Great Basin Seed

Great Basin Seed Seed for home, ranch, reclamation, restoration and erosion control. Great Basin Seed has a proud heritage in the Intermountain West seed industry.

Our family lineage and business heritage are directly linked to the beginnings of reclamation, revegetation and wildlife habitat improvement. How it all started:

Considerable damage was inflicted upon the natural resources of the Intermountain West in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Overgrazing, timber removal, new road systems and many other factors contributed. Rainwater and runoff were no lo

nger held back by root systems and understory. One consequence was widespread, severe flooding. The small towns established along the erratic, seasonal creeks of the arid Great Basin were hit with devastating floods year after year. The small settlements of Sanpete county, UT on the western slopes of the Wasatch Plateau were hit particularly hard. Manti town lost most of it’s homes and city center at least twice and was hit hard as many as six times. The floods and the damage they inflicted led, in part, to the establishment of the Great Basin Experimental Range. The phenomenon had to be studied and addressed to save the crumbling ecosystem and restore balance. A network of ranger stations, complexes, laboratories, outbuildings, test plots and study sites were built across the west. The epicenter of the project was the Great Basin Experiment Station constructed in Ephraim Canyon in 1912. It was a small mountain village of living quarters, laboratories, gaging stations and research areas with a secondary “Alpine Station” near the top of Ephraim Canyon and a third in western Utahs arid Pine Valley at the foot of the Wah Wah mountains. In the mid 1960’s Richard Stevens (uncle) began his career at the Great Basin Experiment Station as a Utah Fish & Game plant and animal biologist. He worked side by side with A. Perry Plummer, considered by many to be the Godfather of modern natural resource management in the Basin & Range province. The list of Richards contemporaries and work comrades is a who’s-who list of great minds who wrote the book and pioneered the practices that form the foundation of our industry. Richard and his colleagues spent their careers researching, testing and experimenting all over the Great Basin, the Intermountain West and the world. Their publications literally fill libraries. They pioneered college classes and courses of study that are still taught and form the backbone of some graduate programs. They traveled the world and selected species for increase that would help improve the productivity, aesthetics and stability of disturbed lands. Among the cultivars that have been released by that team of scientists are ‘Appar’ Lewis Flax, ‘Cedar’ Palmer Penstemon, ‘Rincon’ Fourwing Saltbrush, ‘Hatch’ Winterfat, ‘Hobble Creek’ Mountain Big Sagebrush, ‘Immigrant’ Forage Kochia, ‘Ephraim’ Crested Wheatgrass and ‘Paiute’ Orchardgrass. As Richard was busy performing research at the Experiment Station, the need arose to make specific seed and plant collections for the research plots. As the need increased, so did the demand for on-the-spot or seasonal help to make those collections. Richards brother and my father, Lloyd Stevens, was in high school at the time and was frequently sent out to make seed collections for the projects. As research progressed and the scale of reclamation projects grew it became clear that a legitimate industry was being created. Small-time collectors were now procuring sizable contracts for seed collection. As the need grew, so did the complexity of the collections, processing, cleaning and preparing of seed for use in large-scale projects. The machinery and facilities being used to keep up with the demand were literally being invented as the process evolved. It was during this golden age that my father Lloyd Stevens incorporated The Maple Leaf Company in 1974. His after-school for-pocket-change project was now a business capable of sustaining families. He contracted with out-of-state growers to produce grasses and forbs. Collection efforts became broader in scope, larger in scale and farther from home. In the early 1980’s the Conservation Reserve Program (“CRP”) gained momentum and farmers and ranchers started planting large quantities of the species that were previously purchased only by state and federal agencies for small projects. In 1985 the Farm Bill “officially” legislated the CRP and it is still in force today. As mining and gas exploration grew so did the need for seed. Roads and freeways required seed. The Maple Leaf Company has been a major seed supplier to all of them. I recall as a teenager working under flood lights dusk until dawn mixing seed and filling semi-trucks with CRP seed mixes. The seed was transported to remote airstrips then flown-on as fast as we could mix it. In the 1990’s, wide-spread drought, the proliferation of cheet-grass and decades of fire-supression doctrine came to a head in a literal fire-storm across the Great Basin. Restoration and wildlife habitat projects were in force to combat the effects. The complexity and size of the projects led to a maturing of the seed industry and niche markets. In 1997 I graduated from Utah State University with a BA in Parks and Recreation Administration (with an emphasis in Natural Resource Management) and a minor in Spanish. I returned to Ephraim to take a place in the family business and continue my work in the seed industry. I brought with me computer skills, a propensity for tinkering, engineering savvy and a core belief that there is always a better way of doing things. I went to work replacing old mechanical systems with modern, computerized machines, ventilation systems and modern production lines. My graduation coincided with a groovy modern invention called the World Wide Web and I eventually decided to branch out and use my computer skills. I incorporated Great Basin Seed in 2004 and started a website during the height of the online craze. It has allowed me to connect to a larger audience and serve people in a way not possible by traditional means. I maintain a close relationship with the Maple Leaf Company and work daily with our privately owned, family business. I do not answer to corporate investors or stockholders and I’m not driven by the ambitions of pushy salesmen who work for commission. I’m not shadow-operated by a group of disconnected shareholders who know nothing about my customers. Great Basin Seed is just me and a handful of loyal employees. I believe honesty, integrity, sincerity, loyalty and Christian service are the first and most important principles of a business transaction. They also form the foundation of lasting relationships. I believe that my own family history and the proud legacy of those who came before me in this industry require that I give you my best. I promise to adhere to those principles! Jason Stevens, owner of Great Basin Seed

Other facts about the guy behind Great Basin Seed:

Born and raised in Ephraim, UT under stubborn Danish heritage
Married to a great woman with stubborn Italian heritage
3 fantastic kids who are my reason for working hard
34 chickens, 120,000 bees, 2 cats
Avid rock climber, river-runner, mountain biker, outdoorsman
Author of 4 books



Great Basin Seed Silo
An abandoned grain silo a few block from Great Basin Seed headquarters
Great Basin Seed
450 South 50 East
Ephraim, UT 84627
435.283.1411 (Office)
435.283.6872 (Fax)

🫡Work? What’s that?
12/17/2024

🫡Work? What’s that?

BLACK FRIDAY SALEIt’s your FAVORITE time of the year! FREE SHIPPING TODAY THROUGH MONDAY 12/2! No code needed just add t...
11/27/2024

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

It’s your FAVORITE time of the year! FREE SHIPPING TODAY THROUGH MONDAY 12/2!

No code needed just add to cart & check out! Easy as that!

Great Basin Seed/Maple Leaf Seed Co. is buying locally harvested Kochia! If you are interested please send inquiries to ...
11/18/2024

Great Basin Seed/Maple Leaf Seed Co. is buying locally harvested Kochia!
If you are interested please send inquiries to [email protected]
We will respond with additional information and stipulations. Don’t wait- Kochia collection happens in large part during the month of November!

SALE! SALE! SALE!!Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order.
10/27/2024

SALE! SALE! SALE!!

Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order.

How it is living in this economy😭🫠
10/25/2024

How it is living in this economy😭🫠

Great Basin Seed/Maple Leaf Seed Co. is buying locally harvested Sagebrush and Kochia! If you are interested, please sen...
10/25/2024

Great Basin Seed/Maple Leaf Seed Co. is buying locally harvested Sagebrush and Kochia! If you are interested, please send inquiries to [email protected].
We will respond with additional information and stipulations. Don't wait - sagebrush and kochia collection happen in large part during the month of November!

Photo Submission! Review on our Southeast Wildflower Mix: “The cosmos in this mix grew like crazy!”  - JimDo you have pi...
10/23/2024

Photo Submission!

Review on our Southeast Wildflower Mix:
“The cosmos in this mix grew like crazy!”
- Jim

Do you have pictures of our products, farm and ranch, and landscapes? Send them to us and you could get featured on our feed!

Employee Highlight: Payton KingPayton is a receptionist, secretary, and over all social media platforms & most of the co...
10/10/2024

Employee Highlight: Payton King
Payton is a receptionist, secretary, and over all social media platforms & most of the content creation here at Great Basin Seed.
She started here at the age of 12 filing paperwork and cleaning the office. She graduated from Snow College in December 2023 with her Associates Degree and married her now husband in May 2024.
In her free time Payton is a Photographer and spends most of her week nights/weekends taking pictures. When she’s not taking pictures she enjoys swing dancing, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and hanging out with her husband at the farm.

PASTURE SALEVisit greatbasinseed.com to place an order! If you have any questions feel free to give us a call at 435-283...
10/10/2024

PASTURE SALE

Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order! If you have any questions feel free to give us a call at 435-283-1411

SALE SALE SALE Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order! If you have any questions give us a call at 435-283-1411
10/07/2024

SALE SALE SALE

Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order! If you have any questions give us a call at 435-283-1411

Employee Highlight: Heidi Stevens As a part owner of Great Basin Seed, Heidi manages our receivables, payables, and othe...
10/02/2024

Employee Highlight: Heidi Stevens

As a part owner of Great Basin Seed, Heidi manages our receivables, payables, and other roles including LTL freight, payroll, and office functions.
She started her career with Maple Leaf after graduating from Snow College with a degree in business management. Her knowledge and insight is invaluable to the operations of the company. She is a great asset and is such a joy to have in the office!
Aside from the time she spends managing the company, Heidi is an avid animal lover and outdoor enthusiast. She often makes time to visit Utah’s national parks, catch newly released movies, or craft new projects.

Employee Highlight: Ky Banta Ky oversees daily operations including seed processing, packaging, mixing and personnel. He...
09/25/2024

Employee Highlight: Ky Banta

Ky oversees daily operations including seed processing, packaging, mixing and personnel. He also serves a growing list of wholesale clients. Ky started as a part-time employee in high school. His 20 years of experience has been a great asset in maintaining a highly functional operation. He loves the outdoors and his hobbies include motorsports and guns. Most weekends Ky can be found with Zeke, Jason and other friends riding throughout the state on their Motorcycles.

Employee Highlight: Megan TimothyMegan was born and raised in southern California and moved to Utah in 1995. She enjoys ...
09/18/2024

Employee Highlight: Megan Timothy
Megan was born and raised in southern California and moved to Utah in 1995. She enjoys working at Great Basin Seed part time while balancing her time as a mother of 3 and being a widow.
Megan is responsible for shipping of all orders, she strives for 100% accuracy on all shipments. She is valued as an employee because of her honesty, attention to detail, and ability to listen and help those in need. She loves spending her free time with her family, traveling, camping, riding, hiking and building fun projects.

09/05/2024

SALE SALE SALE
Visit greatbasinseed.com to place an order!

It’s not often that our Dryland Pasture Seed Mix goes on sale so TAKE ADVANTAGE!!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALE Normally $3.30 on SALE for $2.20!!!Rancher Special Alfalfa - Economic alternative to high end alf...
08/29/2024

LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALE

Normally $3.30 on SALE for $2.20!!!
Rancher Special Alfalfa
- Economic alternative to high end alfalfa
- Same quality and coating standards
- Suited to a variety of situations
- Widely adapted

Order from our website greatbasinseed.com

What do all these tags mean? What is seed certification Certified seed is guaranteed to be of specific genetic identity ...
08/27/2024

What do all these tags mean?

What is seed certification
Certified seed is guaranteed to be of specific genetic identity and varietal purity, assuring you that the seed came from a registered parent crop. Certified seed is obtained by growing registered seed, registered seed is grown from foundation seed. Both foundation and breeder seed are under the control of the Foundation Seed Program and every step of the production process is monitored and checked by certification agencies.

What are Source Identified Seeds?
Source identified seed is certified as collected from a specific origin or geological location

What is Site Adapted Seed
Site adapted seed is selected because the seed sources matched the ecological conditions as your planting site. some species transfer to different Ecotypes better than others. By selecting the site adapted seed, you increase the chances for seeding success.

What is a seed lab and what do they do? Seed Labs are an integral part of our business, and valued partners in our goal ...
08/20/2024

What is a seed lab and what do they do?

Seed Labs are an integral part of our business, and valued partners in our goal to provide quality seed to our customers.

Seed Laboratories serve as a third-party agency for confirming the quality of a given seed lot. Every lot of seed we sell has been sampled and sent to the lab for analysis. The lab provides crucial information about the lot, including purity, germination or TZ, inert material, crop and w**d information. The analysis report they provide is printed on the analysis tag of every bag of seed we sell.

Tagged in our stories and at the top of our profile in the “highlight” section is a direct link to a video to help you learn more about seed labs. Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions.

Address

450 South 50 East
Ephraim, UT
84627

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

(435) 283-1411

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