The Stokes story began in the late 1800s with Herbert W. Johnson, who operated the Johnson Seed Co., in Moorestown, NJ.  In 1881, Walter P. Stokes joined Johnson as a partner in the newly formed Johnson and Stokes Company supplying vegetable seeds to commercial growers in the New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania regions. Johnson and Stokes parted ways in 1906 and Walter Stokes started Stokes Seed Farms, located at Windermoor Farm, near Moorestown.

In 1916, the firm was taken over by Walter's son, Francis C. Stokes, a Rutgers Horticultural alumnus, with a national reputation as a dynamic young seedsman responsible for developing some of the famous New Jersey tomatoes of the early 1900's (Stokesdale, Stockdale #4, and improved selections of BonnyBest and Geneva John Baer). Francis was responsible for many "firsts" in the seed industry of the time. He was the first seedsman to offer seeds in a tin can, first to protect seeds with a fungicide, first to publish a color litho seed catalog and first to import a catalog Broccoli (from Italy) for his commercial customers.

During the Depression, the Stokes Seed Company of Moorestown, NJ fell on hard times. Mr. Stokes put the Canadian company up for sale in 1934, and it was bought by Mr. Harry Gale, the Canadian salesman.

In the 1950's Harry Gales's son, John, joined Stokes as a commercial salesman and worked closely with his father and employees to focus the company's development of elite O/P strains and new disease tolerant hybrid vegetables. Following Mr. Stokes death in 1965, Stokes Seeds returned to the U.S. and located in Buffalo, NY.

Through the mid-20th century, Stokes expanded across Canada and the United States, forming strong relationships with leading North American, European, and Asian breeders.

Harry Gale passed away in 1975 and the company is then run by his two sons. 

John Gale, purchased the entire company and would remain active within the company authoring the Stokes catalog for fifty years and as Board Chair until his death in April 2017.

John's son, Wayne Gale, joined his father and the company in 1983 and served as President of Stokes Seeds from 1995 to 2023.

Stokes Seeds acquired Siegers Seed Company in Holland, Michigan—bringing together two organizations with more than a century of experience each.

Today, Stokes Seeds serves growers in Canada from coast to coast along with four U.S. locations: Buffalo, NY; Vineland, NJ; Holland, MI; and LaBelle, FL, supporting growers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mid-South, and Southeast.

While our roots run deep, Stokes Seeds remains focused on the future. Through ongoing research, strong partnerships, and a continued commitment to growers, we are positioned to support the next generation of vegetable production across North America.