Seed Sales Surge
According to Matthew and Nancy Kost of The Buffalo Seed Company (www.TheBuffaloSeedCompany.com), emptying grocery store shelves prompted people to reevaluate their personal food security and decide to grow their own. The Kosts say this applies to both new and experienced gardeners, with returning customers purchasing more seeds than ever before, and first-time buyers asking for gardening advice to pair with their purchases. To manage increased demand, The Buffalo Seed Company plans to diversify its offerings, and source and sell more grains. The Kosts believe this shift could be either short-lived or long-term, depending on how long the pandemic lasts. “While we hope this level of attention will be maintained and aimed at deeper underlying issues, such as climate change and social injustice, change is often difficult at a large scale and is often induced and maintained by hardship and necessity,” Matthew says. “The longer the pandemic lasts, the more intense the transformation to relying on local food systems and food growing will be.”
Joshua D’Errico of Johnny’s Selected Seeds () says new gardeners are citing their
