Common Questions

Vermont Bean Seed Company does NOT sell GMOs.

We do, however, sell hybrid and heritage or heirloom seeds. There is an increasing amount of misleading information circulating regarding GMO's (genetically modified organisms) and how they are being confused with hybrids.

To request a free catalog by mail, simply fill out our catalog request form. Once you've submitted the form, you will automatically be added to our catalog mailing list. If you have placed an order with Vermont Bean within this last season, you will be added to our catalog mailing list as well and there is no need for you to fill our the catalog request form.

*The next mailing of our 2025 catalog will be in November of 2024.

Can't wait to read the Vermont Bean catalog?

There's no need to wait for the snail mail version of the catalog. Go virtual! We offer the complete Vermont Bean catalog online. To access the online version, please Click Here.

If you prefer to mail your order, and need an order form, we have provided PDF files of the front and back of our order form for your convenience. Please click on the links below to access the Spring and the Fall order forms.

catalog order form Order Form

Federal and state statutes impose restrictions on the shipment of nursery and greenhouse stock in an effort to minimize the spread of harmful insects, diseases, and other pests. Below are is a general outline of the states with restrictions and the specific products that are restricted.

  • HI: No shipments of seeds, plant material or supplies.
  • AK: Seeds only. No shipments of plant material or supplies.
  • AZ and CA: No shipments of bulbs or live plants.
  • CO: No plums, currants, gooseberries or potatoes.
  • WA: No currants, gooseberries, grapes, leek plants, onion plants and sets, shallots or potatoes.
  • OR: No grapes, potatoes, walnuts, Buddleia or Cortaderia.
  • ID: No shipments of bean seed or nursery stock.
  • MT and NV: No potatoes.
  • DE, ME, MA, MI, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, RI, and WV: No gooseberries or currants.
  • PUERTO RICO, CANADA and foreign countries: No shipments of any kind.

*Please check with your local Cooperative Extension Office or Dept. of Agriculture for specific restrictions in your area.

Seeds and non-perishable products are usually sent immediately.

Live plants, bulbs, shrubs and trees are shipped at the best time for planting in your area. Please click here to see a chart of approximate shipping times.

We will email you when your order has shipped as long as you provided a valid email address when placing your order. The shipping confirmation email will contain a shipment tracking number. Please use this number to track the package. 

I didn't receive my shipping confirmation email.

Sometimes shipping confirmation emails get "stuck" in people's junk or spam folders. Please check both of these folders to see if the shipping confirmation email is located there. If you do not receive a shipping confirmation email, please call our toll-free customer service line, 800-349-1071, and our customer service staff will provide you the tracking information.

Drop ship means the products are shipped directly from our supplier.

When looking at the details of our products some of the items will have a Care Level. This is an indicator of the difficulty that a gardener might have when growing and caring for that particular item. Here is a description of what each Care Level mean:

1 = Easy - these items are the easiest crops to grow. They are quick to mature and seed can be sown directly in the garden.

2 = Moderately Easy - these items are generally easy, but a bit more demanding or longer in crop time than 1s. They include items that can be sown directly in the garden, but have a moderate to long days to maturity.

3 = Normal - these items include the bulk of plants, including most types that are started from seed indoors and transplanted to the garden.

4 = Somewhat Difficult - these items have certain needs or requirements that must be met to have success with them. These may include specific soil requirements, need for a long growing season to mature, or preventative spraying for pest and disease control.

5 = Difficult - these items can be challenging to grow, as they have very specific site requirements or environmental needs that must be met in order for them to grow well.

Please open and inspect your shipment immediately upon arrival and notify customer service within 72 hours of any perceived issues or problems. We reserve the right to request good representative photos of the plants or products in question, or the possible return of any product deemed unsatisfactory prior to approval of any adjustments. We do not guarantee against loss due to local seasonal weather conditions, neglect, disease, or damage from insect or animal pests, as these conditions are outside of our control. In no case will we be liable for any amount greater than the purchase price.

SPRING SHIPMENTS: A credit voucher will be issued one time for any plant materials which fail to grow, provided they have been properly planted and cared for, according to our instructions, and we are notified within 90 days of shipment receipt. Annual plants (flowers, herbs, and vegetables) are only guaranteed to arrive in good condition. Sale items will only be issued a credit voucher for the purchase price.

SUMMER/FALL SHIPMENTS: A credit voucher will be issued one time for bulbs or plants shipped in summer or fall which fail to grow, provided they have been planted and cared for according to our instructions, the loss is not due to poor winter protection or rodents, and we are notified by June 1st of the following year.

SEEDS: We guarantee that the seeds we sell conform to the label description, as required by State and Federal Seed Laws, within recognized tolerances. We make no other guarantees, expressed or implied, of merchantability, fitness for purpose, or otherwise, of the seed or of the crops grown from the seed, other than germination. If seeds have been properly cared for, according to our instructions, and still fail, we will issue a credit voucher one time. Our liability is limited to the purchase price of the seed.

GARDENING SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIES (non-growing items): We guarantee complete satisfaction when used according to manufacturer's instructions. Report any unsatisfactory products within 30 days of shipment receipt for replacement, credit, or refund of the purchase price.

Shipping charges are not refundable.

Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, errors in price, quantity and/or specifications may occur. We reserve the right to correct such errors.

**IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR PRODUCTS...contact us as soon as a problem is noticed. We aim to provide our customers with the highest level of horticultural support, advice, and assistance to help them be successful with their gardens. We can be emailed at info@vermontbean.com or called at 1-800-349-1071.

If you would like to file a form and receive Tax-Exempt status, please print the form Resale/Tax Exemption Certificate and fax it to 800-349-1071. Please provide your email address that you are registered with so that we may connect the form with your account. You must be registered on the website and use Account checkout in order to not be charged sales tax.

We accept Visa, Discover, Mastercard, and American Express credit cards for all types of orders. We accept checks and money orders for mail orders.

As required by law, we do charge sales tax on all Wisconsin orders. Wisconsin orders add 5% sales tax plus applicable sales tax for your county.

We process our orders very quickly so we may not be able to modify an existing order. However, if you do need to change an order, please contact us as soon as possible and we will try to accommodate the request. Our customer service department can be reached 800-349-1071 at or click here to fill out our online customer service form.

A product labeled "backordered" means the item is not currently available or the item is available but not currently ready to ship. Click here to find out when products are ready to ship for your region. If you have any additional questions regarding the availability of a backordered item, please contact customer service at 800-349-1071 or click here to fill out our online customer service form.