Broccoli & Rapini

(Brassica oleracea) The (justifiably) much-maligned public opinion of open-pollinated broccoli among commercial growers has started to change based on the attentive stewardship and selection work that has gone into a couple of varieties in this category over the past decade. “Solstice” comes out of a gene pool started at OSU...

(Brassica rapa) Prized in its homeland of Italy and by chefs worldwide, this broccoli relative is a culinary treat. Rather than a central crown ala broccoli, Cima di Rapa (aka rapini or broccoli raab) sends forth more graceful, smaller, and looser bud clusters. Plants branch extensively after the first harvest...

*This seed is offered as part of the "Gusto Italiano Project", a collaborative partnership between Uprising Seeds, Italian breeders Smarties.Bio, and the Culinary Breeding Network. Certified organic seed is grown in Italy by Smarties.Bio. From Lane Selman of the Culinary Breeding Network:"During the Radicchio Expedition we visited Farmer/Seed Saver/Plant Breeder...

(Brassica oleracea) Open-pollinated broccoli has been long neglected in the realm of seed breeding. Several years ago, our extensive trials of all the OP varieties then available proved to be fairly discouraging, with one exception. Umpqua was simply head and shoulders above the pack in growth and flavor. We have...

(Brassica rapa) We're trying to crack the code for what it will take to popularize the gloriousness that is Cima di Rapa to a North American audience. Cima di Rapa (also known as 'rapini' and 'broccoli raab') is a popular staple of Italian cuisine in the fall, especially in the central...