Local Seed Producers in Canada

Photo Credit: Patchwork City Farms

It’s spring and you know what that means…SEEDS!! In the same way that we promote buying local food, we also promote buying local seeds. Seed sovereignty is, of course, foundational to food sovereignty!

Virtually all vegetable seed planted in Canada is imported. Buying, planting, and saving local seed is one way to support local growers and strengthen our food system, starting with regionally adapted seeds. Steph Hughes, from The Bauta Family Initiative for Canadian Seed Security, talks about five reasons to buy local seed:

• Seeds learn as they grow. By saving seed, farmers adapt their crop varieties to their growing conditions, and improve them over time. Having a good supply of regionally- adapted seed creates resilience and crop security in a changing climate.
• Seeds help make sustainable farms. Saving seed can reduce a farmer’s input costs at the beginning of the season, and selling seed can provide important off-season income.
• Biodiversity is the foundation of healthy ecosystems! Globally, we’ve lost 75% of agricultural biodiversity in the last century. By saving seed, farmers save, improve, and even expand the diversity of local seeds available to all of us.
• Seeds are for the people. Due to corporate consolidation in the seed industry, 10 seed companies now own 75% of the global commercial seed market. By saving seed, farmers retain access to and control over the seeds that grow food for all of us.
• Every seed tells a story. Seeds have incredible historical and cultural value. By saving seeds, farmers keep these little pieces of our history and heritage alive.

Seeds grow more than food, they grow farms and communities. Be part of it!

Check out these amazing seed producers from across Canada that sell seeds for veggies, flowers, grasses, ground cover, grains, and more! If you’re looking for a specific seed variety adapted to your area, check out this amazing ecological seed finder through Seed of Diversity.

If scrolling through really long lists isn’t your thing, head to the YA U-MAP to see where all these amazing seed producers are located and to find the producers closest to you!

Local Seed Producers

British Columbia

ACROSS THE CREEK ORGANICS
Seed potatoes, organic
Pemberton, BC

BC’S WILD HERITAGE SEEDS
Shade-loving groundcover, perennial, bulbs & ferns
Chilliwack, BC

BC ECO SEED COOP 
Seed growers cooperative,  some organic, all open pollinated, ecologically grown
Aldergrove, BC

BLUESTEM NURSERY
Ornamental grasses & willows
Christina Lake, BC

BOUNDARY GARLIC
Heritage varieties of seed garlic organically grown
Midway, BC

BROTHER NATURE ORGANIC SEEDS
Veggies, herbs, annuals and perennials. All seed open pollinated, certified organic.
Victoria, BC

CHOKED UP
Tiny Canadian online store specializing in Jerusalem Artichokes
Salmon Arm, BC

CICADA SEEDS
Perennial vegetable seeds and rare vegetables, herbs, flowers
Errington, BC

DRAGONFLY SEEDS
Vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, permaculture plants & perennial vegetables
Sechelt, BC

EAGLE RIDGE SEEDS
Rare and endangered vegetables, herbs and flowers
Salt Spring Island, BC

ETERNAL SEED 
Heirloom herbs, flowers and vegetables. Many organic offerings.
Powell River, BC

FRASER’S THIMBLE FARMS
Pacific Northwest natives ferns hardy orchids erythroniums, corydalis and other rare plants
Salt Spring Island, BC

FULL CIRCLE SEEDS
Certified organic seed co-operative that carries many heritage vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
Sooke, BC

GOOD EARTH FARMS SEEDS
Certified Organic, bulk amounts available.
Black Creek, BC

HELMER’S ORGANIC FARM
Seed potatoes, organic
Pemberton, BC

LAUGHING SWAN FARM
Veggies, herbs & flowers
Kamloops, BC

MANHATTAN FARMS
Organic herbs & flowers
Vernon, BC

NARAMATA SEED COMPANY
Rare heirloom veggies, tiny & excellent farm
Naramata, BC

NICOLA VALLEY PRODUCE
Specializing in heritage varieties of seed garlic, organically grown with PACS certification
Merritt, BC

RAVENSONG SEEDS
Organic, medicinal/culinary herbs, some veg & flowers– all producer/home grown
Saanichton, BC

SALT SPRING SEEDS
Heirloom, heritage and organic seed growers, seed saving for 27 years
Salt Spring Island, BC

SEEDS OF THE REVOLUTION
Seeds grown by Saanich Organics, mostly veggies
Saanich, BC

SUNSHINE FARM
Good selection certified organic, heritage/heirloom, open-pollinated seeds
Kelowna, BC

TARDIGRADE SEEDS
Specializes in heat and drought-adapted varieties of favorite vegetables and unique international crops.
Salt Spring Island, BC

TWINING VINE GARDEN
Edible trees, shrubs, native plants, fruits and vegetables
Fanny Bay, BC

Alberta

A’BUNDAH SEEDS 
Open pollinated, organic veggies, includes grains, some garlic & potatoes
Cherhill, AB

ALCLA NATIVE PLANTS
Native plant seed, plugs and pots
Calgary, AB

ARNICA WILDFLOWERS
Edmonton and area locally native wildflowers that attract pollinators. Grown from untreated local seeds.
Edmonton, AB

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS
Flowers, vegetables, fruits, and native plants
Leslieville, AB

CASEY’S HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
Amazing backyard gardener , not certified organic, huge variety
Airdrie, AB

CIRCLE FARMS
Non-GMO, untreated seeds
Calgary, AB

EAGLE CREEK SEED POTATOES
THE place for seed potatoes
Bowden, AB

EDMONTON NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
Native plants
Edmonton, AB

FUNGI AKUAFO
Mushroom spawn and tools for small farms and DIY growers
Sundre, AB

HARMONIC HERBS
Open pollinated, medicinal/culinary herbs, veggies, grains & flowers
Barrhead, AB

WILD ABOUT FLOWERS
Southern Alberta native plant nursery
Turner Valley, AB

WILDROSE HERITAGE SEED
Open pollinated, good variety, unsure of sources
Lethbridge, AB

Saskatchewan

BLAZING STAR WILDFLOWER SEED CO.
Prairie-native pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds & heirloom veggies
Aberdeen, SK

MUMM’S SPROUTING SEEDS 
A grower of sprouting seeds for the home grower and commercial markets.
Parkside, SK

NO COAST SEEDS
Open-pollinated seeds for short-season gardens
Wroxton, SK

PRAIRIE GARDEN SEEDS
Great varieties of veggies, all producer/home grown, mail order only
Humboldt, SK

SASK GARLIC FARM
Chemical-free, hard-neck garlic
Kipling, SK

Manitoba

HERITAGE HARVEST SEED
Many rare varieties, open pollinated, good quality, order early because short supply. Up to 75% grown on Canadian farms
Carman, MB

PRAIRIE ORIGINALS
Grass, wildflower, shrub, vine
Selkirk, MB

SAGE GARDEN GREENHOUSES
Select seeds only and marked grown by them
Winnipeg, MB

TINY MONSTER GARDEN
Grows, processes, saves, and breeds heirloom and experimental vegetable seeds that thrive in the short-season of southeastern Manitoba.

Ontario

BEAR ROOT GARDENS
Veggies, herbs & flowers
Verona, ON

KITCHEN TABLE SEED HOUSE
Veggies, herbs & flowers
Kingston, ON

NORTHERN WILDFLOWERS
Native wildflowers seeds that are non-GMP and chemical free.
Whitefish, ON

PEPPER MERCHANT 
Rare and unique pepper seeds
Ottawa, ON

Nova Scotia

ANNAPOLIS SEEDS
Heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and grains
Middleton, NS

HOPE SEEDS AND PERENNIALS
Seed grower Cooperative. Certified organic OP veggie, potato, garlic, onion sets, garlic, flowers, herbs, cover crops. 60% coop member grown
Annapolis Royal, NS

Seed & Equipment Distributors

British Columbia

WEST COAST SEEDS
Large diversity of seeds and varieties Non-GMO, non-GEO, chemical-free seed
Delta, BC

Alberta

FABIAN SEEDS
4th generation, family-owned and operated seed farm in southern Alberta that distributes seeds and products to help crop growth

HANNA’S SEEDS
Retailer, wholesaler, and exporter of alfalfa, clover and grass seeds, as well as several forage, lawn, pasture, and native grass mixtures
Lacombe, AB

Saskatchewan

EARLY’S FARM & GARDEN
Listed here for garden supplies & equipment. Seeds may be treated &/or Seminis outsourced
Saskatoon, SK

Ontario

WILLIAM DAM SEEDS
Distributor of seeds, green crops, and tool & supplies
Dundas, ON

Prince Edward Island

VESEY’S SEEDS
Distributor of seeds and bulbs, non-GMO and organic, safe seed pledge
York, PEI

USA

FEDCO SEEDS
Co-op seed distributor for organic veggies, flowers, and fruits
Maine, USA

HIGH MOWING ORGANIC SEEDS
Distributor of organic veggie seeds from Northern Vermont
Vermont, USA

JOHNNY’S SEEDS
Large selection of seeds and varieties, safe seed pledge, employee owned
Maine, USA