Growth of local garden seed company earns recognition from Idaho’s Congressional delegation

During a tour on Thursday afternoon, Survival Garden Seeds founder Jason Spahr showed those in attendance the product that will be sold in Walmart next year. Watch highlights of the tour in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com RIGBY — Five years after its creation, a Rigby business has become a major supplier for garden seed customers nationwide and its product will soon be distributed in 3,600 Walmart locations. Survival Garden Seeds buys and packages more than 400 different varieties of seeds, which it gets from seed warehouses and Idaho farmers. The Walmart distribution will begin next spring. “In December, (the seeds) will ship to Walmart stores,” Company founder and CEO Jason Spahr says in an interview with EastIdahoNews.com. The company caught Walmart’s attention after becoming a No. 1 seller online. Today, Walmart and Amazon are its two biggest revenue streams. Its success and growth amid economic challenges prompted the Small Business Development Center to organize a tour of this and other local companies Thursday morning. EastIdahoNews.com attended, along with representatives from Idaho State University and the local offices of Idaho’s Congressional delegation. Sen. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, was also there. Spahr says he’s grateful for the support of the SBDC over the years and he appreciates the recognition from state and federal lawmakers. He said he hopes to see brand awareness increase because of its distribution with Walmart. “This is a big day for us,” Spahr says. “It’s going to give us a lot more brand visibility and help people know who we are and drive our online (sales).” Product line that will be sold in 3,600 Walmart locations next year. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com Spahr says the goal of Survival Garden Seeds is to help customers become more self-reliant through gardening. It does that by buying seeds, educating people about how to use them and help them grow it. The thing that sets the business apart from others, according to Spahr, is the seed-saving instructions on the back of each package. “We’re the only company I know of that does that,” he says. “We only carry Heirloom, non-GMO, open pollinated seeds, meaning you can save them from year to year and get the same viability and variety.” Spahr launched Survival Garden Seeds during the COVID-19 pandemic. He founded Idaho Mattress Outlet in 2008 and was ready for a change. Spahr’s interest in gardening stems back to his childhood in Malad. His dad taught school in the area and “gardening was just a way of life” during the summer months. “It’s in my blood,” Spahr says. Forming a garden seed company was a natural fit. During Thursday’s tour, he showed the crowd how seeds are received, sorted and packaged. Watch highlights in the video above. Although the business has a large customer base across the country, Spahr says they don’t sell their product locally. “We have people all the time wanting to walk in and buy seed. We don’t have a retail shop here,” he says. “Ace Hardware in Rigby carries some of our stuff.” He’s looking to build a seed boutique shop in the near future and sell product on-site. He wants to see the brand continue to grow. “I love to grow things and improve systems,” Spahr says. “It’s rewarding for me to hear how our product is making a difference in somebody’s life. Since COVID happened, you can see (how the mindset has shifted) back to what people’s parents and grandparents used to do. Being a part of that has been fun.” Survival Garden Seeds storefront at 3809 East 37 North, Ste. 1 in Rigby. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com During the conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Spahr expressed appreciation for this association with the Small Business Development Center, which provides resources to help local business owners succeed. SBDC Director Dave Noack became acquainted with Spahr during his time at Idaho Mattress Outlet. Noack’s team worked with local universities to provide support for Survival Garden Seeds. Noack say small businesses are the backbone of the local economy and it’s thrilling for him to see the success of Spahr and his crew. “We were here with the regional directors for Congressman Mike Simpson and Sens. Crapo and Risch in April. This place has doubled in size since then. They’re scaling so rapidly. It’s amazing,” says Noack. VanOrden says a portion of the state’s general fund goes towards helping local businesses. It brings a smile to her face to see local businesses succeed and she says Spahr’s partnership with Walmart is going to pave the way for growth at other local businesses. “Idaho’s SBDCs are exceptional supporters of Idaho’s small businesses, which are the backbone of our state’s economy. I am grateful my staff could participate in a business tour today to witness firsthand the impact their assistance has on our local communities, including $227 million in total economic output and supporting more than 7,000 jobs,” Sen. Crapo says in a written statement to EastIdahoNews.com. The group also visited Grease Monkey and Thor’s Chocolate as part of Thursday’s tour. RELATED | Local Grease Monkey store celebrates 10th anniversary with big savings for customers RELATED | Local chocolate maker launches new brand with array of treats for customersThe post Growth of local garden seed company earns recognition from Idaho’s Congressional delegation appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com