to ensure accuracy and consistency.

There's something satisfying about the way seeds are counted out into individual packets. Each packet is then labeled, providing important information like the variety, planting instructions, and best-before dates.

I would like to say that here at David's Garden Seeds®, we deal with counting and packing seeds every single day, Monday through Friday. We also print our own envelopes right here on the premises.

Some seed companies send seeds out to other countries to be counted and packed into envelopes printed in that other country. I am not sure how, but this is done to save money for the seed companies.

We print all of our envelopes right here on the farm.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

Nacho and 2 of his team members put seeds in envelopes to help us out. Good help is so hard to find out here in the country. No one wants to come to work and earn money.

Next up is inventory management, a key part of how seed companies operate. This ensures there's always a stock of various seed types ready to pack and ship immediately upon receiving orders.

Inventory teams constantly keep track of which seeds are moving fast and which ones need restocking. A sudden spike in demand or a delay from a farm can turn this into quite the juggling act!

Through careful coordination, they make sure that there are always enough seeds in reserve, so gardeners aren't left waiting for their seeds to arrive.

Here at David's Garden Seeds®, we just took seed inventory last week. David has orders for many seeds that we don't have enough of. He is also ordering a lot of new seeds, flowers, vegetables, and herbs.

Another thing we do because we live on a farm is grow a garden, sometimes a rather large garden. We have lots of raised garden beds to grow a good deal of plants. Some of the plants are used to grow seed to sell. Other plants grow our food.

Friday, January 24, 2025

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

Marketing and sales discussions every day of the week. These include planning promotions, engaging with customers, and developing new product lines to keep gardeners excited about what's on offer.

Seed companies often collaborate with experts to write guides and tips, helping gardeners make the most of their products. After all, growing a successful plant from seed is hugely rewarding and they want you to succeed!

They might even run an online community or newsletter to share success stories or to showcase new seed varieties. Engaging with customers is a spice that adds flavor to their workweek.

Here at David's Garden Seeds®, David and I write our own gardening articles for our two websites. You are reading one of the websites now and the other is our flagship website, David's Garden Seeds®. David and I both write our own newsletters. We are a small company so we also do our own marketing and sales. I do most of the social media for the company but David does some as well.

We create new products throughout the year. Most of the time, those new products are seed sets. For instance, David just created a brand new seed set called The Top Ten Easiest Vegetables To Grow From Seed. Right now, I am in the process of creating a new seed set to repel rodents.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

Now, it's time to talk about order fulfillment and shipping. Once an order is placed, a seed company springs into action to get the seeds packed and sent to your doorstep as swiftly as possible.

This involves picking out the correct seed packets, checking for accuracy, and carefully boxing them up. It's great to see how this well-oiled machine ensures that you're getting exactly what you ordered!

Depending on the time of year, this can be a hectic period. During peak planting seasons, seed companies can ship thousands of orders every day. It's all about keeping the process smooth and efficient.

David's Garden Seeds® sells on two platforms--Amazon and our website. David oversees printing the Amazon orders and shipping labels. The rest of us pull the orders and mail them out to our customers. We no longer sell on Amazon Prime because the fees became outrageous.

I am in charge of printing out the website orders. Sometimes I have help pulling the orders and then I double check them and ship them out. Most of the time, I pull the orders and ship them out after checking them again. Yes, we make mistakes, just like every other seed company does.

Orders are filled six days a week at David's Garden Seeds. They are printed seven days a week to keep it all manageable.

Another thing that we do here is invite customers to come to the farm. We have classes, tours, and a Farm Store where customers can buy seeds, farm fresh eggs, pecan coffee, Texas rice with no chemicals, planting trays, starter pots, germination mix, germination kits, rabbit manure, and pecan treats.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company

As the week wraps up, seed companies turn their focus to feedback and continuous improvement. Your experience matters to them, and they seek to make it better each time they send out a packet of seeds. We receive phone calls, emails, messages, letters, and visits from customers who have purchased our seeds every week.

We gather feedback from customers like you to understand what's working and what could be improved. Were the seeds easy to plant? Did they grow well? Your answers help shape their future.

The company reviews this feedback to identify areas for improvement, whether it's in packaging, customer service, or even in developing new varieties to meet gardener's needs.

There you have it! From farm to packet, this is the life cycle of seeds before they reach your hands. It includes many dedicated people working behind the scenes to bring the best gardening experiences to you.

The journey of making those packets of seeds is much more complex than it appears, balancing nature, science, and customer service.

Next time you're browsing through a seed catalog or standing in the seed aisle, you'll have a deeper appreciation for all the work that goes into something so small, yet so crucial.

Remember, you're not just buying seeds; you're buying into a network of partnerships, from farmers who grow the seeds with care to the seed company that curates them for your garden.

Each packet is a promise of potential waiting to be unlocked by you in your garden. The seed company has done its part, and now it's your turn to bring that promise to life.

Thanks for taking the time to learn about seed companies in general, and, specifically, our seed company, David's Garden Seeds®, and how it works from day to day. Happy gardening, and may your seeds germinate and flourish!

Return from A Week In The Life Of A Seed Company to Our Sixth Year

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Since 2009, over 1,500,000 home gardeners, all across the USA, have relied on David's Garden Seeds® to grow beautiful gardens. Trust is at the heart of it. Our customers know David's Garden Seeds® stocks only the highest quality seeds available. Our mission is to become your lifetime supplier of quality seeds. It isn't just to serve you once; we want to earn your trust as your primary supplier.

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