Collect plant seeds and flowers seeds now while they are still available is a smart thing to do.
Seeds you should collect now
Beans – Easy to grow and preserve. Beans are very high in fiber, calcium, Vitamins A, C, and K
Spinach – Cold hardy and prolific. Many call this a superfood based upon its large array of vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, iron, thiamine, thiamine, and folic acid.Potassium
Carrots – Another hardy crop that requires very little space. This root crop is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin C
Squash – Both squash and pumpkin are prolific producers. Both store well, especially winter squash. Seeds can be saved and/or roasted and consumed. Squash has lots of carbohydrates and a great nutrient list, including Vitamins A and C, as well as magnesium and potassium.
Beets – Easy to grow and multi-functional. Both roots and greens are edible making beets a dual purpose crop.
Tomatoes – If you can keep your pest issues to a minimum, tomatoes can produce an abundance of food from a relatively small space. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A, C, K, E, Potassium, thiamine, and Niacin
Broccoli – Another cool weather crop. Broccoli is a good source of protein, Vitamins A and K, and carbohydrate.
Peppers – From a medicinal view, peppers such as cayenne are essential for natural remedies. Peppers are high in vitamin A and C
Eggplant – Not something most people would think to grow but still an important one. Eggplant is relatively easy to grow and can grow for 3 or more years. Bonus, it’s pretty easy to save seeds from Eggplant
Asparagus – An essential perennial. Depending on your region, established Asparagus plants can continue to produce for 30 years (some report for longer)
Amaranth – Another dual purpose plant. Amaranth is naturally drought tolerant. Seeds from the amaranth can be used as a grain (cook just as you would quinoa). Leaves can be picked while young and tender and eaten raw or sauteed as you would spinach.
Radish – If you need a FAST maturing crop, radish is one of the best. From seed to harvest, radish is mature in as few as 25 days. Seeds are easy to save from crops and just as easy to stockpile.
Corn – I know I mention grain below but Corn deserves a specific mention. While corn might not be the easiest crop to grow, it has many uses. Most people automatically think of Sweet Corn. However, Dent Corn & Field Corn are important. Both can be dried and fed to livestock. It can also be dried and ground into cornmeal.
Grains – If you have livestock on your homestead, grains can help feed them. Grains are a good source of carbohydrates, are high in dietary fiber and manganese
Potatoes – Purchase a few hybrid potato seeds. Hybrids. Yes, I said hybrids. Potatoes are naturally unreliable from seed. However, if you select the right hybrid, you can get reliable germination and production. After your first batch, switch over to planting last year’s sprouting potatoes.