About Fedco

Fedco is a Maine-based worker/consumer-owned cooperative specializing in gardening, farming and orcharding supplies from our warehouses in Clinton, ME. We update our offerings three times a year when we release our famous and award-winning print catalogs. You can download our latest catalogs or request a printed copy.

Fedco does not knowingly sell GMOs. Many of our products are organic or sustainably grown, and we do our best to source items locally when possible.

Our Mission

We’re here to support you in growing food that contributes to the health and wellness of individuals, families, communities and our planet.

Our Values

  • We strive to keep our prices affordable and our quality high, while ensuring livable wages for our staff and partner growers.
  • As a consumer/worker-owned cooperative, we value a democratic, inclusive and equitable workplace.
  • We support small and independent growers whenever possible.
  • We support equitable and sustainable agricultural practices while acknowledging the past and present seed keepers and breeders contributing to the many varieties we are able to carry today.

And it ain't just talk...

  • We were among the first seed companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge, establishing our commitment to non-genetically-modified seed.
  • We actively cultivate a supply network of small and regional independent growers.
  • We practice transparency regarding our seed sourcing so that consumers can make informed decisions about their purchases.
  • We have an Indigenous Royalties program...
  • ... and a Black Benefit sharing program
  • We don't shy away from discussing ecological issues with our customers when situations arise that support or threaten sustainability and the welfare of our planet.
  • We donate up to 10% of our profits to community groups and organizations whose farm and garden related efforts align with our core values.
  • We promote heritage seed and fruit tree varieties, helping to preserve and protect them so they are available for future generations.
  • We encourage the development and use of open-source seeds.
  • We've been solar powered since 2017.
  • For every chestnut sold, we donate $3 to the American Chestnut Foundation Maine Chapter's traditional breeding program.
  • We maintain a donation program for order refunds that makes it easy for customers to support organizations and projects like MOFGA, Nibezun, Scatterseed, and the Maine Heritage Orchard.

Our History

Fedco started in 1978 as a few friends working together in the winter to save money on quality seeds for their gardens. Since then, we have added a fruit tree order in 1983, garlic and fall bulbs in 1984, seed potatoes in 1985, and organic growing supplies in 1988. Having started with 98 orders (all from Maine!) and a very short operating season our first year, we now operate year round, serving gardeners and growers across the US and Canada. Every year, over 150 workers cooperate to fill over 60,000 orders totaling over $10 million annually.

Cooperatively owned and operated 💪🗳️

Since 1978 we have organized our business as a worker/consumer co-operative — one of the few such co-ops in the US! A co-op is an alternative business model based on democratic principles where our workers and customers own the business together. Every owner gets a vote in the big decisions facing the co-op, and has equal access to shared financial information about the business. We work against the growing income inequality in our country. Instead of sending annual profits to a wealthy few, we give excess profits back to our co-op owners (workers and consumers) every year as dividends! And instead of extracting labor from our peers by paying them as little as we can, we instead lift them up by paying meaningful wages and maintaining a 3.5:1 top-to-bottom pay ratio.

Where to next?