{"title":"The Bradford Family Farm Collection","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"bradford-family-watermelon","title":"Watermelon Seeds - Bradford Family","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnavailable for 2026, check back in 2027!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eCitrullus lanatus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHEIRLOOM. In the 1850s, Nathaniel Bradford developed a unique watermelon breed that was known as the sweetest and most flavorful, right down to its dark green skin. By the early 1900s, however, watermelons had been developed with hard, thick skins and tough rinds at the sacrifice of flavor, which were ultimately more profitable because they were able to be shipped with very little breakage. And so the Bradford watermelon, fell out of cultivation and became lost to the annals of history. However, although the commercial line disappeared, the Bradford family never stopped growing the original watermelon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecently “rediscovered,” the Bradford Family Watermelon and its unique products are being introduced to chefs, gardeners and food enthusiasts around the world. The Bradford Family Watermelon is passing germination tests at USDA's Seed Lab in Columbia, SC, with greater than 90% success. However, this heirloom has been grown and saved on the same farm for over 100 years, so specific environmental conditions could affect germination. This is a rare seed being reintroduced to the home gardener and we encourage you to grow and save your own stock for regional adaptation. The Bradford Watermelon is now being successfully grown all over the USA, we welcome and encourage you feedback!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e***This is a late summer melon, and requires very warm soil between 80 and 85 degrees, and to be kept damp, but not wet. Feedback from our customers suggests that planting too early and\/or over-watering accounts for most failures in germination. Please call anytime if you have questions about growing these delicious watermelons, we are happy to help!***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Bradford Watermelon seeds are rare, hand-selected, hand-sorted seeds direct from the Bradford family. The majority of the seed price goes to support the Bradford family as they continue to work hard to preserve this plant and reintroduce its unique, historic products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor additional information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bradfordfarmsc.com\/\"\u003eBradford Family\u003c\/a\u003e website.\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/bradfordwatermelons.com\/2015\/04\/planting-instructions\/\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"- Watermelon -","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32975966797901,"sku":"086-014-1-C","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2550\/8730\/products\/v-watermelon-bradford.jpg?v=1578326514"},{"product_id":"ground-nuts","title":"American Groundnut Tubers","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eApios americana\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eGroundnut tubers are sold by weight in 1 oz bags. The number of tubers will vary depending on the weight of the individual tubers but in general you can expect to receive three to six tubers per 1 oz bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eApios americana, \u003c\/em\u003ealso known colloquially as \"Indian Groundnut,\" and by its indigenous name, \"Hopniss,\" is found in indigenous diets from Canada to the Gulf coast. This perennial from the pea family produces both edible tubers and beans (seeds are edible but pods are fibrous!). Groundnuts can be planted with potatoes in the spring time. The vines can extend up to ten feet, with purple-pink flowers resembling wisteria from July to September. Fleshy tubers varying in size from one to eight centimeters in diameter can be steamed, roasted, boiled, mashed, or can be dried then ground into a thickening powder for recipes. A bit sweeter than potatoes, but with lasting heartiness, possibly related to the high protein content (3x more than a standard potato).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThese groundnuts were grown for us by Nat Bradford (of \u003ca title=\"Bradford Watermelon seeds\" href=\"https:\/\/sowtrueseed.mom\/products\/bradford-family-watermelon?_pos=1\u0026amp;_psq=bradford\u0026amp;_ss=e\u0026amp;_v=1.0\"\u003eBradford Watermelon\u003c\/a\u003e fame), who has selected them over the past 15 years from improved strains originally researched by Dr. Blackmon of Louisiana State University. Photos by Nat Bradford.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote\u003c\/strong\u003e: A percentage of the population react to eating groundnuts with gastrointestinal issues - the percentage of people affected has been reported as anywhere from 9-25%. If you are allergic to latex, don't eat groundnuts. Cooking methods may affect digestibility, and groundnuts should never be eaten raw.  If groundnuts are new to you then begin with small serving sizes.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1vrJj-UnXbeHecGVip_AwwuHJv2hPPeUq\/view?usp=sharing\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFind our groundnut growing guide here.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"* Pre-Order Item Ships in March","offers":[{"title":"1 oz","offer_id":6905009537066,"sku":"410-001-1-C","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2550\/8730\/files\/IMG_9384.jpg?v=1772562761"},{"product_id":"bradford-family-okra","title":"Okra Seeds - Bradford Family","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHEIRLOOM. Known most recently for their Bradford Watermelon, another wonderful family heirloom has been quietly hiding on the farm just out of eyesight from the public. The Bradford Family Okra has been grown and passed down in Sumter, SC for almost as long as their famous watermelon. In the mid 19s Theron Bradford built an okra thresher to harvest the seed from his crop and supplied all the local feed and seeds in Sumter and surrounding counties. This was the preferred okra by the locals. It was unique in that the tip of the okra would still snap clean at even 6-8 inches in length, meaning that it was a very large tender pod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNat Bradford, Theron's grandson, is now the breedline manager for his family's heirloom okra. Over the summer of 2017 Nat introduced this okra to SC chefs who have placed it in high demand. Chef Forrest Parker, impressed with its size and tenderness, commented \"\"Wow! This okra is large enough to stuff! This changes everything we know about okra.\"\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChef Kristian Niemi commented that he had never tasted such a sweet okra. And Chef Sean Brock referred to the pearl-like seeds as he pressed them from a large pod that \"\"this is okra caviar!\"\" Now, after close to three quarters of a century, the Bradford family is making this fabulous, rare okra available again! This is a very limited release this year. Don't miss out!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMALL FARM GROWN by The Bradford Watermelon Company, Sumter, SC\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"- Okra -","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":6905090867242,"sku":"054-023-1-C","price":4.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2550\/8730\/products\/Bradford-Family-2-1024x768_cs.jpg?v=1612895141"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2550\/8730\/collections\/brafford-family-watermelon-exclusively-sow-true-seed.jpg?v=1563411927","url":"https:\/\/sowtrueseed.mom\/collections\/the-bradford-family-farm-collection.oembed","provider":"Sow True Seed","version":"1.0","type":"link"}