The scoop on 'Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.'

Company Profile   Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. is a Watchdog 30 company. Mailing Address: 2278 Baker Creek Rd Mansfield, Missouri 65704 (United States) Phone: (417) 924-8917 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free » E-Mail them » Visit their website » Like them on Facebook » Follow them on Twitter Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 7 78 91 Neutral 0 2 2 Negative 1 4 6 This company is affiliated with 3 companies: Comstock, Ferre & Co. The Heirloom Gardener Magazine Abundant Acres This company offers a variety of seeds. This company specializes in: Seeds: Heirloom Seeds: Vegetables Other helpful information: Signed Safe Seed Pledge

Company Comment, posted on October 21, 2002:   It all started in 1998 with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, the company that now offers one of the largest selections of heirloom seeds in the U.S. with over 1,300 varieties of tasty vegetables, fragrant flowers, and spicy herbs. Groovy seeds for all your home and market garden needs. Jere collects many ethnic varieties each year through his extensive travels. We offer the most unique, colorful and flavorful varieties. Our varieties have been grown in many major gardens, including Disney World, the U.S. National, Chicago, New York, St. Louis Botanic Gardens, Monticello, Living History Farms, and Colonial Williamsburg, to name a few. Baker Creek carries one of the largest selections of seeds from the 19th century, including many Asian and European varieties. Jere Gettle founded the company in 1998 as a tool to promote and preserve our agricultural and culinary heritage. Our varieties have been featured in Organic Gardening, Mother Earth News, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, O Magazine, Martha Stewart, and many others. Gardeners can request a free 124-page color catalog that now mails to over 250,000 gardeners nationally. Over the past dozen or so years, Baker Creek has branched out into other related projects as well, including The Heirloom Gardener magazine, which is now in its seventh year of publication. The Gettle family has also expanded to a location in Sonoma County, California, in the beautiful town of Petaluma. In June 2010 they expanded to Connecticut, buying and preserving the near 200 old Comstock, Ferre & Co. One of America's first seed companies. We started hosting festivals in 2000 as an idea to bring gardeners, homesteaders and natural food enthusiasts together to exchange thoughts, seeds, listen to speakers and enjoy vendors, old-time music and much more. These festivals gave birth to the idea for our pioneer village, Bakersville. Other projects include our trial gardens, seed collecting expeditions, our popular online forums at idigmygarden.com, and educational produce exhibits. We also work extensively to supply free seeds to many of the world’s poorest countries, as well as here at home in school gardens and other educational projects. It is our goal to educate everyone about a better, safer food supply and fight gene-altered Frankenfood and the companies that support it. Thank you so much for your interest, Jere, Emilee & Sasha Gettle http://www.rareseeds.com

Feedback History and Summary   891 positives 20 neutrals 30 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Positive Nosmo2112 Henderson, TX (1 review) May 15, 2013 I ordered some seeds from Baker Creek and received them within 9 days. I received every seed type ordered and they added in a free Carrot (Parisienne) seed package. Thank you for a good experience and I will be using you again. Nosmo Positive DaughterofLion Los Angeles, CA (1 review) May 11, 2013 I first heard about this company during the campaign for Prop 37 in CA (Baker Creek gave tomato seeds packets out in support of the proposition). I figured any company willing to do that is one I wanted to buy from. I bought a variety from them- tomatoes, basil, peppers, chives, lettuce and they gave me a packet of carrot seeds as a bonus gift. I have never had so much success with my garden. The seeds are healthy and hearty and the vegetables are amazing. I decided to order from them again this year and expand my garden and I am so excited to see the fruits of my labor this year. I love all of the variety they have on their site and their customer service is perfection. I can't recommend this company more. Negative AmberandNoah Salem, NC (1 review) May 10, 2013 I ordered seeds from rareseeds.com back in April- its May 10th and I still have received NOTHING. It is now too late to start the tomatoes and peppers I ordered so the growing season is wasted as is my money and the supplies I bought to grow these seeds. This is my first experience with this company and it will also be my last. Extremely slow shipping and lousy customer service. I DO NOT recommend this company and next year I will return to Burpee for my plant and seed needs. Company representative comment on May 13, 2013: On May 13, 2013 3:04 PM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with: We apologize for the delay in shipping your order that we received on the evening of April 30th. Due to our Spring Planting Festival, we did not get it shipped until May 7th. Please follow the instructions our customer service representative gave you when you called, and we will get your money refunded to you. Positive cats1984 Colleyville, TX (1 review) May 9, 2013 My experiences with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds have been nothing but great. In addition to their philosophy, their products are always superior to other seed companies in germination and performance. Though I am in Texas, I feel like I am dealing with my neighborhood farm store. Such customer service and attention to detail is rare. At age 70 I don't write too many fan letters, but consider this one. Peg Banks Frisco, TX Positive threedogfarm Statesville, NC (2 reviews) April 29, 2013 Received my order in a very timely manner. Quite pleased with the selection and service. I won't comment on germination rates because I believe there are more factors involved than Baker Creek has control over. I will more than likely order from them again. Positive gardensoiree San Diego, CA (2 reviews) April 26, 2013 I have ordered from Baker Creek three times since December 2012. Germination rates have been quite good; there were a couple of herbs that took a couple of tries but I am happy with the results especially compared to the price of 4" herbs at the nursery! Rue, summer savory, salad burnet, basils, parsley, orach, and so on are all growing merrily. I ordered lots of Spring/Summer veggies and they are going well too. The quantity of the seeds is excellent which is one of the reasons that I ordered from Baker Creek; also the larger packets of lettuces, beets, and carrots are super economical and allow us backyard folks to produce solid crops for a good price rather than $2.39 for a small packet. Thanks Baker Creek. While I agree with some reviewers that there is a bit of hype around Baker Creek, my experience proved to me that the hype is founded. My Baker Creek catalog is well-thumbed and marked up and is a pleasure to read through. Well worth giving Baker Creek a try. Also, when a packet of seeds was missing from my order, they more than made up for the missing packet! Positive rogeraharden Austin, TX (1 review) April 24, 2013 Their prices are reasonable. Their delivery is prompt. Their seeds germinate. Their collection of seeds is very extensive and diverse, which is fun and adventuresome. It is also most useful, as I garden in a somewhat difficult environment (central Texas, with drought, heat, etc.) I am able to find seeds from plants which thrive in similar environments, and expand the range of what I can grow here. Positive GutterVooDoo Jenkins, KY (1 review) April 22, 2013 This is without a doubt the #1 seed company around. Great seeds.Great and fast service. The most kind and friendly people around. They also care about preserving our foods. These things speak well of the character and morals of this company and its people! Oh I 've been gardening since the early 60's when my dad made me. I miss him. Positive Ludwigsfriend Tobaccoville, NC (2 reviews) April 19, 2013 Posted on January 28, 2011, updated April 19, 2013 Excellent customer service, super-fast shipping and high quality products. This is my second year ordering from Baker Creek. Besides, their catalog is so superb that I keep it handy all year long. Can't wait to start this year's seeds! On April 19th, 2013, Ludwigsfriend added the following: This is my third year ordering and I couldn't be more satisfied. ALL of the seeds I purchased germinated--I had to compost some seedlings because I would need a farm to grow them all to maturity! The rest are already big and healthy and going into my (small) garden or being given to friends and neighbors. Their publications are inspiring and I found their customer service to be excellent. Positive linzelu100 HUDDLESTON, VA (5 reviews) April 18, 2013 I like shopping at Baker Creek and I trust in the customer service. I buy from a few places, but the bulk of my seed comes from Baker Creek. I have the best germination rates here, the shipping is affordable, the selection wide and the customer service great. I have only had a few, small issues, over the years here. Once there were weavils in my beans, but within 3 days the company had replaced the pack with 2 packs free from weevils. Every seed company I have bought from has had some small issue here and there- that happens; I don't mind as long as it is fixed and I am acknowledged. This is the main reason I shop at Baker Creek. I do wish the company would add more planting information on seed packets. I know DTM is not supposed to be accurate, but I find those numbers useful as a guide. They should be on the packets of seeds. Positive drange61 Oakville, MO (1 review) April 12, 2013 Got everything i ordered in 6 days plus a free gift pack of lettuce seeds. Very happy. Positive drthor Irving, TX (Zone 8a) (8 reviews) April 10, 2013 I have been a customer of Baker Seeds for years. I love their seeds and their magazine is just amazing. Occasionally I had some seeds that didn't germinate, so I called the customer service with the lot number and explain the problem and they always send a replacement package without me asking ... even if the seeds were older than one year. I will keep ordering from this company. Positive Marizaepicentro Tucano Brazil (1 review) April 7, 2013 I have ordered over several years- they have been wonderful! The seeds are impeccable, excellent germination. They even sent an email to verify if I had actually gotten the seeds (I live in a very remote place in Brazil) I am definitely a fan of Baker Creek... Positive gourdobean Minden, NV (10 reviews) April 7, 2013 I am a advisor to our community garden and wanted rat-tail radish seeds for a scheduled planting date...pronto! We received the seeds within a week of the online order. Because many new gardeners haven't seen a picture of what they would be growing I especially appreciated the beautifully photographed seed packet. Positive azk209 Rockport, ME (1 review) April 7, 2013 I had a great experience with Baker Creek Seeds. I ordered via their website - the customer comments really helped me decide what seeds to buy. My order arrived within a week, nicely packaged. Not too expensive for heirloom seeds either! Positive TRitchie CRP CHRISTI, TX (1 review) April 5, 2013 After being introduced to them by my uncle, a loyal customer, I too have joined the ranks of the Baker Creek faithful. The catalogue is gorgeous, but that's not why. I love the history they include about each variety. I have always been pleased with the expediency and accuracy of shipping. And of course, the seeds are wonderful! I also appreciate their efforts to keep us informed about food issues in our world today - Monsanto, et. al. If there was one thing I would change, I would ask that they include information about which varieties do well in which zones/seasons. Before purchasing, I always read the reviews on their website, but unfortunately not all reviewers disclose their growing zone. All in all, I would highly recommend Baker Creek. Happy gardening! TRitchie Corpus Christi, Texas Positive Tinkerhd Columbus, OH (1 review) April 4, 2013 Baker creek heirloom seeds has a colorful, well-designed catalogue with a large selection. Their online site is more up to date with current stock, but all but two of the offerings I wanted from the catalogue were available at the time I placed my order. I ordered on a Saturday and received my order the following Tuesday. Overall, I am very impressed with the service I received from Baker Creek and plan to place an order with them next year. Positive jkingery (1 review) April 3, 2013 I got my seeds very quickly and I am very pleased with the available selection and cost. Positive judyinmound Mound, MN (11 reviews) March 31, 2013 Posted on February 18, 2011, updated March 31, 2013 I placed a personal order and one for a business and they both came quickly. I like that they carry such a big variety of heirlooms/open pollinated seeds. The prices are reasonable. I feel some of the seed counts are small; some did come with generous amounts, but I think it's best to order according to how much they actually say on the listing. I'll update if I note any extraordinary good/bad happenings with germination and growth. On March 31st, 2013, judyinmound added the following: Another year of ordering from this company that went well. I enjoy the more rare heirloom varieties available (a bunch of old time squash for me this year), and their stance against supporting anything affiliated with GMO companies. I appreciate the interaction on FB as well. Thank you. =) Positive Loco9090 Vicksburg, MS (1 review) March 30, 2013 I ordered seeds by mail. I received them quickly, and the order was accurate. They offer a wide variety not, available in ordinary seed catalogs. I look forward to growing these plants! Positive mihuerta Morelia Mexico (1 review) March 28, 2013 Considering Mexican mail service, my orders have always arrived within 2 weeks and have always been correct. So many seed varieties are not available for purchase in Mexico and many that are, have been treated with dyes, among other things. Because of the climate; especially the rainy season, I am still in an experimental and learning stage. However, regardless of outcome, all seed have germinated. I am extremely pleased with the many choices, ease of ordering and international shipping. Positive gardendew Greenville, WI (1 review) March 28, 2013 I ordered 18 in-stock seed packets. They came quickly and with a free packet of red romaine lettuce. The packets are very nice and have full instructions. I really like Baker Creek's website. You are able to keep track of many things after creating an account. They have a secure ordering site. I really like the fact that each product on their site has customers reviews! Thanks B.C., I am starting my seeds today! Positive grannylou67 Atwood, PA (1 review) March 27, 2013 This is the 3rd year we have dealt with Baker Creek....No problems with order. Seed quality is excellent. Negative sunnybrys Morganton, GA (1 review) March 26, 2013 I am so mad at this company. After over a month when I origanally placed my order to get a head start in my greenhouse I finally received MY order that was over $100 worth of seed. First I received someone else's 12 dollar order that should have gone to Illinois instead of Georgia. Then I woman called me to let me know they were aware of the situation and were immediately reshipping my order that day. 2 weeks go by and no order. I finally demanded a refund and Louis who works for Baker Creek, did credit my Paypal account for the order. He calls me about a week later, probably waiting for me to calm down over the whole mess and apologized and asked if I was interested in reordering, to contact him personally so he could make it up to me. I gave him my CC info and All he did was charge me the exact amount as last time minus the seeds that were no longer available because they sold out during the 5 week mess up of my order. He did no kind of discounting whatsoever for my large order. Now that I know there are other quality heirloom seed companies available I doubt I will ever use Baker Creek again due to the way I was treated. I would highly reccommend stearing clear of this company. Company representative comment on March 27, 2013: On Mar 27, 2013 8:42 AM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with: We clearly dropped the ball on this one, and we apologize. Filling as many orders as we do, once in a great while an order is going to be seriously messed up, and it looks like in this case, that was your order. We are very sorry. We are taking a step back and evaluating our fulfillment system in order to implement changes to make a series of mistakes like this less likely in future. As gardeners ourselves, we understand that it's not just about the seeds--timing is equally important. When orders get delayed, it affects that customer's entire season! By way of apology, we have applied a discount to your order, and issued a refund to your credit card for the difference, as you certainly should have received a discount and priority handling at that point. If you have any questions please contact me personally. Lisa Customer Service Manager Positive kerrybc La Lavandou France (1 review) March 26, 2013 Besides being fast and efficient, the order was correct despite it being a large one. There was a note of thank you in with the order that made it personal and something I appreciated very much. I will definitely use them again. Positive watersgarden (1 review) March 25, 2013 This is my third year ordering from Baker Creek. All my seeds in the previous two years germinated and performed very well. I am zone 5. I love the variety of choices at Baker Creek and they have very competitive prices! Can't wait to get planting with my seed order that just arrived today - very quick turnaround! Good job Baker Creek, I'll keep coming back. Positive betsyv802 Saxonburg, PA (1 review) March 24, 2013 Posted on March 24, 2013, updated March 24, 2013 For two years in a row Bakerscreek has sent out my seed order promptly. I am extremely happy doing business with them! I will definitely be back again next year to place another order! Thankyou Bakerscreek Seeds, for doing what you do best. You are why we can grow from our own seeds and hopefully put GMO's out of business!!! On March 24th, 2013, betsyv802 added the following: I grew 40 plum tomato plants last year and canned the sauce. Most delicious! That was the first time that I ever grew from seed, and the first time ever, canning. Both worked out wonderfully. Thanks again Bakercreek! Negative ransom3 Zephyrhills, FL (9 reviews) March 22, 2013 I heard from a friend that Baker carried seeds of a beautiful, VERY show tropical shrub, Leonotis leonurus. She knew I was interested in getting this. On the web site that botanical name was there in their ad. I paid $4. for the seeds and $3.50 for postage. That comes to $7.50. The seeds arrived in a few days. That was fast, but the seeds are not the species Leonotis leonurus. They are Leonotis nepetifolia which is an annual and which is not spectacular like the real thing at all. I recognize the L. nepetifolia from the seeds and the foliage which is also very different. The real thing has elongated leaves. I tried calling the number that was on some paper that came with the seeds, but it was a FAX number. I have no FAX machine. I don't know if I was intentionally cheated, but the seed pack was not labeled Leonotis leonurus when it arrived. It is in the ad. Also, I could find no e-mail address for Baker. How do I tell them they are sending people a cheap substitute for a very desirable tropical perennial shrub. I am very disappointed with what I thought was one of the better, more honest companies.If you want Leonotis leonurus seeds, don't be deceived in ordering from here. Company representative comment on March 22, 2013: On Mar 22, 2013 1:43 PM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We checked the documentation from our supplier and you are right--the seed we are now selling is indeed L. nepetifolia. Somehow, somebody goofed either when we ordered, or when our supplier filled the order. We have corrected our description on the website. We do include our email and phone number on every packet, as well as on the sales receipt, so I'm not sure what happened there, but if you will email us at seeds@rareseeds.com, ATTN: Customer Service, we will do the best we can to make amends. While we assure you that this oversight was unintentional, we are very sorry for any confusion or disappointment this error may have caused our customers. On Mar 22, 2013 1:55 PM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. added: I'm sorry, there was something incorrect in my previous post, we put our phone number and website on all of the packets, and the email address can be found on the website. Positive jessflowergirl Fort Bragg, CA (5 reviews) March 18, 2013 I love the website design. It is very user friendly, had no problem at all finding the envy soybeans I was looking for.I placed my order on a Tuesday and my seeds were in the mail on Monday! Super fast and I was very pleased with my freebie seeds (lemon queen sunflowers). The price for shipping was very reasonable. I can not speak to germination as I just received them today. I am very pleased with my experiance and will order from them again when I begin my fall planting! Positive gring7 Eau Claire, WI (1 review) March 18, 2013 This is my second year ordering from Baker Creek. I love every step of it from the beautiful, free catalog, to the ease of ordering the seeds online, to the timely arrival of the seeds and also the "personalization" of the package. Whoever puts your package together personally signs a little thank you slip. There's something very neighborly about having the company nearby (as in the U.S.). They give you a free packet of seeds with every order and that's the icing on the cake. I'm always excited to see which plant it will be and am never disappointed. Due to my Baker seeds being drowned by little toddler helping hands last year, many of my seed starting was not successful but this year we will be doing this differently. :) I will continue to excitedly purchase from Baker Creek in the future if not every single year. Positive PeachVly New Castle, CO (1 review) March 16, 2013 I've wanted to order from Baker Creek for years. Both their heirloom magazine and seed catalog are beautiful! But every year I would wait too long and end up just purchasing seeds locally of the same boring varieties and purchasing heirloom nursery plants that were breaking the bank. Well no more! I'm happy to say that I received my first Baker Creek order today less than a week after ordering on-line, AND in March which must be their busiest month. Very impressive! Included was a personal note from Jason (no, thank YOU Jason!) and a bonus seed packet. BTW, I just found out that our local library is launching a new program this spring where you can "check out" heirloom seeds, grow them, and return them to be shared with others. Guess who donated the seed? Baker Creek! What a great company. Positive sharahnichols St Joseph, MO (1 review) March 15, 2013 Love all my seeds I ordered...So glad to be starting a new, healthy lifestyle....my favorite thing was getting free seed packets.. Positive susiequilts Syracuse, NY (3 reviews) March 15, 2013 Ordered my seeds and received them in less than a week. Well packaged, with a personal note of thanks and an extra package of seeds as a bonus. I have ordered from this wonderful company for the past four years and have had a very positive experience each time. They also have the MOST beautiful catalog of seeds on the market. It's a work of art. Positive stanftw North Richland Hills, TX (2 reviews) March 14, 2013 Placed my first order over the weekend on the recommendation of another customer. Seeds were in my mailbox on Tuesday! Can't wait for them to sprout. Negative squashee Blackwell, OK (2 reviews) March 8, 2013 Ordered for the first time in 2012 on advice from a friend. We ordered a catalog which was big and thick and so full of stuff it was overwhelming but also exciting. We ordered a number of different things from squash, okra, beans, melons,flowers, eggplant, and a couple of odd things like grains. It was already time to plant warm crops by then so we didn't get cold weather crops. Out of the fourteen different things we bought we harvested red noodle beans by the handful even through the summer heat, sorghum, and a few tiny little melons that tasted like dead fish. Our okra sprouted but never got over a foot tall and never bloomed even though okra from a different source grew right beside it very well. None of the five different varieties of squash produced anything while all of our squash from other sources grew and produced well. Two of our melons produced a couple of melons each very late in the season and neither of them were the variety they were supposed to be. Our flowers didn't germinate at all. Later we ordered some cold weather crops to plant for the fall. While the broccoli did well eventually, the brussel sprouts only half germinated and didn't grow, the rutabagas which I've grown for years from other sources did nothing but put on leaves, the kale was again not the correct variety, and the lettuce never germinated at all. I've seen them offer to replace seeds that don't germinate or were incorrect but they didn't offer me that service. I think they are all hype and no experience. From now on I'll be sticking with my favorites from years past. Company representative comment on March 11, 2013: On Mar 11, 2013 5:58 PM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with: We're sorry to hear that you had trouble! We do guarantee germination of our seeds for one year from the date of purchase, and we will replace any seed that grows off type as well. We would be happy to work with you on this, but until this post, we cannot find any communication from you about these issues. If you could please send us an email to seeds@rareseeds.com with the varieties that did not germinate, or grew off type, we'll be happy to work on making things right. Positive Diana2013 Johnson, OK (1 review) March 8, 2013 Every winter I anxiously wait for my Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog. I love looking through their huge variety of seeds and beautiful pictures. I have ordered twice so far this year and I'm still thinking about more. I've been using their seeds for several years with great success for an amateur. The seeds arrived quickly [in 6 days] and included a free pack of seeds. It's so nice to do business with real people. Thank you Baker's Creek for taking a stand against GMO's. Positive sandyadler West Hills, CA (1 review) March 8, 2013 This is my first experience with the company and online seed purchasing. I chose Baker because of a friends suggestion. He has had nothing but good things to say about Baker. So far I have to agree. Positive jambl Bethel Acres, OK (1 review) March 4, 2013 By far the best seed company we have dealt with. We have ordered from them twice this year because of the variety they provide, the inexpensive shipping cost and friendly business practices. They did not have one thing in stock that we had wanted and they sent a cash refund with our order. We are delighted with the variety of rare seeds we now have and will continue to order from Baker Creek from here on out. Positive contactkduncan Panama City, FL (Zone 9a) (1 review) March 4, 2013 This was the first time I've ordered seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. The seeds were delivered promptly, and in a padded envelope to help prevent damage. I love that they added some bonus seeds (Lemon Queen Sunflowers), and am looking forward to planting them in my garden. There was a small error with my order: one packet of seeds was omitted, and one I hadn't ordered was included in the mailing. I brought the error to their attention via email, and it was handled easily and professionally. I would recommend Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds to friends, and will be ordering from them in the future. You just don't get this kind of customer service from big box stores! Positive alnielsen Pensacola, FL (1 review) March 4, 2013 I love the catalog, its so inspirational! I also got my order within 7 days of ordering along with a thank-you note, got some free gift seed packets which is always a treat! Got some of my first planting done (I'm new to vegetable gardening) and so far so great! Just follow the instructions and the results are there! My spinach, mustard greens, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, and okra are growing! My celery isn't showing any movement, but I am a beginner, and they provided enough seeds to make it through the learning curve. I also just placed a second order and I can't wait to receive it!

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