Dear People of the national Garden Association,

Hows it going?

I'm a young man age 29 and I'm starting a farm for the first time! This is going to be exiting.

I'm looking for places or people who want to send me free heirloom open pollinated cultivars of vegetables and herbs (is heirloom and open pollinated the same)?

I'm starting a farm in Sweden but I do not have enough money to really get enough seeds in the first round of planting and are looking for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers for attracting insects. I'm interested in people who can send seeds to Sweden. I might be able to send you some seeds back the following year. (Supply me with your address and email address).

I'm going to be in hardiness zone 5 or 6 here. But ofc there is a summer with warmer temperatures. I'm going to be saving these seeds for future generations, to sort of try to do my bit for the planet and our shared ancestral heritage.

I'm primarily looking for vegetable seeds and herbs to grow.

Welcome, Sander. Surely do admire your ambition in starting a farm with not even enough money to buy seeds. I guess you've spent all your money buying land? In this country there are grants for farmers to help get them started. I'd be surprised if a country as progressive as Sweden doesn't have a similar program.

You also must not have a lot of experience with growing vegetables? - i.e. open pollinated is not necessarily the same as heirloom, although most heirlooms are open pollinated. I think an heirloom variety must have been in continuous cultivation and 'passed on' for at least 50 years.

I'd advise you contact your agricultural board to find out if it is even allowed for seeds to be sent to you from other countries without government inspection. Insect eggs, fungi and other plant diseases can be transmitted this way so it's not always allowed.

I can't send you any seed myself, as I don't plant any heirlooms or OP types. Growing in Florida, I need the disease resistant traits that the newer hybrids provide.

Best of luck in your new gardening venture!

On the other hand, we do have a number of members in Sweden and other countries in that area who might be able to help out. If you click on the "Memeberlist" at the bottom of each page, you can see who is in your area. (That link is at the very bottom of each page, just above the Pinterest link.)

Welcome, @Sander !

How large of an area are you planning to farm? Do you have experience with vegetable gardening? Are you going to sell your produce? Is this a one-man operation, or will you have help?

If you are brand-new in terms of vegetable gardening on any level... I would suggest that you need to start very small to find out what will actually work for you. Just having a fairly large garden can be extremely challenging; I can't even count how many times I've said "I'm happy I'm not trying to make a living doing this."

Best wishes on your venture -- I hope you'll keep us posted on how you are doing!