Our Mission

Our website serves this goal in two ways: by providing our association members, the gardening media, and individual home gardeners nationwide with well researched, accurate, useful articles and features about successful gardening from seed, the packet seed industry, and major gardening trends.

Additionally, the HGSA acts as a Trade Association and forum for members to discuss issues of mutual concern. The website updates our members on all Association activities, most particularly the annual HGSA Seed Conference and Trials, which takes place in a different location every September.

Member Benefits

•  Actively promotes our EZfromSeed program through press releases, online presence and social networking.

•  Provides information and updates to national and local gardening writers and media.

•  Hosts informative workshops and develop marketing ideas through regular round tables at the annual conference

•  Hosts seed related tours and networking events for fellow seedsmen and industry leaders at our annual meeting

•  Facilitates communication and networking between seed producers and seed retailers
   
• Provides a trialing program for all members as part of the annual summer conference so members can see new varieties, see how varieties do in different climates or just quality check inventory in low cost trial.

Why Have the HGSA?
 The garden seed business has been revitalized with significant recent increases in home garden packet seed sales, especially in wildflowers and vegetable and herb seeds. The economy, a concern for healthy food, the interest in organic gardening, the nationwide "Green" movement, and interest in container gardens and creating edible and sustainable landscaping have all come together to create new demand from both new and existing home garden customers.

Building for the Future
It is critical for the garden seed industry, separately from the bedding and vegetable plant starts industry, to build for the future. Bedding plants and vegetable starts have their place in gardening no doubt; but now with the tremendous revival of interest in seed gardening, the HGSA is specifically targeted to taking care of its own.

We want to build on the current growth to make certain that gardening from seed is strongly supported in both current and future generations of gardeners. Seeds are vital to the future of American home gardening in order to assure quality, health, variety and results to every gardener.

Productive Annual Winter Meeting and Summer Conference & Trials

As a trade organization, our  Summer Conference and Winter Meeting for member companies create opportunities for continuing education, networking, and focused discussions about issues and concerns we all share. Our annual Summer Trials are an important member benefit, where HGSA member companies can send and evaluate varieties in different climate zones every season, and seed producing HGSA member companies can showcase varieties they offer. Our annual winter meeting and wine reception at the ASTA Flower and Vegetable Conference enables members to interact and network and get a complete update on HGSA.

Low Cost Trialing Program
HGSA offers members the opportunity to participate in our        National Trialing program. This low cost program is a great benefit for companies that do not have the facilities to perform their own variety trialing. Each season, in conjunction with our summer meeting, members send in seed varieties for evaluation at our annual summer trials. The trials are carefully organized and coordinated each year through a qualified grower at our summer meeting location. Participants can send in either brand-new varieties or varieties for quality control evaluation. 

Press Releases to Highlight and Educate about the Seed Growing Seasons
We create two Press Releases each year to highlight and educate about growing from seed. These are sent via "snail mail" and e-mail to the nations' traditional gardening media and social media that focus on gardening topics.

Garden and Seed Industry Participation

Member participation in the seed and gardening sector is another key factor for communication with all facets of our industry. Members attend and report about the Organic Seed Alliance meetings as well as and other grower conferences and garden center shows. We attend the Garden Writers of America annual conference to promote HGSA and gardening from seed with garden writers from all over the country. Because we are dedicated to satisfying the needs of the home garden seed industry, we welcome your suggestions on how best we can serve your needs.