Experimental Farm Network from New Jersey/Minnesota, USA

I give this seed source 9 out of 10 acorns.

I want to start by saying this seed source is not for everyone but if you're into them, you'll likely be really into them!

Who it's good for: adventurous gardeners, current and aspiring seed savers and plant breeders, folks who are looking for landrace seeds from Joseph Lofthouse, folks in colder climes in who want to push the limits of their growing zone and experiment with crops from slightly warmer zones

Who it's not so good for: those who want crop uniformity, not-so-adventurous novice gardeners, and growers who get really frustrated by gardening failures

I love the Experimental Farm Network as a source for unusual varieties, including perennial edibles, landraces, and grexes. Some of their seeds are sold as "botanical samples" which means they are not germination tested and some other varieties have lower germination rates than most seeds sold commercially. This is the main reason for my comments above about who this seed source is best suited for. However, they are very transparent about this, including the germination info in each item's description, and it is a reflection of the types of items they are carrying (seeds for fruits and woody perennials more typically sold as planting stock, seed from wild varieties, etc.) and not any reflection on the quality of seed they carry. Item descriptions also include location and USDA growing zone, as well as plenty of other useful info on growing and use. They are a small company so expect them to have limited availability of most items and sell out of many and plan accordingly/order early.

I have only grown a couple varieties sourced from them so far (maypop, perennial kale grex) but am quite pleased with them and planning to try more varieties from them this growing season, including a food & fiber flax grex, yellow mustard, and possibly some of Joseph Lofthouse's landraces. I failed my first year trying to grow the maypop (had very low germination and it didn't like the spot I planted it) but my second and third year had much better germination (I maintained proper germination conditions - warmth & moisture - for much longer and had most of the seeds germinate over a couple month period), got flowers and immature fruit on some of the plants in year one, and successfully overwintered and got mature fruits on the same plants in year two. The kale grex was successful but didn't have as much variation in plant color and leaf types as I would like, so I think I need to plant more of them to see that fully expressed.

I give this seed source 9 out of 10 acorns. My experience has been like Becca Miller said above, excepting that I haven't planted anything yet. They had some cool stuff I didn't find elsewhere, reasonable prices, and they got it to me in a reasonable time. I ordered five items, and at least three of them more diverse than just a "variety". (Two are populations of Joseph Lofthouse's pan-amorous tomatoes.)

I give this seed company 10 out of 10 acorns! I've only made one order, but I was very pleased to find they offer a wide selection of Joseph Lofhouse seeds. His seeds are amazing. His Cache Valley Currant Tomato was the only tomato that actually ripened in time in my damp climate--all my other tomatoes got blight before they ripened. Those little currant tomatoes were DELICIOUS, too! They were real winners with my kids.

Even though my climate is very different than Joseph's, his seeds have such diversity and vigor that they really do well, even in such a different climate!

I just bought about $50 worth and I give it 10 out of 10 acorns so far.  It had many other things I thought about buying and I might eventually.  Skirret is the one I'm most interested in growing and M61 Survivor Sorghum because if it can come back from a NJ winter then I imagine a lower TN winter is definitely survivable but we'll see.  The shipping was very fair in my opinion and very quick and you can follow it if you so desire.  It was irritating to put all my info in before they showed me the shipping price because some places price gouge you.  I'll try to update this later.

I give this seed company 10 out of 10 acorns! This is my very favorite seed supplier.

In their order system, I am responsible for orders numbered: 3393, 4536, 6616, 10336, and 21009. On top of carrying the coolest crops with great stories, Nate and Dusty are up to their eyeballs in promoting a more just and sustainable world. (They're worth following on Facebook if you do that.) They also host a series of cool crowdsourced botanical experiments like trying to find northern-hardy prickly pear and kale or building more diversity into the potato onion.

I give this seed source 9 out of 10 acorns.

It is not every store that you can get seeds such as that of the genetics of Joseph Lofthouse's projects or Sepp Holzer's Siberian Rye. A variety of seeds, prices are more than fair and shipping is prompt. I find their website easy to navigate and their purchasing process to be intuitive. While these seeds have not been planted yet, they are intended for this upcoming growing season and this review may be updated following any developments.

I would utilize this seed source again in the future.

Just a note -- EFN just added their 2025 seed collection to their web store. If you want only the new stuff: https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/collections/new-for-2025