Where to buy Broccoli Seeds?

[delmar]

Where is the best online deal you have found on broccoli seeds? I think I know why they are expensive, cause they look sort of hard to harvest.

[Living Food]

I get them from sproutpeople.org, although there's probably a cheaper source out there somewhere. I just use them very sparingly to compensate for the price (the same thing I do with most of the more "exotic" sprouts).

[SunshineMN]

Azure Standard has them for $7.60 per lb. They seem to sprout well though we've only had them long enough to sprout them once so far. I don't think these seeds are organic however but even sprout people says organic ones are very hard to come by.

As far as being expensive, I was just reading on Sprout People's website that it was actually illegal for people to sprout them for a few years. The patent was eventually invalidated but it may be people haven't caught up on that news? I think it was insane they got a patent in the first place! Patents really annoy me, but mostly because I'm in the software business and software patents are nuts.

[Living Food]

Azure Standard has them for $7.60 per lb.

What??? I thought that was a typo the first time I read it, lol...you sure you didn't mean $17.60? If it's really only $7.60 per Ib, I'm going to be eating broccoli sprouts 'til they come out my ears :)

[delmar]

Azure Standard has them for $7.60 per lb.Thanks, I just book marked the page. I haven't taken the time to start an account so I can sign in, how high are they on shipping?

[streetsurfer]

A few years back I found broccoli seeds in the Burpee seed section (specifically for sprouting near their sprouting containers) of a Home Depot.

[SunshineMN]

If you get stuff shipped on the Azure truck it's only 8.5% of your bill. I find it's way cheaper than UPS shipping especially when you are order pounds of stuff. This month I ordered 61 lbs of stuff and shipping was only $12.44. I get glass ball canning jars from them as well. Often we order their apples and oranges too. Organic oranges 38 lbs for $29 I think now, previously they were only $23. Their fresh produce and frozen fruits (I don't buy any other frozen stuff) are only available with using their trucks for shipping. They will ship UPS but it does cost more of course. They just added Indiana this year so there might be a route close enough to you to make it worth while.

They only ship using their trucks once per month and they prefer you only place an order in the week before they ship. For instance this month we had to order by the 10th and the truck leaves them on the 14th. They stop here on Fridays so it will be here the 18th. We are about 3 miles from the place they deliver to so it's a quick drive for us. The people that receive the shipments just pile the stuff in their garage if we aren't there on time to meet the truck. They have a very detailed order/delivery pdf you can download on their website that shows all the routes.

And yes, broccoli seeds are $7.60 per pound, $31.75 for 5 pounds. You can even get 25 pounds but it's $140.80 ($5.63/lb). :)

[delmar]

If you get stuff shipped on the Azure truck it's only 8.5% of your bill. I find it's way cheaper than UPS shipping especially when you are order pounds of stuff. This month I ordered 61 lbs of stuff and shipping was only $12.44. I get glass ball canning jars from them as well. Often we order their apples and oranges too. Organic oranges 38 lbs for $29 I think now, previously they were only $23. Their fresh produce and frozen fruits (I don't buy any other frozen stuff) are only available with using their trucks for shipping. They will ship UPS but it does cost more of course. They just added Indiana this year so there might be a route close enough to you to make it worth while.

They only ship using their trucks once per month and they prefer you only place an order in the week before they ship. For instance this month we had to order by the 10th and the truck leaves them on the 14th. They stop here on Fridays so it will be here the 18th. We are about 3 miles from the place they deliver to so it's a quick drive for us. The people that receive the shipments just pile the stuff in their garage if we aren't there on time to meet the truck. They have a very detailed order/delivery pdf you can download on their website that shows all the routes.

And yes, broccoli seeds are $7.60 per pound, $31.75 for 5 pounds. You can even get 25 pounds but it's $140.80 ($5.63/lb). :)

I haven't had the money to make a bulk order but I got the news that we are supposed to be getting a bonus at work next month. So I called Azure Standard and there is a drop point about 30 minutes from my home. Well worth the trip, I would say! So far, in my shopping cart I have 25lb of sunflower seeds, 25 lbs of green peas, 5 lbs of broccoli seeds and 4 lbs of oranges. With shipping it will come to just over $100.
Is there anything else Azure Standard sells that is a can't miss deal, that I should consider before I order?

[SunshineMN]

I feel their flax seeds are a good deal at $1/lb. They used to have cheap chia seeds but recently the prices went through the roof. I'm hoping they come down this fall. I also noticed they are out of the cheaper alfalfa seeds, those should come down with the harvest this fall as well. They are also out of the dried sweet corn but that's a good deal when they have it. Their fenugreek seeds (in the herb and spices section) from Oregon Spice sprout very nicely as well and are only $3.60 a lb. I have dill seeds from them but I haven't tried sprouting them yet. I also plan to get some celery seed. We've been very happy with all the spices Azure has from Oregon Spice. The radish seeds sprout very well and taste just like radishes! I don't know how the price compares though as I've never gotten them elsewhere. Same for wheat and rye if you plan on growing grass this winter.

About ordering from them, you don't always get everything you order. I usually check each product right before submitting my order to see if it's in stock on the website. That gives us more of a chance of actually getting the items. Some times though it's hit and miss. They've gotten a lot better at it since I started ordering from them. I kinda wonder if there are health food stores that order from them and they sometimes run out of stock.

[walnutty]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sprout-House-Sprouting-Broccoli/dp/B0055Z8ROQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343696360&sr=8-3&keywords=raw+organic+broccoli+seeds

[walnutty]

Sprouts and anything I juice must be organic! I am very financially challenged, but in these two instances it is what I require. Can you imagine how many sprouts you can get with a pound of seeds, plus there is no tax and no shipping on these seeds from Amazon (or The Sprout House)!

[delmar]

Thanks for your concern, but the $7/ lb seeds at Azure are calling my name.

[walnutty]

Okay.

To me it's just not worth it. Somethings I just won't accept. Somethings I just won't put into my body.

You know, those seeds come from possible generations of sprayed, toxic broccoli....

[delmar]

I haven't been able to find a lot of information about chemicals sprayed on past generations effecting the current generation. It seems to me that life and growth cleans up a lot.

[walnutty]

I don't mean to offend, but you are not thinking logically about this.

If the broccoli the seeds are coming from are inferior (pesticides, fungicides, poor soil) then the seeds will be inferior.

[SunshineMN]

I've read you can soak them in food grade hydrogen peroxide if they have been chemically treated. I'm not 100% sure that helps but it may. I'll need to do more research on it I guess. For now, I'm just very happy I can include broccoli sprouts. I certainly can't afford what other places are charging for sprouting broccoli seeds.

[delmar]

I don't mean to offend, but you are not thinking logically about this.

If the broccoli the seeds are coming from are inferior (pesticides, fungicides, poor soil) then the seeds will be inferior.
From what I understand, that is not the way azure standard does business.

[MysticTree]

I don't mean to offend, but you are not thinking logically about this.

If the broccoli the seeds are coming from are inferior (pesticides, fungicides, poor soil) then the seeds will be inferior.

That is a big if of course. What if they are not coming from that scenario? What if they are just as organic as the ones certified organic but the cost involved in certification is too high for the farmers to bother with?

I know of a few organic farmers who supply local greengrocers with organic veggies. All the veggies they supply are organic but on the shelves they are labelled as organic and regular - two locations inside the shop. The organic ones are more expensive but no more or less organic than the ones labelled regular!

[Living Food]

I have dill seeds from them but I haven't tried sprouting them yet. I also plan to get some celery seed.

Dill sprouts and celery sprouts are weird and need to be sprouted in special ways. They both take about a week before they germinate, and you can get away with only rinsing them once a day or once every other day. Dill takes about 2 weeks to be ready to eat, and celery can take 3 weeks or more.

I'm not an expert, though, these seeds are way too expensive for me to experiment with in quantity.


If the broccoli the seeds are coming from are inferior (pesticides, fungicides, poor soil) then the seeds will be inferior.

Very true. It's true with all organisms (maybe not bacteria?), if the parents are weaker then the offspring will be too. This continues on down the generations, so those organisms continue to get weaker and weaker. The average human these days is a good example of this principle, sadly.


That is a big if of course. What if they are not coming from that scenario? What if they are just as organic as the ones certified organic but the cost involved in certification is too high for the farmers to bother with?

This happens occasionally, but mostly only in local scenarios. It is very rare to find a national outfit selling organic seeds as non-organic, although it does happen. Generally national outfits source their seeds from big, industrialized farms (even the organic seeds tend to come from big, mass-production mono crop farms), so if the crop is organic the farmer has plenty of money to get organic certification.

[Living Food]

Never mind.

The site made me post the above message twice, and we can't delete our own messages.

Could an Administrator please delete this? Thank you.

[MysticTree]

Farmers are not necessarily rich because they sell organic products. Farmers in this country are not rich people a lot of times. Especially if they are tenant farmers. Being certified organic is horrifically expensive and many settle for using organic methods and not registering as organic.

[Living Food]

Very few farmers are rich. Many many farmers here are dirt poor because they spend all their money on expensive GM seeds, fertilizers and pesticides and grow crops that we already have an insane surplus of: GM corn, wheat, and GM soybeans, mostly.

Very few organic farmers are rich, either, but my point was that big, national suppliers tend to get their products from big farms, and the larger the farm the more likely it is that they can afford organic certification (even though small farms tend to be far more productive per acre). Small family farms are going out of business at an astounding rate here, the big industrialized farms are making them bankrupt. Thankfully people are starting to wake up and buy from small, local, generally organic (even if not certified) farmers.

There are lots of small farmers who grow organically but aren't certified organic, much much fewer very large farmers who grow organically and aren't certified. And big national chains tend to get their products from the large farms.

[MysticTree]

We do have large farms here but very few if any that are anywhere near as big as some of the farms in the US.

[SunshineMN]

Azure Standard isn't like those big companies though. They have lots of information about what they believe and why they operate the way they do. They are very health conscious with their products. They are not strictly raw, but they are against GM and lots of chemicals. The only thing we've purchased from them that we were not completely happy with was red lentils which were too broken up to sprouts, but their green lentils sprout like crazy as well as the broccoli and every other seed we've purchased from them. Even sprout people have had problems getting organic broccoli seeds for sprouting and for years sold conventional broccoli seeds (though I believe they finally have a source for organic ones).

[Eva]

www.SproutPeople.Org is absolutely my favorite resource for sprouts of any kind! Their seeds are superior to everything else I've found!

[delmar]

Azure Standard isn't like those big companies though. They have lots of information about what they believe and why they operate the way they do. They are very health conscious with their products. They are not strictly raw, but they are against GM and lots of chemicals. The only thing we've purchased from them that we were not completely happy with was red lentils which were too broken up to sprouts, but their green lentils sprout like crazy as well as the broccoli and every other seed we've purchased from them.


I have heard enough good things to give them a try!
Even sprout people have had problems getting organic broccoli seeds for sprouting and for years sold conventional broccoli seeds (though I believe they finally have a source for organic ones).

In fact they are still selling their "conventional" broccoli seeds for $25/lb. Given a choice between paying that much for seeds and not sprouting broccoli I would have to choose not sprouting broccoli. especially when I can get organic Sunflower Seeds for $2/ lb, organic flax for $1/lb and organic peas for $0.50/ lb

[delmar]

I just made my first big bulk seed order with Azure Standard.

Bulk Radish Seeds, Organic 1 lb.
Bulk Clover Seeds, Red, Organic 5 lbs.
Azure Farm Wheat, Hard, Red, Organic 25 lbs.
Bulk Sesame Seeds, Brown, Organic 5 lbs.
Bulk Broccoli Seeds 1 lb.
Azure Farm Flax Seeds, Golden, Organic 25 lbs.
Bulk Sunflower Seeds, Raw, Organic 25 lbs.
Bulk Peas Green, Whole, Organic 50 lbs.

It is supposed to arrive Sept 5

[MysticTree]

I just made my first big bulk seed order with Azure Standard. Bulk Radish Seeds, Organic 1 lb. Bulk Clover Seeds, Red, Organic 5 lbs. Azure Farm Wheat, Hard, Red, Organic 25 lbs. Bulk Sesame Seeds, Brown, Organic 5 lbs. Bulk Broccoli Seeds 1 lb. Azure Farm Flax Seeds, Golden, Organic 25 lbs. Bulk Sunflower Seeds, Raw, Organic 25 lbs. Bulk Peas Green, Whole, Organic 50 lbs. It is supposed to arrive Sept 5How exciting. That's a lovely selection of seeds too. Hope the price is good. Stock up coz prices are going to soar.

[delmar]

I have 137 lbs of seeds coming for $175. Some of the prices went up recently but still a great deal, I think.

[MysticTree]

I reckon that's a good price. Keep a note of how much you spend over the next 5 years. It will make interesting reading. If you like onion, garlic etc microgreens then you really can produce a lot of that seed yourself. Might save you a few dollars and the flower and seed heads are beautiful.

[delmar]

I read somewhere this morning that radish seeds are pretty easy to save too.

[MysticTree]

I would imagine so but difficult not to eat the radishes ;) I haven't tried running them to seed for saving.

[Living Food]

I have 137 lbs of seeds coming for $175.


What??!!! That's a fraction of the price I'm paying...I'm going to see if there's a stop near me.

[delmar]

What??!!! That's a fraction of the price I'm paying...I'm going to see if there's a stop near me.Part of the low average price is because I bought a lot of flax, sunflower, peas and wheat, and just a little of the more expensive seeds, for variety.

[MysticTree]

What??!!! That's a fraction of the price I'm paying...I'm going to see if there's a stop near me.
Wish there was one near me! The US has some really good ideas sometimes.

[SunshineMN]

I really love Azure. I'm so glad there was a stop close enough for you to get to Delmar! I need to save up for another large order for us too for the winter. I want to get 25 lbs of peas and corn and a few other of the cheaper seeds.

[delmar]

There are actually two stops that I considered. One is 30 min. away from my home. The other is more than an hour in the other direction, but my wife's parents live in that town. The only downside is the closer one comes in on Wednesday during my working hours so I had to take the morning off. It isn't a big deal since I have vacation time, but I would rather arrange an after hours pick up.
Still it's a lot better than paying the shipping company!

[Living Food]

Part of the low average price is because I bought a lot of flax, sunflower, peas and wheat, and just a little of the more expensive seeds, for variety.

For me peas and wheat cost $3.50 to $4.50 a pound each, sunflower seeds cost nearly $8/pound, flax about $6/pound...I do believe I'm being had!

I get my seeds from sproutpeople always knew that they weren't the cheapest but they do have good quality so I was okay with it - but learning that you can get organic sprouting seeds for that cheap changes my mind. Sproutarianism is supposed to be cheap, and I suppose it still is for me, but I'm paying a good 5 times more then I could be!

[delmar]

For me peas and wheat cost $3.50 to $4.50 a pound each, sunflower seeds cost nearly $8/pound, flax about $6/pound...I do believe I'm being had!

I get my seeds from sproutpeople always knew that they weren't the cheapest but they do have good quality so I was okay with it - but learning that you can get organic sprouting seeds for that cheap changes my mind. Sproutarianism is supposed to be cheap, and I suppose it still is for me, but I'm paying a good 5 times more then I could be!Up untill now I have been buying organic flax seed at Kroger for less than $3/lb and they sprout fine! Clearly you are going to be able to pay less by going to Azure Standard even though you do not appear to be near a truck route.

[Living Food]

I hear you can order their products online, but I wonder how much the shipping cost is for an order of a few hundred pounds...

[delmar]

Why wonder? Set up an account (https://www.azurestandard.com/accounts/register/) so you can fill your shopping cart with what you might want to buy. Then give them a call and price the shipping.
(541) 467-2230

[Living Food]

I was planning on it.

Why do I have to call to figure out the shipping, though? Why not just have that information when I'm making my order? I suppose that it's because most people get their supplies via the truck route so they already know the shipping?

[delmar]

I didn't find a way to calculate shipping on the web site, but there might be a way.

[SunshineMN]

I have no idea how much UPS charges for things by the pound. The Azure truck is 8.5% of your order cost which is extremely cheap considering the weight of things we get from them. They may have a shipping calculation when you choose to have it shipped by UPS, but it's something I've never had to look at. I hear they are quite friendly and helpful, but again, I've never had a reason to call them.

[Living Food]

I just made an account with Azure Standard...holy crap! I'm going to have to check the shipping cost for an order of a few hundred pounds, but if it's not excessive I'll be saving hundreds of dollars.

Just one thing - are all of the nuts that say raw actually "raw"? I know that frequently that isn't the case. ne of their products, for instnaces, says "Cashews, whole, raw", another says "Cashews, whole, truly raw". Does that mean that nuts that don't say "truly raw" aren't sproutable?

They sell poppy seeds - any idea if they are raw or not? That would make not just my day but my entire year, they're only $2.35 a pound!

[Living Food]

I don't see any unhulled sunflower seeds... :sad:

[Living Food]

Azure standard sells 45 Ibs of organic whole barley for $12.85...but, it says it's animal feed. Do any of you know if it's okay or humans to use? I'd think so, i just want to make sure.

Same deal with their oats. I wonder because the animal feed costs half the price of the ordinary oat groats and they're both organic.

And yes, I will contact the company if no one here can answer my questions, I just figured I might as well ask around here before bugging them.

[MysticTree]

I would use them though they may be stored to a lesser standard than human food grade seed. Ring the company and ask specifically what the differences are.

[Living Food]

I'll do that, I really want to know if their poppy seeds are sproutable.

[MysticTree]

You might have to ask them from the point of view of an ornamental gardener ;) the type you want are Papaver somniferum. I can get them here for horticultural use. With space to grow a goodly number to maturity you can then crop the seeds saving some for next year's crop and sprouting the rest for food.

[Living Food]

Not sure what kind they are, and I frankly doubt that they are still viable, but then I hear that Azure Standard isn't a company that would irradiate its products, so who knows.

No idea what kind of poppy seeds they are, but they are the kind for eating:

"Bulk Poppy Seeds
» Other products from Bulk

Price:Sign In
Code: SE020
Size: 1 lb.
Shipping Weight: 1.0 lb.
Stock Available(?): 1107
Quantity:

Price:Sign In
Code: SE067
Size: 50 lbs.
Shipping Weight: 51.0 lb.
Stock Available(?): 23
Quantity:

Price:Sign In
Code: SE021
Size: 5 lbs.
Shipping Weight: 5.0 lb.
Stock Available(?): 226
Quantity:

Product Description
These tiny black seeds are a favorite when sprinkled on breads and rolls, also used as a fillings in cakes and muffins.

Spanish poppy seeds.

Though non-narcotic as a food, these seeds are said to have a calming effect. Small amounts can cause false-positives in drug tests.
Keep refrigerated or frozen.
Product Attributes
Country of Origin: Spain"

http://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/8688/

[MysticTree]

They sound like just the right sort. Check out the translation of the Latin :)

[Living Food]

"Poppy seeds" translates to "papaver" and "somniferum" tranlsates to "narcotic". The seeds say "non-narcotic as a food", but I think they're probably the right thing.

For whatever reason I have this idea that sprouting poppy seeds will activate the narcotic chemicals in them (sprouting activates lots of things and increases the amount of them), I used to think that happened with hemp before I learned that it was different then marijuana. But this poppy seems to be the same kind as is grown for opium...

I don't want to be ingesting narcotics.

[delmar]

I don't see any unhulled sunflower seeds... :sad: These (http://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/3673/) are not in the hull but they do have sprouting instructions.

[Living Food]

These are not in the hull but they do have sprouting instructions.

Yes, but I'm looking for unhulled seeds for microgreens. I figure I'll get them from somewhere else next time I get low, although now sproutpeople is out of them too...so I need to find yet another supplier. Azure Standard also doesn't have organic fenugreek, so I'll be lookin garound ofr those two if you know of any good source to get them form.

[MysticTree]

The Latin translates to words similar to sleep and sedative. The edible poppy contains very small amounts of opium substance. If you don't want to eat that then don't sprout poppies! You shouldn't worry though the amounts are very very small and beneficial rather than harmful. Btw . . . narcotic is from the Greek meaning words similar to sleep and sedative :)

[delmar]

It seems to me that, if they sprout they sprout, and you could use them to grow micro greens. Am I missing something?

[Living Food]

The hulled seeds tend to go rancid and rot far before they reach the stage where they are mature microgreens, only the unhulled seeds can last long enough.

[Living Food]

The Latin translates to words similar to sleep and sedative. The edible poppy contains very small amounts of opium substance. If you don't want to eat that then don't sprout poppies! You shouldn't worry though the amounts are very very small and beneficial rather than harmful. Btw . . . narcotic is from the Greek meaning words similar to sleep and sedative :)

Good to know. I'll definitely eat the sprouts if they are sproutable, then, because the nutritional profile of poppy sprouts is amazing, even better then sesame seed sprouts.

[delmar]

The hulled seeds tend to go rancid and rot far before they reach the stage where they are mature microgreens, only the unhulled seeds can last long enough.Well then I guess I will be finding out what stage they will grow to nicely, since I have 25 lbs of them coming!

[Living Food]

Best if sprouted 1-2 days and eaten as a sprouted seed.

[delmar]

Best if sprouted 1-2 days and eaten as a sprouted seed.The Azure Standard intructions say "Ready in 1-3 days and will be 0" to 1/2" long. Mix with alfalfa and grow 4-5 days." I am curious to try sprouting them with something else. I do enjoy experimenting.

[MysticTree]

Good to know. I'll definitely eat the sprouts if they are sproutable, then, because the nutritional profile of poppy sprouts is amazing, even better then sesame seed sprouts.
For some reason we tend to use Latin words for pleasant attributes and greek words for the negative. Also interesting that the translator you used translated from Latin to Greek rather than giving you the sense of the word . . . if you see what I mean :)

If they are not sproutable then try to buy the variety I mentioned from a flower seed seller. Actually you can usually find these poppies all over the place so you could just go right ahead and get some seed to sow yourself and build up the number you grow. This is what they look like although the petal come in various colours and with various petal arrangements from the single you see here to a fully pom-pom double. The leaves will tell you for sure. You want that glaucous leaf for the right type of poppy.

9208

I feel sure you will have seen these growing in gardens all over the place . . . yes?

[SunshineMN]

The poppy seeds I got from them didn't sprout, unless I did something wrong? I may have to try them again. The fenugreek from them definitely sprouts though! We sprout them all the time. I wish they sold unhulled sunflower seeds too but they don't seem to. They do take requests though so you may want to pop them an email. I did get a small bag of barley but I haven't tried to do anything with it yet. The oat groats are the wrong ones (at least the 25 lb bag), they've been stabilized (meaning heat treated) to make the shelf life longer.

[delmar]

So my seed order arrived today. I have some peas and some sunflower seeds soaking. It is a good day to be me!

[delmar]

The hulled seeds tend to go rancid and rot far before they reach the stage where they are mature microgreens, only the unhulled seeds can last long enough.So even though the sunflower seeds I got are not the kind to grow microgreens with I have really been enjoying them. I have had a hard time weening myself off of roasted peanuts and it looks like I have found just the right thing to satisfy that craving. They are also less expensive! I also have some radish sprouts and broccoli sprouts that should be ready to go for lunch tomorrow. Plus I have been starting some peas every day and I have my first batch of sesame seeds soaking right now!

[Living Food]

So even though the sunflower seeds I got are not the kind to grow microgreens with I have really been enjoying them. I have had a hard time weening myself off of roasted peanuts and it looks like I have found just the right thing to satisfy that craving. They are also less expensive! I also have some radish sprouts and broccoli sprouts that should be ready to go for lunch tomorrow. Plus I have been starting some peas every day and I have my first batch of sesame seeds soaking right now!

That's great Delmar! The sunflower sprouts are a little high in phosphorous and low in calcium, but in moderation they're fine. Sesame sprouts are loaded with calcium, B vitamins and vitamin E and other minerals so they balance out the sunflower sprouts. Ultimately sesame sprouts are far better then sunflower sprouts, but if the sunflower sprouts are helping you avoid cooked food then stick with them. They're still very nutritious.

Pea shoot juice is awesome, I'm so glad that I've added it to my routine again. The only things better are wheatgrass juice and sunflower greens juice. If you start really hitting the sprout juices hard and add some algae and sea veggies into your diet you'll soon feel absolutely extraordinary.

Sproutarianism is a small and exclusive club; come join us. We have sprout cookies...