About Big Heart SeeD
Big Heart Seed was founded by Rusty Jordan and Steve Jordan in 1989. Curiosity and scientific innovation were the heart of the endeavor with the mission being, to deliver the most impressive artichokes the world had ever seen.
With more than 30 years of breeding and producing artichokes Big Heart Seed is accomplishing its mission. The seeds consistently produce the highest quality artichokes with visual diversity and delicious flavor. Big Heart Seed’s artichokes offer a compelling combination of high productivity, adaptive seasonality, disease resistance, and vigor to growers all over the world.
1983
Rusty begins breeding artichokes, and the journey begins. The mission evolved as knowledge of artichokes improved and the start-up efforts and market awareness strengthened the project.
2000
By now Big Heart Seed had many lines of uniform artichoke varieties. This is about the time that Rusty met and started a working relationship with Professor Francesco Saccardo, from the University of Tuscia, just north of Rome. This was at the Artichoke Congress in Bari, Italy.
2008
PhD Student Ciara Lo Bainco of the University of Tuscia moved to Brawley, Ca to work with Rusty on her thesis, earning her doctorate in 2010.
2013
With the success of the hybrid Romolo, Big Heart Seed started to sell commercially, internationally.
1989
Rusty received breeding material from Joe Principi (one of the original artichoke breeders). This material helped increase the germ plasma, and wider much more diverse breeding started.
2007
Big Heart Seed produced a commercial variety, 17-1, that was considered nearly perfect, which brought success and fulfillment of the company’s original mission.
2012
PhD Student Ciara Lo Bainco of the University of Tuscia moved to Brawley, Ca to work with Rusty on her thesis, earning her doctorate in 2010.
Big Heart Seed credits its working relationship with The University of Tuscia in helping develop varieties that have been grown in Coastal California, Alaska, Maui, Hawaii, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and Washington. Beyond the United States borders Big Heart Seed has provided seed to Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Great Britain, Frane, Italy, and North Africa.
Big Heart Seed has produced over 1,000 different hybrids and have over 50 different uniform pollinator lines and 80 male sterile. This provides the creativity to produce any look, color, flavor, and other characteristics desired. The varieties yield higher than ever before and Big Heart Seed has now started to research the many health aspects and anti-oxidant levels present in artichokes.
The future holds endless possibilities with new experimental, floral lines of artichokes, and many more things to learn about the plant.
