She is one of dozens of chefs who plan to cook with Row 7’s new varieties as they’re available. They include Mashama Bailey, of the Grey in Savannah, Ga. Ms. Bailey was drawn to Mr. Mazourek’s work with another variety of squash, bred to have stems that taste too good to throw away.

“I like the focus on utilizing the entire plant,” she said, “and on reducing waste.”

Heirlooms, which are older varieties of open-pollinated plants, are prized for their origin stories and their flavors — though they can be risky for growers. The newer seeds that plant breeders produce, whether open-pollinated or hybrid, are manipulated to thrive, and aren’t idealized in the same way, except by the breeders.

In interviews, some described the work as beautiful, as both an art and a science, practiced in the lab and the field. Mr. Goldman said that like many of his peers, he considered every plant to be imperfect and unfinished — a work-in-progress on a continuum that stretched all the way back to each plant’s domestication.

Mr. Mazourek kept working on the Honeynut, even after its initial success, selecting for higher yields on the vine and longer storage. The palm-sized 898 squash is his latest version, and among Row 7’s first group of trial seeds.

Every year or so, the company plans to release more seed varieties, and newer versions of previously sold seeds. But that’s not the only reason Mr. Goldman, who worked for more than a decade on his sunset-colored beet, continues to tinker on a new generation of the Badger Flame, even as the seed goes on sale.

“It’s like a raising a kid,” he said. “You’re really never done.”

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