Fred Thériault is a farmer and founding member of Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in Les Cèdres, Quebec, where they grow vegetables for 500 weekly CSA baskets and an acre of seed crops. I say "they" but I should guess I mean "we" because I farm with Fred at Tourne-Sol and we've been great friends for the last 25 years and have done all kinds of things together. Such as - Fred and I also co-authored the book Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.

In this episode, we talk seeds, but I also brought Fred on to explore what it's really like to be part of a co-op. We dive into the challenges and rewards of shared decision-making, balancing individual and collective goals, and building a farm culture where collaboration supports both production and innovation. Fred shares practical insights on how cooperative structures can help farmers thrive while maintaining flexibility and creativity on the farm..

In the deep dive, we focus on on-farm tomato breeding. Fred explains how he selected the Ruby-Sol tomato from a red hybrid, honing in on earliness, yield, and flavor. We explore the trade-offs between production efficiency and experimentation, and the lessons he's learned from years of tomato selection.

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

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Episode links

Fred's Farm Co-Op Academy

Watch Fred's Free webinar: Start Your Agricultural Co‑op 101

Tourne-Sol farm's website

Tourne-Sol on instagram

The The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations

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Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

Here's a peek inside the Seed Farmer Mentorship—a guided learning experience I've created to help growers build the skills, systems, and confidence to produce high-quality seed on their farms. This winter, I'll be hosting the mentorship for the second time, and I'm excited to guide a new group of growers through hands-on learning, practical tools, and a season of intentional seed projects.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Who the Seed Farmer Mentorship is for - both new and experienced seed growers

• How the mentorship combines pre-recorded videos with interactive live sessions

• What past participants have gained from the program, including skills, confidence, and inspiration

• The value of learning alongside a community of seed growers and sharing experiences

• How this mentorship can help you take your seed projects to the next level

Here are the 7 modules we cover in the mentorship:

1 - Seed Basics & Choose Your Seed Crops

2 - Recording Keeping For Seed Harvest & Cleaning

3 - Germination Tests, Seed Storage & Inventory Management

4 - Crop Planning & Growing Seeds On A Market Garden

5 - Plant Selection & On Farm Plant Breeding

6 - Sharing & Selling Seeds

7 - Seed Harvest & Cleaning Techniques

Registration for the winter cohort is now open. If you've ever wanted to grow seed more intentionally and connect with other growers, this is your chance to get started.

Find out more and register the Seed Farmer Mentorship here.

Enjoy the episode!

Episode links

Support the Utopian Seed Project for matching funds

Stay in Touch

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Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

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David Catzel is the BC Seed Security Program Manager at FarmFolk City Folk, the Regional Program Coordinator for the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, and serves on the board of the BC EcoSeed Co‑op. He also grows seed at Fraser Common Farm Co‑op.

In this episode, David shares his experience supporting growers, organizing cooperatives, and stewarding seed networks. We talk about on‑farm plant breeding, including his efforts to select an open‑pollinated white peacock kale.

In the deep dive, David and I get into the nitty-gritty of growing sea kale (Crambe maritima), covering its tricky germination, perennial habits, and seed production.

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Enjoy the conversation!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

BC Seeds Gatherings

https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/bc-seed-security-program/bc-seed-gathering/

Farm Folk City Folk

https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/bc-seed-security-program/

https://www.instagram.com/farmfolkcityfolk/

BC Seed Suppliers

https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/find-seeds/bc-seed-suppliers/

The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security

https://www.seedsecurity.ca/en/

News Links

The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations!

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

You've reviewed your field records, gathered feedback from your team, looked at your sales channels, and even listened to your customers. Now it's time to bring it all together.

This is the final episode of the 2025 Season Review Challenge! Let's pull together everything you've learned and turn it into a clear picture of your season.

I'll also share a few examples from Tourne-Sol - including my frustration with cleaning Tithonia seeds and how amazing melons can be when everything goes right.

In this episode, we'll cover:

• Summarizing insights from all your seed reviews

• Celebrating your seed successes

• Learning from your seed challenges

• Identifying your biggest bottleneck in seed work

• Getting better with tool solutions, system solutions, and planning solutions

• Why saying "no" to one thing means saying "yes" to something better

Enjoy the episode — and congrats on completing the Season Review Challenge!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations!

Find our more about Organic Seed Alliance: Regional Seed Summits

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

Matt Bell has worked at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine, since 2018. He is currently a trial technician focusing on cucurbits, but today's conversation dives into some of his previous work with brassicas.

Matt comes from a family with a long history of seed saving and continues that tradition by growing seed at home outside of his work at Johnny's. He also grows vegetables for his partner's café, Café Grazie, in Rockland, Maine.

In this episode, Matt shares how he approaches seed production with intentional goals, five-year selection plans, and the value of diversity over uniformity. We dive deep into overwintering brassicas — from digging and potting plants, pruning, and greenhouse setup, to managing cold-hardiness, rodent and aphid pressures, and drip irrigation.

Enjoy the conversation!

The Seed Farmer Mentorship is open for registrations!

Episode links

Johnny's website

Cafe Grazie instagram

Cafe Grazie website

Register for the Free 2025 Midwest Organic Seed Summit

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

This week we're turning our attention to your customers. The people who actually buy your seeds. Whether you sell seed packs through your online store, seed racks in retail shops, or bulk seed on contract to other companies, this is the perfect time to connect, listen, and learn.

This minisode is part 4 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.

In this episode, we'll get into …

• Why customer feedback is the heart of a thriving seed business

• How to survey or interview your customers effectively

• When to use personal calls instead of online forms

We also talk about Chufa nuts in the intro.

Enjoy the episode!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

Registrations for The Seed Farmer Mentorship open on Nov 6

The BC Seed Gathering is on Nov 28

Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

It's time to review your seed sales channels to see what's working and what isn't.

Whether you're selling seed packs through your own company or bulk seed to other seed companies, there are a few metrics that will help you plan for next season.

This minisode is part 3 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can build an even better seed business next year.

In this episode, we'll get into …

• How to top and bottom-selling varieties

• The seed cost per pack for different crops

• The potential sales per growing space for different crops

• Considering non economic reasons why you choose certain varieties

• Get ready to plan next season

Enjoy the episode!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

The Seed Farmer Mentorship registration starts November 6

Behind the Packet: Open-Pollinated Seeds in Focus on October 28

Watch my Pivot Table tutorial

Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

Gather the crew - it's time for a season review!

This week on the Season Review Challenge, we're talking about doing a team season review. That means gathering everyone who worked alongside you this year, and looking back together on how the season went - not just from your perspective, but from theirs.

Taking time for a team review might feel risky during fall harvests and cleanup, but it's one of the best investments you can make for your systems, your sanity, and your staff retention. When people feel heard and see their feedback shape next season's plan, they're a lot more likely to stick around and keep growing with you.

This minisode is part 2 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.

In this episode, we'll get into:

• How to structure a team season review

• Questions to ask that draw out useful insights

• How to use surveys to gather input efficiently

• Why sharing everyone's responses matters

• How this feedback can directly improve your seed systems

So, before you dive into winter planning, take an hour to harvest your team's experience. The seeds of next season's improvements are already there. You just have to ask for them.

Enjoy the episode!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

The Seed Farmer Mentorship is coming back soon.

Breeding tomatoes on a farm: practical selection advice. Article in Growing For Market

Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos

Stay in Touch

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Get my weekly seed newsletter

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

You might be busy harvesting carrots, planting garlic, and wrapping up the season - but this is also the perfect time to pause and look back at your growing season.

Before all the details of the season fade away, take a moment to review what you actually planted, what you harvested, and how it all turned out. Completing your field records now, while the season is still fresh in your mind, will make your future planning so much easier.

This minisode is part 1 of the 2025 Season Review Challenge, where I want to make sure you take the time to learn from this season so you can plan an even better next season.

In this episode, we'll get into …

• Why to do a season review while you're still busy in the field

• What planting and harvest records matter most for seed growers

• How to complete your records if they have a few holes

• How to figure out your own seed yields

• Why your own numbers are more valuable than any reference book (Though the Seed Farmer book is still a pretty good reference!)

Enjoy the episode!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Episode links

The Seed Farmer Mentorship is coming back soon.

Help Shape the 12th Seed Library Summit

Watch Last year's Season Review Challenge Videos

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

Get my weekly seed newsletter

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!

All those roots you're harvesting for fall storage aren't just good for eating or selling at market. They are also the first stage of a biennial seed crop!

If you've planted carrots, beets, turnips, onions, or winter radishes this season, you can choose the best roots now to grow a seed crop next year.

This is another Seedy September minisode to realise that there is seed growing in your garden right now and all you have to do is go and harvest it. Actually - this might actually be an October minisode.

In this episode, we'll get into …

• How to choose the best roots to overwinter for seed

• How to store and handle biennial roots through winter

• Tips for starting biennials and breaking dormancy in the spring

• Keeping genetic diversity and avoiding accidental crosses

• How many plants do you need and how much seed can you get

Enjoy the episode!

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

http://spreadsheet.farm/supportpodcast

Seed News links

Canadian Farmers! Sign the petition to protect your right to save certain protected seed varieties on your farm.

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6778

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

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Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook/

❤️ Thanks for listening!