hi friends, colleagues, customers!

I’m Monika Sziron Torzewski. After years of working for private companies and finishing a dissertation in artificial intelligence ethics in agriculture, I decided to launch Ribizli Seed Company in 2024.

Ribizli Seed Company, based in New Ulm, Minnesota, offers a curated garden seed catalog alongside a selection of dried and heritage goods. Rooted in Hungarian-American heritage and Midwestern upbringing, we celebrate cultural traditions by blending Hungarian staples with American garden and household favorites. From heirloom seeds to artisanal dried products—Ribizli Seed Co. fosters sustainable, clean, culturally rich lifestyle goods, and embraces leaning into your heritage.

ABOUT THE NAME ‘RIBIZLI’

i grew up in the midwest as a hungarian-american, i spoke hungarian at home and english at school. for a long time i leaned away from my roots to try and fit in, often embarrassed because midwesterners couldn’t pronounce my last name that had ‘a lot of consonants.’ as an adult, i began leaning back into my roots, embracing my unique name, and started missing a lot of things from hungary almost daily.

I started Ribizli for that reason, to pay hommage to my heritage. ‘Ribizli’ means currant in hungarian, a common berry found in their juices, jams, and other products. currants are a berry that often grow exceptionally well in the midwest climate but are rarely found in the typical midwestern garden. and that kind of feels like me, growing up in the midwest but rare when it comes to finding hungarian heritage here.

If you follow me on any social channels, you will likely hear me speaking hungarian to my sons, Iván and Félix, as we do garden chores and you can follow along on our trips to hungary when I source seeds, product ideas, and other goods.

thanks for reading this or köszönöm, hogy elolvastad!