Garden Seeds

Sequoia believes strongly that everyone should experience the pleasure of growing some of their own food. In addition to being a very satisfying and meditative hobby it gives us a real connection to our natural resources and, of course, our food.

The foundation of good growing is good seeds. We are proud to support Hope Seeds, as a local provider of organic seeds. Hope Seeds are available in-store from March to July every year. Many selections sell out quickly, so get in early to secure your seeds for the season!

About Hope Seeds

Hope Seeds is a small but committed seed company, with a dedication to local and sustainable agriculture since our beginning in 1993.   Andrea Berry (that’s me on the left!) runs this little but growing company as the owner and a grower, building on the original vision of founder Kim Edmondson of Keswick Ridge:

Passion for seed saving; commitment to sustainable agriculture; and securing local food systems for future generations.

Hope Seeds offers a wide range of seeds that bigger companies have overlooked, maintaining many rare and heritage selections.  The stories are rich, and add so much to the adventure of growing gardens and food.  Keeping these seeds and stories alive is a great honour, and we take our stewardship very seriously.  Diversity in our seed, our fields and our food is the best way to build a resilient and strong agricultural system.

At the same time, Hope Seeds recognizes that the future of food lies in the growth of organic, local food systems.  Imperative to this is the development of high-quality, adapted seed bred for low-input organic farms and gardens enabling successful crops in a wide range of climatic conditions.  We just don’t really know where this climate change deal will take us, but growing and breeding plant varieties out of the wide genetic base of heritage varieties to regional variations of soil, weather patterns and cultural methods is an essential tool for food security.

We grow what we sell!  This means we prioritize selling seed to those who grow their own food, and food for others in their communities.  We depend on our own seed and fields for our food – just like you – and understand the need for top quality seed that performs best in organic fields and gardens.   Our season is short (about 90 days frost-free), our soil is not the best, and we do the majority of work by hand (including tinkering on the ol’ rototiller and half-ton).  We have good crops and bad ones, and gripes with pests and unexpected frosts – all impacting the products we can offer, but rest assured we never accept second-best.  Growing our own seed is just one of the things that sets Hope Seeds apart from the majority of seed companies out there.

Our seed quality testing goes beyond simple germination tests, to seed-borne disease and purity.  Our germination standards not only meet but often exceed requirements put forward by the Federal Department of Agriculture in the Canada Seeds Act.  This is all to makes sure you are putting the best seed possible into your fields and gardens.

Over 60% of our seeds come through the Hope Seeds Grower Network.  These are other organic and sustainable family farms in Eastern Canada that have been carefully selected to work and grow with Hope Seeds.  Many of these farms have been farming organically for decades – pioneers in their field, often hosting interns, apprentices and volunteers with whom to pass on their skills and experiences.  Others are budding young organic farmers that have taken the leap into sustainable food production, coming from diverse backgrounds, but ready to work hard and apply their rapidly expanding knowledge. When you plant a little “Hope”, you know that you’re supporting these farms to continue their stewardship of our future generation’s planet.