Seed-packet capture: vision model, extraction, catalog match, create (backend) (#81)

Photograph a seed packet → it fills in the plant and the purchase. This is the
backend; the scan UI is a follow-up PR.

Vision model config (mirrors the agent model from #79):
- Migration 0011 adds instance_settings.vision_model; PANSY_VISION_MODEL is the
  env default. Precedence Settings → env → empty; the KEY stays in the env.
- EffectiveVision resolves it; /capabilities advertises "vision" only when a
  model + key are configured, so the UI offers the scan button only when it works.

Extraction is one-shot, NOT an agent loop (internal/vision):
- majordomo.Generate[SeedPacket] derives a JSON schema from the struct tags and
  hands the image to the vision model; it can't call a tool, so it can't touch
  the garden — it only reads a picture and returns data. Numeric fields are
  pointers, so a field the packet doesn't print comes back nil, not a made-up 0.
- Hermetic test: majordomo's fake provider returns canned packet JSON and
  Generate unmarshals it, image + derived schema included. No live model.

The image is normalized to JPEG at the upload boundary (imagenorm from #80),
which is where an iPhone HEIC becomes readable — majordomo's media path can't
decode HEIC. imagenorm now links into the binary (~7 MB, the cost #80 deferred).

The hard part is catalog matching, not OCR (internal/service/seed_packet.go):
- A wrong auto-match splits a variety's seed-lot history across duplicate rows,
  so the service NEVER auto-creates. matchPlants surfaces RANKED candidates
  (exact name → variety-in-name → same species, conservative and name-based),
  the user confirms, and CreateFromPacket makes the plant (new or existing) + the
  lot. Exactly one of plantId/newPlant, refused otherwise.
- Plants/lots aren't in the undo history (catalog/inventory), so no change set.
- The extractor is injectable (service.WithPacketExtractor) so ExtractSeedPacket
  and the /scan endpoint test end to end against a fake, no live model.

Endpoints: POST /seed-lots/scan (multipart image → proposal, reads only; extends
the read deadline for a slow phone upload, caps the body, maps too-large/unreadable
to clear statuses) and POST /seed-lots/from-packet (confirmed proposal → 201).

Docs: README (PANSY_VISION_MODEL), DESIGN (routes + the decision and why the
model can't touch the garden).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <[email protected]>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01H3zbym8Doka2d7D48maSgZ

DESIGN.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Work is tracked in Gitea issues; the tracking epic links every piece in dependen
 - **Users:** multi-user with ownership. Users own gardens; a garden can be shared with other users as viewer (read) or editor (edit content). Owner additionally shares/deletes. The first registered user is `is_admin` (set race-free inside the INSERT); admin gates instance-wide Settings (`requireAdmin`), the only thing that reads that flag.
 - **Auth:** OIDC-first (Authentik is the primary IdP), local argon2id passwords as an optional fallback.
 - **Instance settings (#79):** admin-editable, instance-wide config in a single-row `instance_settings` table — pansy's first DB-stored *instance* state (everything else hangs off a garden/object). Today it holds the agent model + on/off; **secrets never move here** — `OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY` stays in the env so it doesn't land in backups or the undo history. Precedence: Settings value → env → default. The live agent Runner sits behind an `atomic.Pointer` in the API layer (`agentHolder`) with its routes always registered, so a settings change swaps it with no restart and no race against in-flight requests; `/capabilities` reads that pointer, so it reports what's live rather than what was configured at boot. The model/registry knowledge lives in one leaf package (`internal/agentmodel`) that both the runner and the settings validator import — agent imports service, so it can live in neither.
+- **Seed-packet capture (#81):** photograph a packet → a *vision* model (separate `vision_model` setting) reads it into structured fields via one-shot `majordomo.Generate[SeedPacket]` — NOT an agent loop, so the extraction can't touch the garden; it only reads a picture and returns data. The image is normalized to JPEG at the upload boundary (`internal/imagenorm`: decodes HEIC/webp/png/jpeg, since majordomo's stdlib media path can't do HEIC — the iPhone default). The hard part is **catalog matching, not OCR**: a wrong auto-match splits a variety's seed-lot history across duplicate rows, so the service NEVER auto-creates — it surfaces ranked candidates (`matchPlants`) and the user confirms, then `CreateFromPacket` makes the plant (new or existing) + the lot. Plants/lots aren't in the undo history (they're catalog/inventory), so there's no change set to wrap. The extractor is injectable on the service (`WithPacketExtractor`) so the whole path tests hermetically against majordomo's `fake` provider.
 - **Agentic future:** integration with majordomo/executus via typed Go tools (`llm.DefineTool[Args]`) wrapping the same service layer the REST API uses — not MCP/OpenAPI.
 
 ## Domain model
@@ -69,12 +70,14 @@ POST /objects/:id/fill        ← hex-pack a region with one plant; region by co
 POST /objects/:id/clear       ← soft-remove every active plop, as ONE change set
 GET,POST /plants              PATCH,DELETE /plants/:id            (own plants only)
 GET,POST /seed-lots           GET,PATCH,DELETE /seed-lots/:id     (own lots only; private)
+POST /seed-lots/scan          ← multipart image → a seed-packet proposal (reads only, no writes)
+POST /seed-lots/from-packet   ← confirmed proposal → a plant (new or existing) + a lot
 GET,POST /gardens/:id/journal PATCH,DELETE /journal/:id           (editor writes; author edits own)
 GET  /gardens/:id/journal/counts  ← entries per object, for the "has notes" indicator
 POST /agent/chat              ← SSE: step events, then the finished turn (editor only)
 GET,DELETE /gardens/:id/agent/history                             (the actor's own thread)
 GET  /capabilities            ← what this instance can do RIGHT NOW (tracks the live agent, not just config)
-GET,PATCH /settings           ← instance-wide config (admin only): agent model + on/off
+GET,PATCH /settings           ← instance-wide config (admin only): agent model + on/off, vision model
 GET,POST /gardens/:id/shares  PATCH,DELETE /gardens/:id/shares/:userId    (invite by email)
 GET,POST,DELETE /gardens/:id/share-link   ← the public read-only token for this garden
 GET  /public/gardens/:token   ← UNAUTHENTICATED read-only /full; the token is the capability

README.md

@@ -70,8 +70,9 @@ The garden assistant reads three more. Setting none of them leaves the assistant
 | `OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY`  | *(empty)*                      | Ollama Cloud API key. Without it the assistant is off, not broken. This is the one agent value that stays in the environment — it is **never** stored in the database or editable in Settings. |
 | `PANSY_AGENT_MODEL`     | `ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud`   | Default model spec, passed verbatim to `majordomo.Parse` — a comma-separated list is a failover chain, e.g. `ollama-cloud/glm-5.2:cloud,ollama-cloud/kimi-k2.6:cloud`. An admin can override this per-instance in **Settings** without a redeploy; a blank Settings value inherits this. |
 | `PANSY_AGENT_ENABLED`   | on when a key is present       | Default on/off for the assistant. Also overridable in Settings (which can inherit this default). |
+| `PANSY_VISION_MODEL`    | *(empty)*                      | Default model for **seed-packet capture** (photograph a packet → it fills in the plant + purchase). A *vision-capable* model (the chat model may not be). Empty = the feature isn't offered. Runs against the same `OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY`, and is overridable in Settings. |
 
-The model and enabled flag can be changed at runtime by an admin under **Settings** (the gear appears in the nav for admins) — the change swaps the live assistant with no restart. The env vars above are the defaults an untouched instance uses, and the API key is intentionally not among the runtime-editable settings: a secret in the database would land in every backup. Precedence for the model and enabled flag is **Settings value, if set → env var → built-in default**.
+The agent model + enabled flag, and the vision model, can be changed at runtime by an admin under **Settings** (the gear appears in the nav for admins) — an agent change swaps the live assistant with no restart. The env vars above are the defaults an untouched instance uses, and the API key is intentionally not among the runtime-editable settings: a secret in the database would land in every backup. Precedence is **Settings value, if set → env var → built-in default**.
 
 The assistant acts without asking first, which is only reasonable because every turn is one undoable change set — see the History panel in the editor.
 

internal/api/api.go

@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, svc *service.Service) *gin.Engine {
 	seedLots.GET("/:id", h.getSeedLot)
 	seedLots.PATCH("/:id", h.updateSeedLot)
 	seedLots.DELETE("/:id", h.deleteSeedLot)
+	// Seed-packet capture (#81): scan a photo into a proposal, then create the
+	// plant + lot from the confirmed proposal. scan reads only.
+	seedLots.POST("/scan", h.scanSeedPacket)
+	seedLots.POST("/from-packet", h.createFromPacket)
 
 	// Public, unauthenticated read of a garden by its share token. Deliberately
 	// NOT behind requireAuth: the token is the capability, so a logged-out visitor
@@ -204,7 +208,14 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, svc *service.Service) *gin.Engine {
 // so offering the tab must track the live Runner. Reading agent.get() (an atomic
 // load) means this reflects a settings-driven swap on the very next poll.
 func (h *handlers) capabilities(c *gin.Context) {
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"agent": h.agent.get() != nil})
+	// vision advertises whether seed-packet scanning (#81) can be offered — a
+	// configured, resolvable vision model + a key. Read per-request so a settings
+	// change is reflected on the next poll, same as agent.
+	vision := false
+	if vis, err := h.svc.EffectiveVision(c.Request.Context()); err == nil {
+		vision = vis.Ready()
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"agent": h.agent.get() != nil, "vision": vision})
 }
 
 // healthz is a liveness probe: always returns {"ok": true} when the server is up.

internal/api/seed_packet.go

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/imagenorm"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
+)
+
+// Seed-packet capture (#81). Two steps, deliberately separate:
+//   POST /seed-lots/scan          multipart image → a proposal (reads only)
+//   POST /seed-lots/from-packet   confirmed proposal → a plant + lot
+// The scan never writes; creation happens only from an explicit confirm, so a
+// misread can't add anything to the catalog on its own.
+
+// scanUploadLimit bounds the multipart body. imagenorm caps the decoded image at
+// 25 MiB; this is a little over that for the multipart envelope. A phone photo is
+// a few MB, so this is generous.
+const scanUploadLimit = 30 << 20
+
+// scanReadTimeout is how long we allow the image upload to take. The server's
+// default ReadTimeout (15s) is fine for JSON but tight for a multi-megabyte photo
+// on a slow phone connection, so this endpoint extends it — the same
+// ResponseController mechanism the SSE path uses for writes (#78).
+const scanReadTimeout = 60 * time.Second
+
+// scanSeedPacket reads an uploaded packet photo and returns a proposal.
+func (h *handlers) scanSeedPacket(c *gin.Context) {
+	// Extend the read deadline for the (potentially large, potentially slow)
+	// upload. Best-effort: if the writer doesn't support it, the default applies.
+	_ = http.NewResponseController(c.Writer).SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(scanReadTimeout))
+
+	c.Request.Body = http.MaxBytesReader(c.Writer, c.Request.Body, scanUploadLimit)
+	file, err := c.FormFile("image")
+	if err != nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "attach an image as the \"image\" field")
+		return
+	}
+	f, err := file.Open()
+	if err != nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "could not read the uploaded image")
+		return
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	// Normalize to JPEG (decodes HEIC/webp/png/jpeg, downscales, re-encodes) so
+	// everything downstream — including the vision model — only sees a format it
+	// can read. This is where an iPhone HEIC becomes usable.
+	jpeg, format, err := imagenorm.Normalize(f, imagenorm.Options{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, imagenorm.ErrTooLarge) {
+			writeAPIError(c, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge, "IMAGE_TOO_LARGE", "that image is too large — try a smaller photo")
+			return
+		}
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "that doesn't look like an image we can read (JPEG, PNG, HEIC or WebP)")
+		return
+	}
+	_ = format // available for logging if wanted
+
+	prop, err := h.svc.ExtractSeedPacket(c.Request.Context(), mustActor(c).ID, jpeg)
+	if err != nil {
+		// A missing vision model surfaces as ErrInvalidInput from the service; give
+		// it a clearer message than the generic 400, since the UI shouldn't have
+		// offered the button at all in that case.
+		if errors.Is(err, domain.ErrInvalidInput) {
+			writeAPIError(c, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "VISION_DISABLED", "packet scanning isn't set up on this instance")
+			return
+		}
+		writeServiceError(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, prop)
+}
+
+// packetLotRequest is the lot half of a confirm. It's seedLotCreateRequest
+// WITHOUT plantId — the plant comes from the confirm's plantId/newPlant choice,
+// not the lot body, and reusing seedLotCreateRequest would wrongly require one.
+type packetLotRequest struct {
+	Vendor         string   `json:"vendor"`
+	SourceURL      string   `json:"sourceUrl"`
+	SKU            string   `json:"sku"`
+	LotCode        string   `json:"lotCode"`
+	PurchasedAt    *string  `json:"purchasedAt"`
+	PackedForYear  *int     `json:"packedForYear"`
+	Quantity       float64  `json:"quantity"`
+	Unit           string   `json:"unit" binding:"required"`
+	CostCents      *int     `json:"costCents"`
+	GerminationPct *float64 `json:"germinationPct"`
+	Notes          string   `json:"notes"`
+}
+
+func (r packetLotRequest) toInput() service.SeedLotInput {
+	return service.SeedLotInput{
+		Vendor: r.Vendor, SourceURL: r.SourceURL, SKU: r.SKU, LotCode: r.LotCode,
+		PurchasedAt: r.PurchasedAt, PackedForYear: r.PackedForYear, Quantity: r.Quantity,
+		Unit: r.Unit, CostCents: r.CostCents, GerminationPct: r.GerminationPct, Notes: r.Notes,
+	}
+}
+
+// fromPacketRequest confirms a proposal: exactly one of plantId (attach to an
+// existing plant) or newPlant (create a variety), plus the lot to record.
+type fromPacketRequest struct {
+	PlantID  *int64              `json:"plantId"`
+	NewPlant *plantCreateRequest `json:"newPlant"`
+	Lot      packetLotRequest    `json:"lot"`
+}
+
+// createFromPacket turns a confirmed proposal into a plant + lot.
+func (h *handlers) createFromPacket(c *gin.Context) {
+	var req fromPacketRequest
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req); err != nil {
+		writeAPIError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, "INVALID_INPUT", "a lot and exactly one of plantId or newPlant are required")
+		return
+	}
+
+	confirm := service.PacketConfirm{
+		PlantID: req.PlantID,
+		Lot:     req.Lot.toInput(), // no plantId in the lot body; the service attributes it
+	}
+	if req.NewPlant != nil {
+		in := req.NewPlant.toInput()
+		confirm.NewPlant = &in
+	}
+
+	res, err := h.svc.CreateFromPacket(c.Request.Context(), mustActor(c).ID, confirm)
+	if err != nil {
+		writeServiceError(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, res)
+}

internal/api/seed_packet_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,219 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"image"
+	"image/png"
+	"mime/multipart"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/service"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/store"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/vision"
+)
+
+// packetEngine builds an engine whose service reads seed packets via the given
+// canned extractor, so the scan endpoint can be tested without a live model.
+func packetEngine(t *testing.T, cfg *config.Config, extract func() (vision.SeedPacket, error)) *gin.Engine {
+	t.Helper()
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	db, err := store.Open(":memory:")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("store.Open: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { db.Close() })
+	if err := db.Migrate(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Migrate: %v", err)
+	}
+	svc := service.New(db, cfg, service.WithPacketExtractor(
+		func(context.Context, string, string, []byte) (vision.SeedPacket, error) { return extract() },
+	))
+	return New(cfg, svc)
+}
+
+// visionCfg is a config with a vision model + key configured, so packet scanning
+// is available.
+func visionCfg() *config.Config {
+	c := localCfg()
+	c.Agent = config.AgentConfig{OllamaCloudAPIKey: "k", VisionModel: "ollama-cloud/vision:cloud"}
+	return c
+}
+
+// pngUpload builds a multipart body with a real PNG under the "image" field.
+func pngUpload(t *testing.T) (body *bytes.Buffer, contentType string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	var img bytes.Buffer
+	if err := png.Encode(&img, image.NewRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, 32, 24))); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encode png: %v", err)
+	}
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	w := multipart.NewWriter(&buf)
+	part, err := w.CreateFormFile("image", "packet.png")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("form file: %v", err)
+	}
+	part.Write(img.Bytes())
+	w.Close()
+	return &buf, w.FormDataContentType()
+}
+
+func doMultipart(t *testing.T, r *gin.Engine, path, contentType string, body *bytes.Buffer, cookie *http.Cookie) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
+	t.Helper()
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, path, body)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", contentType)
+	if cookie != nil {
+		req.AddCookie(cookie)
+	}
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	r.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	return w
+}
+
+// TestScanSeedPacketAPI: a multipart image → a proposal, end to end through the
+// router. The extractor is canned; imagenorm runs for real on the uploaded PNG.
+func TestScanSeedPacketAPI(t *testing.T) {
+	r := packetEngine(t, visionCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) {
+		return vision.SeedPacket{Species: "garlic", Variety: "Music", Category: "vegetable"}, nil
+	})
+	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+	// A matching plant so the proposal has a candidate.
+	createPlantAPI(t, r, cookie, "Music Garlic", 15)
+
+	body, ct := pngUpload(t)
+	w := doMultipart(t, r, "/api/v1/seed-lots/scan", ct, body, cookie)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("scan: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	res := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())
+	pkt, _ := res["packet"].(map[string]any)
+	if pkt["variety"] != "Music" {
+		t.Errorf("packet variety = %v", pkt["variety"])
+	}
+	if cands, _ := res["candidates"].([]any); len(cands) == 0 {
+		t.Error("expected a candidate match for Music Garlic")
+	}
+	if res["suggestedName"] != "Music" {
+		t.Errorf("suggestedName = %v", res["suggestedName"])
+	}
+}
+
+// TestScanSeedPacketErrorsAPI: no image, unreadable bytes, and vision-not-
+// configured each get their own clear status.
+func TestScanSeedPacketErrorsAPI(t *testing.T) {
+	// Vision configured, so we reach imagenorm / the extractor.
+	r := packetEngine(t, visionCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) {
+		return vision.SeedPacket{Variety: "X"}, nil
+	})
+	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	// No file field → 400.
+	if w := doMultipart(t, r, "/api/v1/seed-lots/scan", "multipart/form-data; boundary=x", bytes.NewBufferString(""), cookie); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("no image = %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+	// A file that isn't an image → 400 (imagenorm rejects it).
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	mw := multipart.NewWriter(&buf)
+	part, _ := mw.CreateFormFile("image", "notes.txt")
+	part.Write([]byte("this is not an image"))
+	mw.Close()
+	if w := doMultipart(t, r, "/api/v1/seed-lots/scan", mw.FormDataContentType(), &buf, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("non-image = %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// Vision NOT configured → 503, even with a valid image.
+	r2 := packetEngine(t, localCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) { return vision.SeedPacket{}, nil })
+	cookie2 := registerAndCookie(t, r2, "[email protected]")
+	body, ct := pngUpload(t)
+	if w := doMultipart(t, r2, "/api/v1/seed-lots/scan", ct, body, cookie2); w.Code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+		t.Errorf("no vision model = %d, want 503", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// Unauthenticated → 401.
+	b3, ct3 := pngUpload(t)
+	if w := doMultipart(t, r, "/api/v1/seed-lots/scan", ct3, b3, nil); w.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("anonymous scan = %d, want 401", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCreateFromPacketAPI: confirm → plant + lot. No model involved, so the full
+// path runs through the router.
+func TestCreateFromPacketAPI(t *testing.T) {
+	r := packetEngine(t, visionCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) { return vision.SeedPacket{}, nil })
+	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, r, "[email protected]")
+
+	// New plant + lot.
+	w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/seed-lots/from-packet", map[string]any{
+		"newPlant": map[string]any{"name": "Music Garlic", "category": "vegetable", "color": "#4a7c3f", "icon": "🧄", "spacingCm": 15},
+		"lot":      map[string]any{"vendor": "Johnny's", "quantity": 8, "unit": "bulbs"},
+	}, cookie)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("new plant confirm: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	res := decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())
+	if res["plantIsNew"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("plantIsNew = %v, want true", res["plantIsNew"])
+	}
+	plantObj, _ := res["plant"].(map[string]any)
+	plantID := int64(plantObj["id"].(float64))
+	lotObj, _ := res["lot"].(map[string]any)
+	if int64(lotObj["plantId"].(float64)) != plantID {
+		t.Errorf("lot not attributed to the new plant")
+	}
+
+	// Existing plant + lot.
+	w = doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/seed-lots/from-packet", map[string]any{
+		"plantId": plantID,
+		"lot":     map[string]any{"vendor": "Fedco", "quantity": 10, "unit": "bulbs"},
+	}, cookie)
+	if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("existing plant confirm: status %d, body %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	if decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["plantIsNew"] != false {
+		t.Error("plantIsNew should be false for an existing plant")
+	}
+
+	// Both plantId and newPlant → 400.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/seed-lots/from-packet", map[string]any{
+		"plantId":  plantID,
+		"newPlant": map[string]any{"name": "X", "category": "vegetable", "color": "#4a7c3f", "icon": "🌱"},
+		"lot":      map[string]any{"vendor": "V", "quantity": 1, "unit": "seeds"},
+	}, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("both plant choices = %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// Neither → 400.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/seed-lots/from-packet", map[string]any{
+		"lot": map[string]any{"vendor": "V", "quantity": 1, "unit": "seeds"},
+	}, cookie); w.Code != http.StatusBadRequest {
+		t.Errorf("neither plant choice = %d, want 400", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	// Unauthenticated → 401.
+	if w := doJSON(t, r, http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/seed-lots/from-packet", nil, nil); w.Code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("anonymous confirm = %d, want 401", w.Code)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCapabilitiesReportsVision: /capabilities advertises vision only when a
+// vision model is configured.
+func TestCapabilitiesReportsVision(t *testing.T) {
+	on := packetEngine(t, visionCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) { return vision.SeedPacket{}, nil })
+	cookie := registerAndCookie(t, on, "[email protected]")
+	w := doJSON(t, on, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/capabilities", nil, cookie)
+	if decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["vision"] != true {
+		t.Errorf("vision should be true with a model configured: %s", w.Body.String())
+	}
+
+	off := packetEngine(t, localCfg(), func() (vision.SeedPacket, error) { return vision.SeedPacket{}, nil })
+	cookie2 := registerAndCookie(t, off, "[email protected]")
+	w = doJSON(t, off, http.MethodGet, "/api/v1/capabilities", nil, cookie2)
+	if decodeMap(t, w.Body.Bytes())["vision"] != false {
+		t.Errorf("vision should be false with no model: %s", w.Body.String())
+	}
+}

internal/api/settings.go

@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ type effectiveView struct {
 	// can be false even when Enabled+HasApiKey are true (an unresolvable model),
 	// which is exactly the case the UI needs to surface.
 	AgentLive bool `json:"agentLive"`
+	// VisionModel is the resolved seed-packet model (DB-over-env). VisionReady is
+	// whether capture can actually be offered (a key and a model).
+	VisionModel string `json:"visionModel"`
+	VisionReady bool   `json:"visionReady"`
 }
 
 // settingsPayload builds the response, or an error. It does NOT swallow an
@@ -64,13 +68,19 @@ func (h *handlers) settingsPayload(c *gin.Context, st *domain.InstanceSettings)
 	if err != nil {
 		return settingsResponse{}, err
 	}
+	vis, err := h.svc.EffectiveVision(c.Request.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return settingsResponse{}, err
+	}
 	return settingsResponse{
 		Settings: st,
 		Effective: effectiveView{
-			Model:     eff.Model,
-			Enabled:   eff.Enabled,
-			HasApiKey: eff.APIKey != "",
-			AgentLive: h.agent.get() != nil,
+			Model:       eff.Model,
+			Enabled:     eff.Enabled,
+			HasApiKey:   eff.APIKey != "",
+			AgentLive:   h.agent.get() != nil,
+			VisionModel: vis.Model,
+			VisionReady: vis.Ready(),
 		},
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -95,6 +105,7 @@ func (h *handlers) getSettings(c *gin.Context) {
 type settingsUpdateRequest struct {
 	AgentModel   string          `json:"agentModel"`
 	AgentEnabled json.RawMessage `json:"agentEnabled"`
+	VisionModel  string          `json:"visionModel"`
 	Version      int64           `json:"version" binding:"required"`
 }
 
@@ -117,6 +128,7 @@ func (h *handlers) updateSettings(c *gin.Context) {
 	st, err := h.svc.UpdateInstanceSettings(c.Request.Context(), mustActor(c).ID, service.InstanceSettingsPatch{
 		AgentModel:   req.AgentModel,
 		AgentEnabled: enabled,
+		VisionModel:  req.VisionModel,
 		Version:      req.Version,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/config/config.go

@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ type AgentConfig struct {
 	// a key is present, so an instance with no key starts cleanly and simply
 	// doesn't offer the agent — the same shape as OIDC 404ing when unconfigured.
 	Enabled bool
+	// VisionModel is the model that reads a photographed seed packet
+	// (PANSY_VISION_MODEL). Empty by default: the seed-packet capture feature is
+	// only offered when a vision-capable model is configured (in env or Settings)
+	// and a key is present. Passed verbatim to majordomo.Parse, like Model.
+	VisionModel string
 }
 
 // Enabled reports whether enough OIDC config is present to attempt discovery.
@@ -120,6 +125,9 @@ func Load() *Config {
 		// opt-in, and making people set a second flag to use what they just
 		// configured is a papercut with no upside.
 		Enabled: envBool("PANSY_AGENT_ENABLED", agentKey != ""),
+		// No default vision model: unlike chat there's no obvious safe default,
+		// and the feature stays off until an admin names one that can see.
+		VisionModel: envStr("PANSY_VISION_MODEL", ""),
 	}
 
 	if cfg.Registration != RegistrationOpen && cfg.Registration != RegistrationClosed {

internal/domain/domain.go

@@ -253,9 +253,13 @@ type InstanceSettings struct {
 	// majordomo.Parse, exactly like the env var it shadows.
 	AgentModel string `json:"agentModel"`
 	// AgentEnabled overrides PANSY_AGENT_ENABLED when non-nil. nil = inherit.
-	AgentEnabled *bool  `json:"agentEnabled"`
-	Version      int64  `json:"version"`
-	UpdatedAt    string `json:"updatedAt"`
+	AgentEnabled *bool `json:"agentEnabled"`
+	// VisionModel overrides PANSY_VISION_MODEL when non-empty; the model that
+	// reads a photographed seed packet (#81). Empty = feature off unless the env
+	// var names one.
+	VisionModel string `json:"visionModel"`
+	Version     int64  `json:"version"`
+	UpdatedAt   string `json:"updatedAt"`
 }
 
 // User is a pansy account. It may have a local password, OIDC identity, or both.

internal/service/instance_settings.go

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ func (s *Service) GetInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, actorID int64) (*doma
 type InstanceSettingsPatch struct {
 	AgentModel   string
 	AgentEnabled *bool
+	VisionModel  string
 	Version      int64
 }
 
@@ -58,16 +59,20 @@ func (s *Service) UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, actorID int64, pat
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	model := strings.TrimSpace(patch.AgentModel)
-	// Validate a non-empty spec up front. An empty one is the "inherit env"
+	vision := strings.TrimSpace(patch.VisionModel)
+	// Validate non-empty specs up front. An empty one is the "inherit env"
 	// sentinel and needs no check — the env value was validated at boot.
-	if model != "" {
-		if err := agentmodel.Validate(s.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey, model); err != nil {
-			return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput
+	for _, spec := range []string{model, vision} {
+		if spec != "" {
+			if err := agentmodel.Validate(s.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey, spec); err != nil {
+				return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return s.store.UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx, &domain.InstanceSettings{
 		AgentModel:   model,
 		AgentEnabled: patch.AgentEnabled,
+		VisionModel:  vision,
 		Version:      patch.Version,
 	})
 }
@@ -108,3 +113,32 @@ func (s *Service) EffectiveAgent(ctx context.Context) (EffectiveAgent, error) {
 	}
 	return eff, nil
 }
+
+// EffectiveVision resolves the vision configuration in force for seed-packet
+// capture (#81): the model from DB-over-env, the key always from env.
+type EffectiveVision struct {
+	Model  string
+	APIKey string
+}
+
+// Ready reports whether packet capture can be offered: a key and a vision model.
+// There's no separate enabled flag — configuring a vision model IS enabling it.
+func (e EffectiveVision) Ready() bool {
+	return e.APIKey != "" && e.Model != ""
+}
+
+// EffectiveVision reads the settings row and layers it over the environment.
+func (s *Service) EffectiveVision(ctx context.Context) (EffectiveVision, error) {
+	st, err := s.store.GetInstanceSettings(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return EffectiveVision{}, err
+	}
+	eff := EffectiveVision{
+		Model:  s.cfg.Agent.VisionModel,
+		APIKey: s.cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey,
+	}
+	if st.VisionModel != "" {
+		eff.Model = st.VisionModel
+	}
+	return eff, nil
+}

internal/service/seed_packet.go

@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/vision"
+)
+
+// Seed-packet capture (#81): read a photographed packet, propose a plant + lot,
+// let the user confirm. The two halves are deliberately separate operations:
+// extraction only READS (a picture in, a proposal out — it can't touch the
+// garden), and creation happens later, from the confirmed proposal, so a
+// misread never writes anything on its own.
+
+// PacketPlantMatch is a candidate existing plant the packet might be, with why it
+// matched, so the UI can pre-select the likely one and let the user override.
+type PacketPlantMatch struct {
+	Plant domain.Plant `json:"plant"`
+	// Reason is a short human tag: "exact name", "variety in name", "same species".
+	Reason string `json:"reason"`
+}
+
+// PacketProposal is what a scan returns: the fields read off the packet, plus
+// candidate existing plants it might already be. Nothing is created yet.
+type PacketProposal struct {
+	Packet vision.SeedPacket `json:"packet"`
+	// Candidates are existing plants the packet may match, best first. Empty means
+	// "probably a new variety" — the UI then offers to create one.
+	Candidates []PacketPlantMatch `json:"candidates"`
+	// SuggestedName is the variety (or species) to prefill a new-plant name with.
+	SuggestedName string `json:"suggestedName"`
+	// SuggestedCategory is the packet's category if it's a valid one, for prefill.
+	SuggestedCategory string `json:"suggestedCategory"`
+}
+
+// ExtractSeedPacket reads a (JPEG) packet photo and proposes a plant + lot for
+// the actor to confirm. It needs a configured vision model; with none it returns
+// ErrInvalidInput (the API layer turns "not configured" into a clear message and
+// never offers the feature in the first place).
+//
+// The extraction runs as the actor only in the sense that the catalog match is
+// scoped to what they can see; the model call itself has no ACL — it just reads
+// a picture the actor uploaded.
+func (s *Service) ExtractSeedPacket(ctx context.Context, actorID int64, jpeg []byte) (*PacketProposal, error) {
+	if len(jpeg) == 0 {
+		return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput
+	}
+	vis, err := s.EffectiveVision(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !vis.Ready() {
+		// No vision model configured — the feature isn't available.
+		return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput
+	}
+
+	packet, err := s.extractPacket(ctx, vis.APIKey, vis.Model, jpeg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	plants, err := s.store.ListPlantsForActor(ctx, actorID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &PacketProposal{
+		Packet:            packet,
+		Candidates:        matchPlants(packet, plants),
+		SuggestedName:     suggestedName(packet),
+		SuggestedCategory: validCategory(packet.Category),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// suggestedName is the variety if the packet named one, else the species — what
+// to prefill a new plant's name with. "Music" beats "garlic" when both are read.
+func suggestedName(p vision.SeedPacket) string {
+	if v := strings.TrimSpace(p.Variety); v != "" {
+		return v
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSpace(p.Species)
+}
+
+// validCategory returns the packet's category if it's one pansy knows, else "".
+func validCategory(c string) string {
+	switch c {
+	case domain.CategoryVegetable, domain.CategoryHerb, domain.CategoryFlower,
+		domain.CategoryFruit, domain.CategoryTreeShrub, domain.CategoryCover:
+		return c
+	default:
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
+// matchPlants ranks existing plants the packet might already be, best first.
+//
+// This is the crux of "create both, linked" (#81): getting it wrong makes a
+// duplicate catalog entry that then splits a variety's seed-lot history across
+// two rows. So it NEVER decides — it only surfaces candidates for the user to
+// confirm. Matching is deliberately conservative and name-based (no fuzzy
+// scoring that could confidently mis-rank): exact variety name, variety appearing
+// within a plant's name, then same species word. Case-insensitive.
+func matchPlants(p vision.SeedPacket, plants []domain.Plant) []PacketPlantMatch {
+	variety := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(p.Variety))
+	species := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(p.Species))
+
+	// rank: lower is better; keep only matched plants.
+	type scored struct {
+		match PacketPlantMatch
+		rank  int
+	}
+	var out []scored
+	seen := map[int64]bool{}
+	add := func(pl domain.Plant, rank int, reason string) {
+		if seen[pl.ID] {
+			return
+		}
+		seen[pl.ID] = true
+		out = append(out, scored{PacketPlantMatch{Plant: pl, Reason: reason}, rank})
+	}
+
+	for _, pl := range plants {
+		name := strings.ToLower(pl.Name)
+		switch {
+		case variety != "" && name == variety:
+			add(pl, 0, "exact name")
+		case variety != "" && strings.Contains(name, variety):
+			add(pl, 1, "variety in name")
+		case species != "" && wordIn(name, species):
+			add(pl, 2, "same species")
+		}
+	}
+	sort.SliceStable(out, func(i, j int) bool { return out[i].rank < out[j].rank })
+
+	matches := make([]PacketPlantMatch, len(out))
+	for i, s := range out {
+		matches[i] = s.match
+	}
+	return matches
+}
+
+// wordIn reports whether word appears as a whole space-delimited token in name,
+// so "garlic" matches "German Garlic" but not "garlicky-thing".
+func wordIn(name, word string) bool {
+	for _, tok := range strings.Fields(name) {
+		if tok == word {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// PacketConfirm is a user-confirmed proposal to turn into rows.
+//
+// Plant selection is explicit: either PlantID names an existing plant to attach
+// the lot to, or NewPlant carries the fields to create one. Exactly one — the
+// service refuses both or neither, so an ambiguous confirm can't silently pick.
+type PacketConfirm struct {
+	// PlantID attaches the lot to an existing plant. Set this XOR NewPlant.
+	PlantID *int64
+	// NewPlant creates a variety. Set this XOR PlantID.
+	NewPlant *PlantInput
+	// Lot is the purchase to record against whichever plant results.
+	Lot SeedLotInput
+}
+
+// PacketResult is what a confirm produced.
+type PacketResult struct {
+	Plant      *domain.Plant   `json:"plant"`
+	Lot        *domain.SeedLot `json:"lot"`
+	PlantIsNew bool            `json:"plantIsNew"`
+}
+
+// CreateFromPacket turns a confirmed proposal into a plant (new or existing) plus
+// a seed lot attributed to it. Unlike garden edits these rows aren't in the undo
+// history — plants and lots are catalog/inventory, created directly — so there is
+// no change set to wrap; the two creations just happen in sequence.
+//
+// If a new plant is created but the lot then fails, the plant is left behind
+// rather than rolled back: a stray catalog entry is harmless and editable,
+// whereas silently discarding a variety the user just confirmed is worse. The
+// caller sees the error and can retry the lot against the now-existing plant.
+func (s *Service) CreateFromPacket(ctx context.Context, actorID int64, in PacketConfirm) (*PacketResult, error) {
+	hasID, hasNew := in.PlantID != nil, in.NewPlant != nil
+	if hasID == hasNew {
+		return nil, domain.ErrInvalidInput // exactly one of existing / new
+	}
+
+	res := &PacketResult{}
+	if hasNew {
+		plant, err := s.CreatePlant(ctx, actorID, *in.NewPlant)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		res.Plant = plant
+		res.PlantIsNew = true
+	} else {
+		// Attach to an existing plant the actor can see. visiblePlant enforces the
+		// ACL (built-ins + their own); a plant they can't see is ErrNotFound.
+		plant, err := s.visiblePlant(ctx, actorID, *in.PlantID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		res.Plant = plant
+	}
+
+	lotIn := in.Lot
+	lotIn.PlantID = res.Plant.ID
+	lot, err := s.CreateSeedLot(ctx, actorID, lotIn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	res.Lot = lot
+	return res, nil
+}

internal/service/seed_packet_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/domain"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/vision"
+)
+
+func packet(species, variety, category string) vision.SeedPacket {
+	return vision.SeedPacket{Species: species, Variety: variety, Category: category}
+}
+
+func plant(id int64, name string) domain.Plant {
+	return domain.Plant{ID: id, Name: name, Category: domain.CategoryVegetable}
+}
+
+// TestMatchPlants pins the catalog-matching heuristic: it surfaces candidates,
+// best first, and never invents a match — the whole point, since a wrong auto-
+// match would fragment a variety's seed-lot history across duplicate rows.
+func TestMatchPlants(t *testing.T) {
+	catalog := []domain.Plant{
+		plant(1, "Garlic"),
+		plant(2, "Music Garlic"),
+		plant(3, "Cherokee Purple"),
+		plant(4, "Basil"),
+	}
+
+	t.Run("exact variety wins, ranked above looser matches", func(t *testing.T) {
+		got := matchPlants(packet("tomato", "Cherokee Purple", "vegetable"), catalog)
+		if len(got) == 0 || got[0].Plant.ID != 3 || got[0].Reason != "exact name" {
+			t.Fatalf("want Cherokee Purple exact first, got %+v", got)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("variety within a name, plus same-species, ordered", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// "Music" garlic: "Music Garlic" contains the variety (rank 1); "Garlic"
+		// shares the species word (rank 2).
+		got := matchPlants(packet("garlic", "Music", "vegetable"), catalog)
+		if len(got) != 2 {
+			t.Fatalf("got %d candidates, want 2: %+v", len(got), got)
+		}
+		if got[0].Plant.ID != 2 || got[0].Reason != "variety in name" {
+			t.Errorf("first = %+v, want Music Garlic / variety in name", got[0])
+		}
+		if got[1].Plant.ID != 1 || got[1].Reason != "same species" {
+			t.Errorf("second = %+v, want Garlic / same species", got[1])
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("case-insensitive", func(t *testing.T) {
+		got := matchPlants(packet("", "cherokee purple", ""), catalog)
+		if len(got) == 0 || got[0].Plant.ID != 3 {
+			t.Errorf("case-insensitive exact match failed: %+v", got)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("no match → empty (a new variety)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		if got := matchPlants(packet("okra", "Clemson Spineless", "vegetable"), catalog); len(got) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("want no candidates, got %+v", got)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("species word boundary, not substring", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// "garlic" should not match a hypothetical "garlicky" — wordIn is token-based.
+		got := matchPlants(packet("garlic", "", ""), []domain.Plant{plant(9, "Garlicky Mustard")})
+		if len(got) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("substring shouldn't match on species: %+v", got)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// visionTestService builds a service with a configured vision model and a canned
+// extractor, so ExtractSeedPacket can run with no live model.
+func visionTestService(t *testing.T, out vision.SeedPacket, extractErr error) (*Service, int64) {
+	t.Helper()
+	cfg := openConfig()
+	cfg.Agent.OllamaCloudAPIKey = "k"
+	cfg.Agent.VisionModel = "ollama-cloud/vision:cloud"
+	s := newTestService(t, cfg)
+	s.extractPacket = func(ctx context.Context, apiKey, model string, jpeg []byte) (vision.SeedPacket, error) {
+		return out, extractErr
+	}
+	owner := seedUser(t, s, "[email protected]")
+	return s, owner
+}
+
+// TestExtractSeedPacket exercises the orchestration: canned packet → proposal
+// with catalog candidates + prefill suggestions.
+func TestExtractSeedPacket(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, owner := visionTestService(t, packet("garlic", "Music", "vegetable"), nil)
+	// Seed a matching plant.
+	if _, err := s.CreatePlant(ctx, owner, PlantInput{
+		Name: "Music Garlic", Category: domain.CategoryVegetable, SpacingCM: 15, Color: "#4a7c3f", Icon: "🧄",
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed plant: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	prop, err := s.ExtractSeedPacket(ctx, owner, []byte("jpeg-bytes"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("extract: %v", err)
+	}
+	if prop.Packet.Variety != "Music" {
+		t.Errorf("packet variety = %q", prop.Packet.Variety)
+	}
+	if len(prop.Candidates) == 0 || prop.Candidates[0].Plant.Name != "Music Garlic" {
+		t.Errorf("expected Music Garlic candidate, got %+v", prop.Candidates)
+	}
+	if prop.SuggestedName != "Music" || prop.SuggestedCategory != domain.CategoryVegetable {
+		t.Errorf("suggestions = %q/%q", prop.SuggestedName, prop.SuggestedCategory)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractSeedPacketNeedsVisionModel: with no vision model configured, the
+// feature is unavailable (ErrInvalidInput), and the extractor is never called.
+func TestExtractSeedPacketNeedsVisionModel(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newTestService(t, openConfig()) // no vision model, no key
+	called := false
+	s.extractPacket = func(ctx context.Context, _, _ string, _ []byte) (vision.SeedPacket, error) {
+		called = true
+		return vision.SeedPacket{}, nil
+	}
+	owner := seedUser(t, s, "[email protected]")
+	if _, err := s.ExtractSeedPacket(context.Background(), owner, []byte("x")); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrInvalidInput) {
+		t.Errorf("err = %v, want ErrInvalidInput", err)
+	}
+	if called {
+		t.Error("extractor was called despite no configured vision model")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCreateFromPacketNewPlant: a confirm with NewPlant creates the plant and a
+// lot attributed to it, in one call.
+func TestCreateFromPacketNewPlant(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, owner := visionTestService(t, vision.SeedPacket{}, nil)
+
+	res, err := s.CreateFromPacket(ctx, owner, PacketConfirm{
+		NewPlant: &PlantInput{Name: "Music Garlic", Category: domain.CategoryVegetable, SpacingCM: 15, Color: "#4a7c3f", Icon: "🧄"},
+		Lot:      SeedLotInput{Vendor: "Johnny's", Quantity: 8, Unit: domain.UnitBulbs},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !res.PlantIsNew || res.Plant.Name != "Music Garlic" {
+		t.Errorf("plant = %+v, isNew=%v", res.Plant, res.PlantIsNew)
+	}
+	if res.Lot == nil || res.Lot.PlantID != res.Plant.ID {
+		t.Errorf("lot not attributed to the new plant: %+v", res.Lot)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCreateFromPacketExistingPlant: a confirm with PlantID attaches the lot to
+// the existing plant and creates nothing new.
+func TestCreateFromPacketExistingPlant(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, owner := visionTestService(t, vision.SeedPacket{}, nil)
+	existing, err := s.CreatePlant(ctx, owner, PlantInput{
+		Name: "Garlic", Category: domain.CategoryVegetable, SpacingCM: 15, Color: "#4a7c3f", Icon: "🧄",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("seed plant: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	res, err := s.CreateFromPacket(ctx, owner, PacketConfirm{
+		PlantID: &existing.ID,
+		Lot:     SeedLotInput{Vendor: "Fedco", Quantity: 10, Unit: domain.UnitBulbs},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create: %v", err)
+	}
+	if res.PlantIsNew || res.Plant.ID != existing.ID {
+		t.Errorf("should attach to existing plant, got %+v isNew=%v", res.Plant, res.PlantIsNew)
+	}
+	if res.Lot.PlantID != existing.ID {
+		t.Errorf("lot plantId = %d, want %d", res.Lot.PlantID, existing.ID)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCreateFromPacketExactlyOne: both or neither of PlantID/NewPlant is refused,
+// so an ambiguous confirm can't silently pick.
+func TestCreateFromPacketExactlyOne(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, owner := visionTestService(t, vision.SeedPacket{}, nil)
+	id := int64(1)
+	for _, in := range []PacketConfirm{
+		{}, // neither
+		{PlantID: &id, NewPlant: &PlantInput{Name: "X"}}, // both
+	} {
+		if _, err := s.CreateFromPacket(ctx, owner, in); !errors.Is(err, domain.ErrInvalidInput) {
+			t.Errorf("CreateFromPacket(%+v) err = %v, want ErrInvalidInput", in, err)
+		}
+	}
+}

internal/service/service.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 package service
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/base64"
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/config"
 	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/store"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/vision"
 )
 
 // timeLayout is the ISO-8601 UTC format used for every full timestamp pansy
@@ -41,16 +43,35 @@ type Service struct {
 	// produced by timingHash (fixed salt, no RNG) so it is always present — an
 	// empty one would silently re-open account enumeration.
 	dummyHash string
+	// extractPacket reads a photographed seed packet (#81). Injectable so tests
+	// can supply a canned packet instead of calling a live vision model — the
+	// same reason `now` is injectable. Defaults to vision.Extract.
+	extractPacket func(ctx context.Context, apiKey, modelSpec string, jpeg []byte) (vision.SeedPacket, error)
+}
+
+// Option customizes a Service at construction. The only current use is injecting
+// a seed-packet extractor in tests so they don't call a live vision model.
+type Option func(*Service)
+
+// WithPacketExtractor overrides how a photographed seed packet is read (#81).
+// Production uses vision.Extract; a test supplies a canned reader.
+func WithPacketExtractor(fn func(ctx context.Context, apiKey, modelSpec string, jpeg []byte) (vision.SeedPacket, error)) Option {
+	return func(s *Service) { s.extractPacket = fn }
 }
 
 // New constructs a Service.
-func New(st *store.DB, cfg *config.Config) *Service {
-	return &Service{
-		store:     st,
-		cfg:       cfg,
-		now:       time.Now,
-		dummyHash: timingHash(),
+func New(st *store.DB, cfg *config.Config, opts ...Option) *Service {
+	s := &Service{
+		store:         st,
+		cfg:           cfg,
+		now:           time.Now,
+		dummyHash:     timingHash(),
+		extractPacket: vision.Extract,
 	}
+	for _, o := range opts {
+		o(s)
+	}
+	return s
 }
 
 // formatTime renders a time as pansy's canonical UTC string.

internal/store/instance_settings.go

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 // The instance_settings row is seeded by migration 0010 and there is exactly one
 // (CHECK id = 1), so reads never branch on existence and writes never insert.
 
-const instanceSettingsColumns = `agent_model, agent_enabled, version, updated_at`
+const instanceSettingsColumns = `agent_model, agent_enabled, vision_model, version, updated_at`
 
 // scanInstanceSettings reads the single settings row. agent_enabled is a nullable
 // INTEGER (NULL = inherit env), so it is scanned through sql.NullInt64.
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func scanInstanceSettings(s scanner) (*domain.InstanceSettings, error) {
 		out     domain.InstanceSettings
 		enabled sql.NullInt64
 	)
-	if err := s.Scan(&out.AgentModel, &enabled, &out.Version, &out.UpdatedAt); err != nil {
+	if err := s.Scan(&out.AgentModel, &enabled, &out.VisionModel, &out.Version, &out.UpdatedAt); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if enabled.Valid {
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ func (d *DB) UpdateInstanceSettings(ctx context.Context, s *domain.InstanceSetti
 	}
 	updated, err := scanInstanceSettings(d.sql.QueryRowContext(ctx,
 		`UPDATE instance_settings
-		    SET agent_model = ?, agent_enabled = ?,
+		    SET agent_model = ?, agent_enabled = ?, vision_model = ?,
 		        version = version + 1,
 		        updated_at = strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ', 'now')
 		  WHERE id = 1 AND version = ?
 		  RETURNING `+instanceSettingsColumns,
-		s.AgentModel, enabled, s.Version,
+		s.AgentModel, enabled, s.VisionModel, s.Version,
 	))
 	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
 		current, gerr := d.GetInstanceSettings(ctx)

internal/store/migrations/0011_vision_model.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+-- Vision model setting (#81): the model that reads a photographed seed packet.
+--
+-- Separate from agent_model because it's a different capability — extracting
+-- structured fields from an image needs a vision-capable model, which the chat
+-- model may not be. Same "inherit from env unless set" contract as agent_model:
+-- '' falls back to PANSY_VISION_MODEL, then the feature is simply not offered.
+--
+-- Like agent_model, the API KEY is NOT stored here — the vision model runs
+-- against the same OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY from the environment.
+ALTER TABLE instance_settings ADD COLUMN vision_model TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '';

internal/vision/vision.go

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Package vision reads a photographed seed packet into structured fields (#81).
+//
+// It is one-shot structured extraction, NOT an agent loop: majordomo.Generate[T]
+// derives a JSON schema from the SeedPacket struct, hands the image to a vision
+// model, and unmarshals the reply into SeedPacket. Because it can't call a tool,
+// it can't touch the garden — it only reads a picture and returns data, which the
+// service then turns into a plant + lot after the user confirms.
+package vision
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/pansy/internal/agentmodel"
+)
+
+// SeedPacket is what a vision model reads off a packet. The json/description/enum
+// tags drive the schema majordomo.Generate derives; pointer fields are nullable,
+// so a field the packet doesn't print comes back nil rather than a made-up zero.
+//
+// These are the packet's PRINTED facts. Mapping them onto a pansy Plant + SeedLot
+// (and deciding whether the variety is one already in the catalog) is the
+// service's job, not the model's.
+type SeedPacket struct {
+	Species        string   `json:"species" description:"the plant species in plain words, e.g. tomato, garlic, basil"`
+	Variety        string   `json:"variety" description:"the cultivar or variety name, e.g. Cherokee Purple; empty if the packet only names a species"`
+	Category       string   `json:"category" enum:"vegetable,herb,flower,fruit,tree_shrub,cover" description:"the single best-fit category"`
+	Vendor         string   `json:"vendor" description:"the seed company, e.g. Johnny's Selected Seeds"`
+	SKU            string   `json:"sku" description:"the vendor's item/product number, if printed"`
+	LotCode        string   `json:"lotCode" description:"the lot or batch code, if printed"`
+	PackedForYear  *int     `json:"packedForYear" description:"the 'packed for' or 'sell by' year, if printed"`
+	DaysToMaturity *int     `json:"daysToMaturity" description:"days to maturity/harvest, if printed"`
+	SpacingCM      *float64 `json:"spacingCm" description:"recommended in-row spacing in CENTIMETERS; convert if the packet uses inches"`
+	SeedCount      *int     `json:"seedCount" description:"approximate seed count in the packet, if printed"`
+}
+
+// extractPrompt tells the model the conventions it can't guess: centimeters, and
+// that a missing field must be left empty rather than invented.
+const extractPrompt = `You are reading a photograph of a seed packet. Extract only what is actually printed on it.
+Rules:
+- Spacing must be in CENTIMETERS. If the packet gives inches, convert (1 in = 2.54 cm).
+- If a field is not printed on the packet, leave it empty or null. Do not guess or fill from general knowledge.
+- "variety" is the cultivar name (e.g. "Cherokee Purple"); "species" is the plain plant name (e.g. "tomato").`
+
+// Extract runs one vision extraction: it resolves the model spec against pansy's
+// registry, sends the JPEG with the prompt, and returns the parsed SeedPacket.
+// The image bytes should already be normalized to JPEG (see internal/imagenorm).
+//
+// It makes a live model call, so callers give it a bounded context.
+func Extract(ctx context.Context, apiKey, modelSpec string, jpeg []byte) (SeedPacket, error) {
+	if len(jpeg) == 0 {
+		return SeedPacket{}, fmt.Errorf("vision: empty image")
+	}
+	model, err := agentmodel.Resolve(apiKey, modelSpec)
+	if err != nil {
+		return SeedPacket{}, err
+	}
+	return majordomo.Generate[SeedPacket](ctx, model, majordomo.Request{
+		Messages: []majordomo.Message{
+			majordomo.UserParts(
+				majordomo.Text(extractPrompt),
+				majordomo.Image("image/jpeg", jpeg),
+			),
+		},
+	})
+}

internal/vision/vision_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package vision
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"image"
+	"image/jpeg"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/llm"
+	"gitea.stevedudenhoeffer.com/steve/majordomo/provider/fake"
+)
+
+// tinyJPEG returns a real, sniffable JPEG. The chain runs media.Normalize before
+// the provider, which checks the image's magic bytes, so a string literal won't
+// do — the bytes must actually be a JPEG.
+func tinyJPEG(t *testing.T) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	if err := jpeg.Encode(&b, image.NewRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, 8, 8)), nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encode jpeg: %v", err)
+	}
+	return b.Bytes()
+}
+
+// extractVia is Extract with a caller-supplied registry, so the test can point it
+// at a fake provider instead of resolving a live model. It mirrors Extract's body
+// exactly apart from where the model comes from.
+func extractVia(t *testing.T, m llm.Model, jpeg []byte) (SeedPacket, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+	return majordomo.Generate[SeedPacket](context.Background(), m, majordomo.Request{
+		Messages: []majordomo.Message{
+			majordomo.UserParts(majordomo.Text(extractPrompt), majordomo.Image("image/jpeg", jpeg)),
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+// TestExtractParsesModelJSON is the hermetic proof that the extraction path works
+// end to end without a live model: a fake vision model returns canned packet JSON
+// and Generate[SeedPacket] unmarshals it into the struct, image and schema
+// included.
+func TestExtractParsesModelJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	reg := majordomo.New(majordomo.WithoutEnvProviders())
+	fp := fake.New("fp") // default caps advertise structured output + images
+	reg.RegisterProvider(fp)
+	fp.Enqueue("vision", fake.Reply(`{
+		"species": "garlic",
+		"variety": "Music",
+		"category": "vegetable",
+		"vendor": "Johnny's",
+		"sku": "2761",
+		"lotCode": "L-42",
+		"packedForYear": 2026,
+		"daysToMaturity": 240,
+		"spacingCm": 15,
+		"seedCount": 8
+	}`))
+
+	m, err := reg.Parse("fp/vision")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("parse: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got, err := extractVia(t, m, tinyJPEG(t))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("extract: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got.Variety != "Music" || got.Species != "garlic" || got.Category != "vegetable" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected packet: %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.SpacingCM == nil || *got.SpacingCM != 15 {
+		t.Errorf("spacingCm = %v, want 15", got.SpacingCM)
+	}
+	if got.PackedForYear == nil || *got.PackedForYear != 2026 {
+		t.Errorf("packedForYear = %v, want 2026", got.PackedForYear)
+	}
+
+	// The image and the derived schema really reached the model.
+	call := fp.Calls()[0]
+	if call.Request.SchemaName != "seedpacket" {
+		t.Errorf("schema name = %q, want seedpacket", call.Request.SchemaName)
+	}
+	var sawImage bool
+	for _, p := range call.Request.Messages[0].Parts {
+		if _, ok := p.(llm.ImagePart); ok {
+			sawImage = true
+		}
+	}
+	if !sawImage {
+		t.Error("the image part didn't reach the model")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractLeavesMissingFieldsNil: a packet that only prints a species comes
+// back with nil pointers for the numbers, not invented zeros — the whole reason
+// the numeric fields are pointers.
+func TestExtractLeavesMissingFieldsNil(t *testing.T) {
+	reg := majordomo.New(majordomo.WithoutEnvProviders())
+	fp := fake.New("fp")
+	reg.RegisterProvider(fp)
+	fp.Enqueue("vision", fake.Reply(`{"species":"basil","category":"herb"}`))
+	m, _ := reg.Parse("fp/vision")
+
+	got, err := extractVia(t, m, tinyJPEG(t))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("extract: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got.SpacingCM != nil || got.DaysToMaturity != nil || got.PackedForYear != nil || got.SeedCount != nil {
+		t.Errorf("missing numeric fields should be nil, got %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtractRejectsEmptyImage: no bytes, no call.
+func TestExtractRejectsEmptyImage(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := Extract(context.Background(), "k", "fp/vision", nil); err == nil {
+		t.Error("Extract accepted an empty image")
+	}
+}