About

After a Texas wildfire completely destroyed our home and property, I wondered what was next…
Susan Campbell, my personal friend, and our town of Bowie, Texas’ Economic Development Corporation coordinator as well as Bowie’s Main Street Program Staff, told me that I just could not “sit and vegatate.” Susan told me to not look back to all we had lost but to look forward to the blessings to come.

Shortly thereafter, Susan, Shannon, Susan’s new assistant, and another Main Street Board member and I made plans to attend a Red River Valley Tourism meeting in a nearby town. Three weeks later, we were reeling from the news that our beloved Susan was terminal with cancer. By the end of March, Susan had been hospitalized in our local hospital to be kept “comfortable”.

A couple of days before the day of the meeting, Susan called me. She was insistant that I attend the Red River Valley Tourism meeting. Over and over she told me that I “had to attend the meeting”. I finally asked her what she was telling me, she could not give me an answer. All she told me was, “That I had to go to the meeting, keep my eyes open, my ears open, but most of all keep my heart open. Call me when you get back!”

The meeting agenda was the typical tourism meeting. I quickly became bored and could think of so many things I could be doing at home. During the “working” lunch the president made this announcement, “”The 2010-2011 seed bombing project was a dead issue” The problem was, Red River Valley Tourism could not find a distributor of seed bombs.

Man, did that get my attention! I had to get to a computer, I had research to do! Ideas were like fireworks in my brain, each exploding into more questions, and ideas. I hardly had time to write each of them down!

After reaching home, I spent two weeks of night and day investigating everything I could find on the internet about seed bombs. The more I studied the more convinced I was. We could do it!

There were seeds to consider, the purity rate of the seed, the germination rate of the seeds. Trips to wildflower growers/harvesters. Which type of compost was the best to use with wildflowers. Where would we find it? Finding the right clay, for which we would be using it for, as well as where we would find a supplier.

We started with $150.00 of 3 different species of wildflower seeds, $30.00 for compost and $40.00 for bags of clay. I borrowed antique racks for air drying the bombs. The first seed bombs, I called “duds”, because the bombs would just shatter when handled. By trial and error, we developed a stable product.

Within three weeks, Red River Seed Bombs, became a registered business in Montague County Texas. Within 6 weeks, we were marketing seed bombs at county fairs, local festivals and personal contact. We didn’t have a web site yet!

I am sad, that our beloved Susan Campbell did not live to see the success of Red River Seed Bombs. But at times, I do believe that she is still at her job of Economic Development! Because things have happened to Red River Seed Bombs that just don’t ordinarily happen to a new business.

In July 2010, Red River Seed Bombs applied to the Texas Country Reporter Festival. We were accepted on our first application. This festival has a 3-5 year waiting list to be accepted. At this time we decided that we needed to expand our product line. So we added five new species of wildflower seed bombs.

The day of the “outdoor” festival we were at the end of vendor’s row. The weather was very windy with rain and tornadoes were forming overhead by noon! The festival was called for safety reasons. As we were packing up the booth, a gentleman ran to me and stated, “We are coming to do a story about you in the Spring!” My first thought was, “Yeah, right!” The Texas Country Reporter TV show is a program that promotes interesting people and businesses of Texas.

April 2011, the Texas Country Reporter show crew with Bob Phillips (producer) rang our doorbell! The segment about Red River Seed Bombs aired in May 2011 and again in July 2011. The segment was released to RFDTV in the summer of 2012.

July 2011, we opened our booth at the historical Canton Texas 1st Monday Trade Days in which we maintain to date. Later that month, I had the priviledge of giving a presentation at the Texas Vocational Agriculture Teachers of Texas state convention. We are experiencing business to business contracts from that presentation!

By the end of 2012, we had rolled and sold over 8.1 million seed bombs! Red River Seed Bombs now, markets 48 different species of wildflowers, native grasses and herbs!

Highlights of 2012 are: CBS Channel 11 Dallas filmed a story about Red River Seed Bombs. A presentation at Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City Master Gardener event. The partnership with an ecological group rolling tree seeds into seed bombs.

Red River Seed Bombs has developed a company profile that distinguishes the business as the sole business that commercially offers the best wildflower seed blends and individual species into seed bombs for each of the different regions of the United States. Our seed source is a certified seed grower/harvester, offering the highest purity rate of seed and the highest germination rate. This helps Red River Seed Bombs to produce a superior product that our clients deserve.

Be our guest and visit our website at: http://www.redriverbombs.com You can keep updated as to our commings and goings! Not to mention our newest blooms and products by befriending us on the “Red River Seed Bombs” Face Book page.
Thank you so much for viewing our pages and we hope that you enjoy!

Carolyn and Melvin Grissom