09.21.10

Seed Company Launches Earth-Friendly Seeds Art Packet Competition

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –Nature’s Crossroads, an organic seed company located in Bloomington, Indiana, has launched an Earth-Friendly Seeds Art Packet Competition.  Indiana artists of all ages and abilities are encouraged to create an art piece inspired by one of three varieties of locally adapted seeds – Table Queen Acorn Squash, Ragged Jack Kale, and Sweet Genovese Basil.

“We want to help promote the concept of building the local seed supply as part of the growing movement to support local food and local economies,” says general manager Art Sherwood.  “What better way than with the support of local artists?”

One winner from each category will receive a cash prize of $100 and have his/her artwork used to create a custom seed packet for the 2011 Nature’s Crossroads catalog.  Each packet will include information about the artist in addition to planting instructions and information about the farm where the seeds were grown.

“It was really challenging to pick only three varieties for the contest,” says team coordinator Maggie Sullivan.  “We have seeds from over one hundred local strains being grown in Indiana by LIFE Certified Organic Farm.  I hope we chose varieties that are inspiring for artists!”

Not an artist?  Everyone is invited to help choose the winner of the Table Queen Acorn Squash category through online voting on Facebook starting on Wednesday, November 3^rd.  The winners of the two other categories will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes both farmers and artists.  There will also be a gallery showing of selected pieces at the Venue in Bloomington next March.

Interested artists can read more at the Nature’s Crossroads website (www.naturescrossroads.com/artpacket) or contact Team Coordinator Maggie Sullivan via email (maggie@naturescrossroads.com) or phone (812-327-9612).

Nature’s Crossroads is a locally owned company specializing in Earth-friendly Midwest-adapted strains of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers.  They are working to rebuild the local seed supply and encourage organic gardening in the Midwest by offering high quality seeds, gardening education, school fundraisers, and sponsorship of community garden projects.

09.09.10

Nature’s Crossroads Creates Local Seed Supporter Program

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –Nature’s Crossroads, an organic seed company located in Bloomington, Indiana, is looking for gardeners and gourmands to help expand the supply of locally grown garden seeds.  They have created a “Local Seed Supporter” program to allow members to purchase a seed share and help fund the development of Earth-friendly, Midwest-adapted strains of vegetable, herb, flower, and fruit varieties.

“Seeds are the foundation of our local food supply,” said manager Art Sherwood.  “We are working to expand the supply of sustainably grown, locally-adapted seeds for farmers and gardeners interested in producing high quality local food.”  The company is working with several farmers and gardeners in Indiana and surrounding states to help distribute locally grown seeds throughout the Midwest.

Local Seed Supporters help fund the expansion of the seed network by providing working capital in the fall when the company is sourcing seeds.  “It’s basically a community supported agriculture (CSA) program for seeds,” explained team coordinator Maggie Sullivan.  “Members purchase a $20 seed share in the fall and then pick out their choice of seven seed packets in the spring.  Through the program we hope to build a stronger connection between the growers who produce the seeds and the gardeners who plant them the next spring.”

Nature’s Crossroads will also provide additional perks for Local Seed Supporters that range from educational resources about seed saving to discounts on other products to behind-the-scenes tours of seed production at their sister business, LIFE Certified Organic Farm.  “Mostly, we just want to get people as excited about local seeds as we are,” said Sullivan.

Interested gardeners can read more at the Nature’s Crossroads website (www.naturescrossroads.com) or contact General Manager Art Sherwood via email (art@naturescrossroads.com) or phone (812-824-3727).

04.19.10

Nature’s Crossroads Launches Backyard Seed Saver Program

Earth-Friendly Seed Company Seeks Seed-Saving Gardeners

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –Nature’s Crossroads, a new seed company located in Bloomington, Indiana, is looking for organic gardeners with seedsaving experience to sign up for their Backyard Seed Saver Program.  The program was created to build a network of organic gardeners saving seeds from interesting varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs for sale in the Midwest.

“One of our goals is to find seeds that were sustainably grown in Indiana and surrounding states,” said manager Art Sherwood.  “We want all our seeds to be grown and collected in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable as well as being local.”  The company is working with several small farms in Indiana but has decided to also reach out to home gardeners.  “There are already people out there with amazing organic gardens who are saving really cool seeds so we are here to help distribute those seeds throughout the Midwest.”

Participating gardeners will sign up to save seeds from a particular variety (say a favorite heirloom eggplant) and deliver them in bulk to Nature’s Crossroads.  The company will package them in special packets that gives information about the garden (and gardener) that provided them in addition to basic planting information.  These seeds will be sold through the Nature’s Crossroads web store, school fundraisers, at plant shows, and possibly even in retail seed racks.  Gardeners earn one dollar per packet of seeds sold, paid on a quarterly basis.

“This is a great opportunity for gardeners who want to earn a little money and spread a favorite variety while letting us take care of all the difficulties of marketing and sales,” said Sherwood.  The company is particularly interested in identifying varieties that have been grown and saved for multiple generations and have adapted well to their local climate.

Interested gardeners can read more at the Nature’s Crossroads website (www.naturescrossroads.com/seedsavers) or contact General Manager Art Sherwood via email (art@naturescrossroads.com) or phone (812-824-3727).

03.30.10

Nature’s Crossroads Team Coordinator Receives Emerging Leader Award

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On March 22^nd, Nature’s Crossroads Team Coordinator Maggie Sullivan received the 2010 Emerging Leader Award from the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women.  She was nominated by longtime community leader Charlotte Zietlow for leadership shown while helping develop the local food economy in Bloomington.  The two women worked together on a grant-supported project called “Growing Healthy Communities” that spent three years focusing on building a stronger farmer network, educating consumers about local food, and finding ways to make healthy fresh food more accessible to the low-income community.

“I am honored to be recognized as a leader in such a great community of women leaders,” said Sullivan.   She received her award at the fifth annual Women’s Leadership Development event held in the Showers Building as an opportunity for women to network and learn more about what is happening in Bloomington.

03.15.10

03/15/10 – Nature’s Crossroads Creates “Midwest Natural Gardening Guide”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Organic gardening can be intimidating to those who have never wielded a hoe or who are accustomed to gardening with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  Nature’s Crossroads wants to make it easy for anyone with the desire to grow food in their yards, on their porches, in community gardens, or anywhere else they can find space.  They have created the Midwest Natural Gardening Guide, a series of articles sent weekly by e-mail to provide growing tips and gardening insights for beginning organic gardeners.  Each issue contains gardening tips for that week and a detailed hands-on project to try along with an explanation of the science behind the techniques.

“Our goal is to empower gardeners with the knowledge they need to successfully grow vegetable, fruits, herbs, and flowers,” says newsletter editor Danny Weddle.  “Gardening is a great way to improve the environment, beautify our communities, get some exercise, and feed our families so we want to make it easy and fun.”

Topics range from the basics of soil preparation to projects for kids in the garden to tips on cooking and enjoying the harvest.  Many articles include links to a longer version on the company’s blog.  “We’re focused on covering all the basics but we try to also include tidbits for more advanced gardeners,” says Weddle.

For more information about Nature’s Crossroads or to subscribe to the newsletter, please visit www.naturescrossroads.com or contact Maggie Sullivan at 812-327-9612 or maggie@naturescrossroads.com.

01.27.10

1/26/10 – Nature’s Crossroads Releases “Trusty Tomato” Hoosier Heirloom

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On February 1^st, 2010, Nature’s Crossroads will be holding a virtual grand opening to promote its online seed store.  The company’s focus is certified organic and locally grown seeds from varieties that thrive in the Midwest.  They are especially proud of their exclusive product, the “Trusty” tomato, an heirloom variety developed in Morgan County, Indiana over the last seventy years. ..Read More

12.01.09

12/01/09 – Nature’s Crossroads Launches Seed Collections and Garden Kits for Christmas

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On December 1^st, 2009, Nature’s Crossroads opened its webstore to the public with a selection of seed collections and gardening kits for gardeners of all ages and skill levels.  Several products were designed for children like the Sunflower Fort Garden Kit with seeds for growing a secret hideout and the Down and Dirty Seed Collection that includes four different root vegetables and a bar of locally made soap. ..Read More

10.09.09

10/09/09 – Clear Creek Elementary Funds School Garden with Bulb Sales

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – On October 1^st, 2009 the students and staff of Clear Creek Elementary School turned in their orders for daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and garlic to plant in their yards and gardens this fall.  This was a new fundraising program both for the school and for Nature’s Crossroads, an organic seed company starting up in Bloomington.  The two groups teamed up last spring for a fundraiser focused on selling organic vegetable and flower seeds. ..Read More

03.15.10

February Press Coverage

We saw a lot of press coverage in February, most of which did not make it to the digital world…

• Bloom Magazine
• Bloomingnews
• Indianapolis Star
• Southside Times

11.05.09

Bloomington company plants seeds of knowledge with fundraising help

Herald Times (Bloomington, IN) October 30, 2009

A new business in Bloomington provides schools with new fundraising options.  Instead of magazines or candy, Nature’s Crossroads, a sister business to LIFE Certified Organic Farm in Monroe and Morgan counties, offers seeds and bulbs for kids to sell: flower, herb and vegetable seeds and onion bulbs in the spring and flower and garlic bulbs in the fall. ..Read More

04.26.10

05/01 – Hilltop, Monroe County Show, Johnson County Show

Tis the season for plant shows!  If you’re in Bloomington, you should check out both the Hilltop Plant Sale (featuring Trusty tomato seedlings grown from Nature’s Crossroads seeds) and the Monroe County Master Gardeners Plant Sale at the armory (featuring seeds from Nature’s Crossroads).  You might also swing by the East Bloomingfoods and check out their new garden center, including tomato seedlings from our sister company, LIFE Certified Organic Farm!

We’ll also have a booth at the Johnson County Master Gardener Show, assuming the weather is fair (we’re outside in the overflow space).

04.19.10

4/24 – Tippecanoe County Garden Expo

We’ll be selling seeds in Lafayette this weekend at the Tippecanoe County Garden Expo.  (We mean no offense to Indiana University by traveling to rival territory!)

04.07.10

4/10 – Hendricks County Garden Show

We’re continuing our tour of central Indiana Master Gardener Shows with the Hendrick’s County “Gardening for All Ages” event in Danville at their beautiful fairgrounds.  Come buy seeds and see the great exhibits for kids and families!

03.20.10

03/27 – Green Fest Indy & Indy Winter Market

Looking for something to do next weekend?  You can find us Saturday at the Indy Winter Farmers’ Market (9:00 am – 12:30 pm, 901 N. East St) where we will be selling seeds and promoting the Midwest Natural Gardening Guide.  We plan to have a booth for the next three weekends and our sister business LIFE Certified Organic Farm will also have CSA shares for sale.

Next weekend is also Green Fest Indy at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.  Renee from Green Piece Indy will be selling our seeds as a fundraiser for her excellent newsletter about environmental living.  It should be a fun event!

03.15.10

03/19-20 Morgan County Garden Fest

Look for us this weekend at the Morgan County Master Gardeners’ Garden Fest in the Martinsville Armory on Friday from 3:00 to 8:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 5:00!  There will be plenty of gardening goodies for sale as well as informative presentations and workshops.

03.01.10

3/05 & 03/06 – Indianapolis Food Con & Indy Green Scene

We’ll be tabling and selling seeds at the Food Con in the Harrison Art Center in Indianapolis on Friday night and then again at the Green Scene event at Indy City Market on Saturday.

12.17.09

2010 Product Line Coming Soon!

Nature’s Crossroads will launch its 2010 product line on January 11th.  The product line will include over one hundred varieties of organic vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds that have proven highly successful in Midwest gardens.  Nature’s Crossroads is especially excited about the ten heirloom tomato varieties that were grown by LIFE Certified Organic Farm in Morgan County, Indiana.  One is a true Indiana variety, the “Trusty” tomato that has been grown in Morgan County for over seventy years.

Seeds will be available through the webstore (www.naturescrossroads.com) starting January 11th and at retail locations in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Goshen starting February 15th.