FW: Exciting News About Abundant Life Seeds

**"* K* <j*@territorial-seed.com>**

Hi Everyone,

Below, please find a copy of a letter from Tom and Julie Johns, owners of
Territorial Seed Company (and now Abundant Life Seeds) that appears in the
Spring 2005 Abundant Life Seed Catalog. We are very excited about this new
endeavor and are happy to answer any questions that you may have. If you
would like to receive an Abundant Life Catalog, please send me an email with
your name and address. Thank you.

Josh Kirschenbaum
Territorial Seed Company/Abundant Life Seeds
joshk@territorial-seed.com
ph-(800)626-0866
fx-(888)657-3131

As some of you know, the Abundant Life Seed Foundation experienced a
devastating fire in 2003. Not only were their offices and seed packaging
facilities lost, but also much of their seed inventory. The timing of the
loss was such that printing a 2004 seed catalog was not possible. With the
season lost, the board of directors had time to reflect on past
accomplishments and future goals. After much discussion, it became clear to
the board that the foundation's top priority should be the future work of
the Organic Seed Alliance and World Seed Fund. It was decided that to better
focus on these goals, they would relinquish the seed catalog business, and
let others carry on the work of saving, preserving, multiplying, and
offering rare and extraordinary seeds to their loyal customer base.

Upon learning of the intentions of the board and after brief discussions
with their leadership, it did not take my wife Julie and me long to decide
that someone needed to carry on the seed business, and perhaps Territorial
Seed Company was in the best position to ensure Abundant Life Seeds
continued into the future.

>From a business perspective, we felt Abundant Life Seeds would fit in well
as a sister company to Territorial Seed Company and London Spring Farms.
Abundant Life Seeds has depended on its members to grow small lots of rare
seeds. Territorial's certified organic farm in London, Oregon, was
established to be a research station, and to commercially grow seed crops of
otherwise unavailable varieties. Specific attention has been paid to home
garden or small commercial grower favorites-those varieties discontinued by
the major seed producers. London Spring Farms is uniquely suited to grow or
contract the production of these strains to keep them in inventory and
readily available.

A great deal of work lies ahead to increase our seed inventories. While much
was lost in the fire, the staff at Abundant Life had the foresight to backup
a portion of their stock seed in a freezer that was at their offsite farm.
We have begun to multiply the precious few seeds that were saved. Our goal
is to reintroduce these varieties as quickly as possible.

In this catalog you'll notice that we now offer only certified organic grown
seed. We believe that our certified organic farming and seed cleaning
operations will guide this change. Although you may not find your old
favorites in this catalog, be patient because we will have them available
again. I think you'll enjoy the many new seed varieties that we have to
offer. These varieties come to us from some of the finest organic and
biodynamic seed farms in the world, and the quality represents the best of
the best. Other varieties come from the private stock seed collection of
Territorial Seed Company.

Finally, Julie and I would like to pledge that with your continued support,
we'll make every effort for Abundant Life Seeds to grow into the company
that you want it to be. Just as Territorial has developed its own image,
character, and product line based on what its customers support, so should
Abundant Life Seeds.

Tom and Julie Johns

_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
&quot;Gardenwriters on Gardening&quot; &lt;gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org&gt;

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters