Home Grown: Seed production is first step in growing vegetables

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - "I can't answer the question of which came first the chicken or the egg, but in this case, I know the seed comes first."

Those are the words of Steven Elrod, Production Manager with Condor Seed Production. The sorting, production, and processing of the seeds is an important step before the vegetables even start the growing process.

Condor Seed Production has partnerships with seed companies in over 80 different countries. They primarily vegetables such as artichoke, arugula, radishes, and broccoli.

Onions come in three different colors: red, yellow, and white. Elrod says all onion seeds are black, so when the seeds get mixed up, the only way to tell them apart is to plant them.

"There's a lot of hands it has to go through before it gets to the final destination, which is your plate," Elrod explained.

Tune in tonight on 13 On Your Side to find out more about seed production in this week's Home Grown.