Meet Lia Babitch

Lia Babitch is co-manager of Turtle Tree Seed Initiative in Copake, New York, which has a mission "...to improve the quality, variety and availability of biodynamic seeds and to promote and provide a seed supply from diversified biodynamic farms and gardens."

The seed company has an online e-commerce site offering a truly astonishingly wide variety (385+) of 100% open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Every single seed available for sale is grown using Demeter-certified Biodynamic and organic practices, is non-GMO, non-hybrid, never treated, and grown without the use of chemical inputs..

Turtle Tree is part of Camphill Village Copake, which is in turn part of the global Camphill Movement. Camphill Village is an integrated life-sharing community located on 750 acres of wooded hills, gardens and pastures in Copake, NY.

Turtle Tree Seed’s 30-person team operates workspace directly on the Camphill Village site, and 20 members of that team have some sort of developmental difference. These individuals are involved in every aspect of helping to grow, select, and clean each seed with great care. Early adopters of so-called "seed transparency", the Turtle Tree Seed Initiative grows most varieties in thier own gardens. The remainder of the inventory is sourced from other committed biodynamic farmers.

In addition to direct sales, Turtle Tree actively encourages and educates people who want to grow and save open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.