[Mick] Some considerations about buying beet seeds in bulk:  (1) If you have a crop failure (say, something eats your entire planting of early beets), it would be good to have enough seed to replant during that season. (2) Beets are biennial; so one needs at least 2 years’ worth of seed in order to get a crop in both years while producing seed in the second year. (3) For those with livestock, beets are excellent animal fodder; so one might want to have enough seed for two years’ worth of beets for both the family and the farm animals. (4) Beet seeds can be sprouted and eaten, so one might want some seeds for that purpose. (5) Beet seeds would be an incredible item to have on hand for either giving away to people who might be new to gardening or for using as a barter item. (6) Both last year and this year I planted 5-year-old beet seed. Germination rates were very good. And I don’t store my seeds optimally; they are in the dark and in airtight containers; but they are stored in a room that is 65-85 degrees pretty much all year.