Colorado Seed Growers Association

The Colorado Seed Growers Association is a non-profit educational and service organization, authorized by Cooperative Extension of Colorado State University as the official seed certifying agency in Colorado. The Colorado Seed Growers Association is a member of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), and is located on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins.

It Pays to Plant the Best

Certified Seed is field inspected to ensure genetic identity. All seed is not equal. Plant breeders invest about ten years to develop a new variety. During that time experimental lines are tested for yield potential in multiple environments, quality characteristics, and tolerance to pests. It is a far-reaching evaluation process designed to bring you new genetics that will provide value to your farm. Think of the advances in the last 10, 20, or 50 years of plant breeding. Have improved genetics contributed to higher yields? Certainly! Have you captured the value of those varieties? Purchasing quality seed of proven varieties is the best way to capture the value of modern genetics. (Continued…)

Approved Seed Conditioners

  • Application for approved conditioner status
  • Approved Conditioners Handbook
  • Standards for approved conditioners
    • Class I – An individual, partnership or corporation that conditions Colorado grown seed eligible for Certification on a custom basis and/or who producers or purchases Colorado certifiable seed and conditions that seed as part of the process to certify.
    • Class V– a conditioning plant operated by a seed grower which only conditions Certified Seed grown by that conditioner.

Effective January 1, 2025:

Mandatory Training and Inspection has been reinstated by the CSGA Board of Directors Conditioners new to CSGA are required to attend approved training within 12 months of approval.

New conditioner training will consist of:

  • The successful completion of an approved CSGA training course covering basic conditioning equipment, practices and seed conditioners influences seed quality (2 credits/classes). OR
  • Attendance at a CSGA or other Certification agency approved conditioner workshop AND
  • Inspection of facility within the first year of CSGA membership

Continuing Education and inspection requirements to be completed/obtained every 3 years.

Within a 3-yr period all CSGA approved conditioners who have been in the CSGA program for more than 12 months will be required to:

  • Attend 1 CSGA or other seed certifying agency approved conditioner workshop OR
  • Complete 1 CSGA online training lesson AND
  • Complete an in-person inspection conducted by CSGA
CSGA will schedule yearly in-person conditioner workshops each April, (locations will move around the state as much as possible) more information to come.

NEW: Online Seed Conditioner Training available through CSU UpSkill.

  • Authors: Laura Pottorff, Rick Novak, Daniel Lynch, Deana Namuth-Covert, Tamla Blunt link marketing piece for Seed Conditioner online training via CSU Upskill.
  • 7 modules are available, each module is worth 1 credit (CEU- continuing education unit)
  • Topics include seed conditioning basics; the influence of seed conditioning on seed quality; plant breeding and Intellectual property protection; sourcing, sampling and handling seed; quality assurance; carryover seed and inventory/storage; seedborne disease and treatment.
Each Approved Seed Conditioner/Business must have at least one employee, responsible for conditioning seed attend a workshop or online class offered by CSGA or other AOSCA Certification agency within a three-year period.
Documentation of attendance will be on a form provided by CSGA at time of yearly Conditioner renewal.
Register for online conditioner courses at CSU UpSkill

Mailing Address

mailbox

CSGA 
Department of Soil & Crop Sciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1170

Seed Growers | Colorado Association

For Seed Growers Members only. 

Visit the NEW CO Seed Tracking Website

Review the New CO Seed Tracking System Instruction Manual

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