美国 Fedco Seeds – 缅因州合作社式有机种子与园艺用品供应商

公司概况

Fedco Seeds 是一家总部位于美国缅因州 Clinton 的工人与消费者共有合作社（worker/consumer-owned cooperative），成立于 1978 年，由几位朋友在冬季联合采购优质种子的实践中起步。经过近半个世纪的发展，公司现已拥有超过 150 名员工，每年完成超过 6 万份订单，年营业额超 1000 万美元，服务覆盖全美及加拿大。Fedco 以”成员所有制合作社”形式运营——其工人和消费者共同拥有公司，每位所有者在大决策中拥有一票表决权，并平等获取公司财务信息。公司提供超过 1200 种蔬菜、花卉、香草及马铃薯品种，以耐寒（cold-hardy）品种见长，致力于为家庭园艺爱好者、小型农场主及果园经营者提供高质量种子、植物及园艺用品。

产品与服务

Fedco 的产品线涵盖蔬菜与香草种子、花卉种子、水果与坚果树苗、灌木及观赏植物、种薯、秋季球根（大蒜、郁金香、牡丹、鸢尾等）、有机种植用品、滴灌系统、覆盖作物种子及农场种子等。在观赏园艺方面，Fedco 提供丰富的景观树木（遮荫树、观赏苹果及樱桃等）、伊藤牡丹（Itoh Peonies）、本土植物（Native Plants）及可食用景观（Edible Landscape）植物，覆盖从春季球根到秋季观赏草的全年花园美化需求。公司每年发布三次印刷版产品目录（print catalog），并提供在线全年订购服务。Fedco 特别注重耐寒品种的筛选，所有产品均适合美国东北部及相似气候区的种植条件。公司明确承诺不销售转基因产品（”No GMOs. Ever.”），大量产品为有机认证或可持续种植来源。

合作社模式与价值观

作为美国为数不多的工人与消费者共有合作社之一，Fedco 将民主原则贯彻于企业运营之中。公司实行 3.5:1 的最高与最低薪酬比例，不将利润分配给少数股东，而是将超额利润以股息（dividends）形式返还给所有合作社成员（工人与消费者）。Fedco 支持小型独立种植者，倡导公平与可持续的农业实践，承认过去与现在对种子保存和品种培育做出贡献的育种者与种子守护者。公司的标语”我们不只是说说而已”（And it Ain’t Just Talk…）体现了其将价值观落地为实际行动的决心。

社会责任与透明度

Fedco 是最早签署”安全种子承诺”（Safe Seed Pledge）的种子公司之一，承诺不销售转基因种子。公司建立了”原住民版税计划”（Indigenous Royalties Program）和”黑人利益分享计划”（Black Benefit Sharing Program），为历史上被边缘化的社区提供经济支持。Fedco 对种子来源保持透明公开，鼓励消费者做出知情选择，并积极与客户讨论生态议题。公司专门设有”回馈种子保存者与育种者”项目，推动种子多样性的保护与传承。

官网：https://www.fedcoseeds.com/

Company Overview

Fedco Seeds is a worker/consumer-owned cooperative based in Clinton, Maine, founded in 1978 by a group of friends pooling resources to save money on quality seeds. Nearly five decades later, the cooperative employs over 150 workers and fulfills more than 60,000 orders annually, generating over $10 million in revenue while serving gardeners and growers across the United States and Canada. Fedco operates under a democratic ownership model in which workers and consumers jointly own the business, with each owner holding one vote on major decisions and equal access to shared financial information. The company offers over 1,200 varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and potatoes, with a focus on cold-hardy cultivars suited to the Northeast and similar growing regions.

Products and Services

Fedco’s extensive product range includes vegetable and herb seeds, flower seeds, fruit and nut trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, seed potatoes, fall-planted bulbs (garlic, tulips, peonies, irises), organic growing supplies, drip irrigation systems, cover crop seeds, and farm seed. For ornamental gardening, the cooperative offers a diverse selection of shade trees, flowering ornamentals (including crabapples and ornamental cherries), Itoh peonies, native plants, and edible landscape varieties — providing year-round garden interest from spring bulbs through autumn grasses. The cooperative publishes three award-winning print catalogs each year and maintains year-round online ordering. All products are selected for performance in northern climates, with many offered as certified organic or sustainably grown. Fedco was among the first seed companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge and maintains a firm commitment to never knowingly sell genetically modified organisms.

Cooperative Model and Values

As one of the few worker/consumer hybrid cooperatives in the United States, Fedco operates on democratic principles, maintaining a 3.5:1 top-to-bottom pay ratio and returning excess profits to co-op owners as annual dividends rather than enriching outside shareholders. The cooperative actively supports small and independent growers, champions equitable and sustainable agricultural practices, and acknowledges the contributions of past and present seed keepers and breeders. Fedco’s operating philosophy is captured in its slogan: “And it Ain’t Just Talk” — a commitment to backing stated values with concrete action.

Social Responsibility and Transparency

Fedco maintains full transparency regarding seed sourcing so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. The cooperative has established an Indigenous Royalties program and a Black Benefit Sharing program to provide economic support to historically marginalized communities. Fedco actively engages with customers on ecological issues affecting sustainability and planetary welfare, and maintains a dedicated initiative to support seed keepers and breeders in preserving agricultural biodiversity for future generations.