Sign In | Sign Up Free Catalog Donate 0 items SHOP SUPPORT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS & RESOURCES VISIT ABOUT US Non-GMO Seeds < Back to Learn Seeds labeled GMO—the acronym for “genetically modified organism”—result from one of the industry’s most controversial practices. GMO seeds are bred not in a garden but in a laboratory using modern biotechnology techniques like gene splicing. Scientists modify a seed’s DNA to ensure the resulting plant produces desired characteristics. Seed Savers Exchange does not produce or sell GMO seeds. Non-GMO seeds are cultivated through pollination. They can be bred two different ways: as hybrid seeds or as open-pollinated seeds. The term “hybrid” refers to a plant variety developed through a specific, carefully controlled cross-pollination of two different parent plants to produce new traits that can’t be created by inbreeding two of the same plants. Hybrid varieties—also called F1 or “first-filial” hybrids—produce seeds that are not “true to type,” meaning that they do not conform to the known characteristics of a given plant variety. Open-pollinated seeds, by contrast, are produced from random pollination by wind, birds, insects, or other natural means. Gardeners who save seeds from open-pollinated plants can keep them genetically pure by isolating the plants from the pollen of other plants. They then save seeds from those plants to grow out the following season, confident that the seeds will possess the same characteristics as the parent plant, or grow “true to type.” Seed Savers Exchange both saves and sells open-pollinated seeds, many of which are heirloom seeds that have been passed down through many generations. Read more about our seed policy Learn More About Seed Savers Exchange More For You How to Save Seeds Seed Saving Chart Seed Saving Glossary Shop Heirloom Seeds Vegetable Seeds Flower Seeds Herb Seeds Crop-by-Crop Growing Guides Arugula Bean Beet Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrot Ground Cherry Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce Lima Bean Melon Radish Runner Bean Shallot Sorghum Soy Bean Spinach Cauliflower Collard Cowpea Cucumber Eggplant Garlic Mustard Okra Onion Pea Pepper Potato Squash Swiss Chard Tomatillo Tomato Watermelon Programs and Resources For Gardeners USDA Zones How to Grow Potatoes How to Grow Garlic Trellises Hard Seed Guide Germination Tests Seed Starting For Seed Savers The Seed Garden Why Save Seeds? How to Save Seeds How to Share Seeds How to Share Seed Stories Seed Saving Chart Events and Workshops Assessing Seed Maturity Short-Term Seed Storage How to Hand-Pollinate Corn How to Hand-Pollinate Squash How to Raise Insects for Pollination Midwest Pollinators For Community Builders Community Seed Resource Program How to Start a Seed Swap How to Start a Seed Garden How to Start a Seed Bank As a customer, member, or donor, you help us save America’s heirloom seeds. Stay Connected Email Subscribe for special offers, recipes, and gardening tips. Subscribe Who We Are Seed Savers Exchange is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of heirloom seeds. About Us Our Mission Our Story Job Opportunities Visit Us Visitors Center Hours March 1 to October 31: Open 11am to 5pm daily Learn more Contact Us Seed Savers Exchange 3094 North Winn Road Decorah, Iowa 52101 Send Us a Message (563) 382-5990 Customer Service Hours M-Th 9am to 1pm CDT Our Sites Home Seed Exchange Blog Customer Support Safe Seed Pledge Satisfaction Guaranteed Shipping Policy Return Policy Sales Tax Privacy Policy Accessibility Organic Certificate Learn Types of Seeds Non GMO Vegetable Seeds Heirloom Vegetable Seeds Organic Vegetable Seeds Store Locations Find Seeds Near You Grow with Us—Retailer Wholesale Program Quick Links Request a Catalog Heirloom Vegetable Seeds Heirloom Tomato Seeds Heirloom Bean Seeds Heirloom Corn Seeds Heirloom Flower Seeds 2021 Digital Catalog © 2021 Seed Savers Exchange. Images on this site are protected by copyright—unauthorized use is not permitted.