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 BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba 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!

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Local Seed Producers

 

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

ACROSS THE CREEK ORGANICS
Seed potatoes, organic
Pemberton, BC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EDMONTON NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
Native plants
Edmonton, AB

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

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

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

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

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

LAUGHING SWAN FARM
Veggies, herbs & flowers
Kamloops, BC

MANHATTAN FARMS
Organic herbs & flowers
Vernon, BC

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

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

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

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

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

SAGE GARDEN HERBS
Certified organic veggies, herbs, flowers, microgreens & sprouting, sweet potatoes, seed potatoes, bugs & supplies
Winnipeg, MB

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

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

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

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

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

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Seed & Equipment Distributors

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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