Seed Bank Celebrates Third Anniversary

Ever since Jere Gettle and his wife, Emilee, moved into a former bank on the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and East Washington Street in 2009, their business, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has become the go-to place for gardeners from near and far.

Martha Stewart has oohed and aahed over their beautiful catalogs and the New York Times has written about the Gettles, the Ozark family that is saving seeds from genetically-modified destruction.

This Sunday, June 10, the Seed Bank is celebrating its third birthday and is inviting the public to check out farm-themed demonstrations, special exhibits and sample locally-made organic treats. The store will be open 9:30am to 5pm, but the festivities will kick off around 11am and include live music.

If you’ve never been to the Seed Bank, brace yourself. The store, located inside the former bank, carries over 1,400 varieties of seeds from around the world, along with books, tools and homemade items from local producers. Many of the seeds are from far-flung places that Jere Gettle traveled to, intent on saving heirloom varieties that were on the verge of going extinct or hybridized with other styles.

“We are trying to keep the old varietals going,” Gettle says. “We want to preserve and pass down the culinary history of the U.S. and of other countries.