About Us
At Baker Creek, our mission is to provide sustainable, heirloom seeds for everyone, preserving seed diversity and food security for future generations. We believe in the right to save and share seeds, ensuring that farmers and gardeners can protect against corporate-controlled, hybridized, or genetically modified seeds. All our seeds can be saved, shared, and traded, and we encourage seed saving as a vital practice for food sovereignty.
In The Beginning …
Jere Gettle’s Passion for Heirloom Gardening: From Childhood Roots to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Jere Gettle’s Passion for Heirloom Gardening: From Childhood Roots to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Jere Gettle's deep love for gardening and heirloom seed preservation began at a young age, inspired by his grandmothers, Bertha and Opal, who lived nearby in the Boise Valley of Idaho. Their nurturing influence sparked a lifelong passion for gardening, food cultivation, and the preservation of cultural traditions.
At just three years old, Jere started his first garden, and by the time his family moved to the Missouri Ozarks when he was 12, his passion for growing heirloom varieties had only grown. Jere’s commitment to heirloom gardening led him to begin collecting and cultivating a wide range of rare, open-pollinated seeds.
In 1998, Jere Gettle took his hobby to the next level by publishing the first catalog of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. What began as a personal passion project has since grown into the largest heirloom seed company in the United States, offering only non-GMO, heirloom, and open-pollinated varieties.
Today, Baker Creek continues to thrive as a leader in heirloom gardening, supporting gardeners, homesteaders, and farming communities with a wide range of high-quality, rare heirloom seeds. Join Jere and our passionate community of gardeners in preserving the rich history of heirloom varieties, fostering sustainable gardening practices, and promoting healthier, more sustainable living.
A family effort
The Gettle Family:
A Legacy of Gardening, Entrepreneurship, and Family Values
The Gettle family is a multicultural unit united by a love for nature, sustainable gardening, and strong family bonds. Jere and Emilee Gettle, along with their five children—Ella, Sasha, Malia, Cyan, and Levi—work together in the gardens, embracing hands-on, educational experiences.
As entrepreneurs, Emilee runs Home Folk, a clothing and home goods business, and The Bulk Herb Store, offering organic herbs and wellness products. Together, the Gettles combine their passions for gardening, business, and community impact, cultivating a legacy of sustainable living and entrepreneurship.
The Mission
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: Preserving Seeds & Building Community
At Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, we focus on preserving heirloom seeds and creating a strong sense of community through gardening. A portion of our revenue supports global humanitarian, gardening, and educational projects. We’re passionate about promoting healthy eating and providing free seeds to organizations, ensuring access to nutrient-rich, sustainable food year after year.
Our farms and facilities:
At our main farm in Mansfield, MO, we are dedicated to advancing heirloom seed preservation and sustainable farming through comprehensive research, plant breeding, and seed production. Our farm serves as a hub for trial growing, plant selection, nutritional evaluation, and photography to showcase the beauty and diversity of heirloom varieties. Visitors can also explore an old-timey village, featuring a seed store, plant-based restaurant, display gardens, and a variety of heritage breed animals and poultry.
Throughout the year, we host festivals in the spring and fall, offering entertainment, speakers, local vendors, food, and greenhouse tours. These events are a celebration of sustainable gardening, heirloom varieties, and community.
In addition to our main farm, we operate growing facilities in Jamaica, California, and Kenya, where we produce selected heirloom seed varieties and conduct trial growing to evaluate potential crops for future sale. This global reach helps us expand our offerings and discover new, resilient heirloom varieties that thrive in different climates.
Our Seymour, MO facility is home to a 105,000 square-foot warehouse, where we meticulously pack and ship heirloom seeds and gardening products. Here, we implement rigorous quality control testing to ensure that every seed we send out meets the highest standards. Our live plant division propagates a range of top-quality live plants, including berries, figs, and sweet potatoes, helping gardeners grow nutrient-rich, heirloom crops.
We take pride in fast and efficient shipping, offering free shipping in North America on all orders, ensuring that our customers receive their heirloom seeds and plants as quickly as possible.
We are rare seeds
At Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, we believe our dedicated staff are just as rare and unique as the heirloom seeds we offer. Each team member brings their own diverse talents, passions, and deep-rooted knowledge of gardening, sustainability, and seed preservation. Like the rare seeds we nurture and protect, our staff are committed to fostering growth—whether in the garden, our community, or our mission to preserve biodiversity for future generations. Together, we cultivate a vibrant, thriving company that values individual uniqueness and the importance of nurturing every seed, human or plant, with care and respect.
