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With the influx of non-gmo, heritage seed saving and planting, we thought it might be helpful if we gave you our top five companies who supply Canada and the US.It is very important to use heritage or heirloom and non-gmo seeds as many companies sell seeds treated with Neonicotinoids which are responsible for the massive bee collapse happening globally.
1. VESEYS
"It all began on a shoestring" is the way Arthur Vesey (the founder of Veseys Seeds) described the beginning days of Veseys Seeds. From a very young age, Mr. Vesey operated a market garden in the rural community of York, Prince Edward Island. During his market garden years, he was keenly interested in securing and testing seeds that were suitable for the cool, short growing seasons of Atlantic Canada.
Since 1939, Vesey's seed has been tested and packaged on the premises
in York. Today, automated packaging has mostly replaced what had been
done by hand. However, many small and delicate flower seeds are still
packaged by hand using a combination of measuring devices not unlike the
original spoons and scoops of Arthur's day."
"Heritage Harvest Seed is a Canadian heirloom/heritage seed mail order company specializing in rare and endangered heirloom/heritage varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. With over 700 varieties to choose from, we'll surely have something to suit your taste. Over the past decade we have become Canada's #1 source for rare and endangered varieties of heirloom/heritage seed. Our heirloom/heritage tomato collection is among the best in North America!
Jessy Friesen and I, along with my mother Iris Stefanec, are working together to preserve heirloom varieties and offer their seed for sale to the public. This requires a lot of research and countless hours trying to track down rare seed sources, as well as delving into the histories of different varieties.
I am a member of Seeds of Diversity Canada and Seed Savers Exchange based in Decorah, Iowa. Both organizations are extremely worthwhile and I strongly recommend anyone with an interest in heirloom plants to join. I also have a Bachelor's Degree in Horticultural Technology and have been an avid gardener since I was a child."
"We are a regional microSeedery, offering home gardeners seed for the finest vegetables, herbs and exotic botanicals you can grow in short season climates like central Alberta. We produce seed on a very small scale, focusing on quality before quantity. Our full line up is available here online (see Product selection on left menu), with our most popular choices also found in select retail stores across Alberta during seed season (February to June - see Ordering page for locations).
Seed is vital resource - it should be shared and celebrated, not patented and monopolized. All our seeds are open pollinated, non GMO. untreated, and seed saver friendly. We encourage seed saving - it's the important first step to food security. And it is a satisfying endeavour - just don't forget to wear your dust mask!"
"West Coast Seeds are very proud of our 2017 selection of untreated, non-gmo seeds for organic growing. We offer over 850 varieties of heirloom, open-pollinated, and hybrid vegetable seeds. Our vibrant selection of over 200 flower seeds is sure to delight both novice and master gardeners. They have been selected for use as edible flowers, to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, and for use in water-wise xeriscaping schemes. Also included are a host of fragrant culinary herb seeds to enhance and flavour meals year round. A full range of appetizer, soup, salad, and main course suggestions can be found in our West Coast Seeds Recipes page. These are accompanied by a host of Articles and Instructions, Growing Guides, and tools like our Regional Planting Charts and Plant Hardiness Zone Finder. Enjoy shopping our selection of West Coast Seeds Certified Organic and heirloom seeds."
"Wildrose Heritage Seed Company Limited offers only ‘heirloom’ vegetable seeds for one simple reason: These seeds represent our history from generation to generation and they represent our future food security as well. We encourage you to save the seed from our open-pollinated seed varieties that we offer. With the proper growing techniques and the proper seed saving methods, you can reliably grow and enjoy the same plants for generations to come. We strive to offer only the highest quality agricultural seed available that fits our ethical profile. Wildrose Heritage Seed Company Ltd. tests our seeds regularly for seed germination rates and purity to both determine the vigor of the seed and to determine the presence of weed seeds. All of our seeds that we sell are tested by BioVision Seed Labs in St Albert, Alberta, to meet or exceed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) standards and the Canadian standards established by the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada for Seed quality.
Not one of our seeds is a ‘GMO’, genetically modified organism. They are all open pollinated varieties. They are nature’s first open pollinated seed types, ‘originals’. The original or ‘heirloom’ seeds were what nature designed for food sustainability. It is within this application of growing and saving ‘heirloom’ seeds that we are able to help ensure sustainability of these remaining seed types for future generations. "
2. HERITAGE HARVEST SEEDS
"Heritage Harvest Seed is a Canadian heirloom/heritage seed mail order company specializing in rare and endangered heirloom/heritage varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. With over 700 varieties to choose from, we'll surely have something to suit your taste. Over the past decade we have become Canada's #1 source for rare and endangered varieties of heirloom/heritage seed. Our heirloom/heritage tomato collection is among the best in North America!
Jessy Friesen and I, along with my mother Iris Stefanec, are working together to preserve heirloom varieties and offer their seed for sale to the public. This requires a lot of research and countless hours trying to track down rare seed sources, as well as delving into the histories of different varieties.
I am a member of Seeds of Diversity Canada and Seed Savers Exchange based in Decorah, Iowa. Both organizations are extremely worthwhile and I strongly recommend anyone with an interest in heirloom plants to join. I also have a Bachelor's Degree in Horticultural Technology and have been an avid gardener since I was a child."
3. HARMONIC HERBS
"We are a regional microSeedery, offering home gardeners seed for the finest vegetables, herbs and exotic botanicals you can grow in short season climates like central Alberta. We produce seed on a very small scale, focusing on quality before quantity. Our full line up is available here online (see Product selection on left menu), with our most popular choices also found in select retail stores across Alberta during seed season (February to June - see Ordering page for locations).
Seed is vital resource - it should be shared and celebrated, not patented and monopolized. All our seeds are open pollinated, non GMO. untreated, and seed saver friendly. We encourage seed saving - it's the important first step to food security. And it is a satisfying endeavour - just don't forget to wear your dust mask!"
4. WEST COAST SEEDS
"West Coast Seeds are very proud of our 2017 selection of untreated, non-gmo seeds for organic growing. We offer over 850 varieties of heirloom, open-pollinated, and hybrid vegetable seeds. Our vibrant selection of over 200 flower seeds is sure to delight both novice and master gardeners. They have been selected for use as edible flowers, to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, and for use in water-wise xeriscaping schemes. Also included are a host of fragrant culinary herb seeds to enhance and flavour meals year round. A full range of appetizer, soup, salad, and main course suggestions can be found in our West Coast Seeds Recipes page. These are accompanied by a host of Articles and Instructions, Growing Guides, and tools like our Regional Planting Charts and Plant Hardiness Zone Finder. Enjoy shopping our selection of West Coast Seeds Certified Organic and heirloom seeds."
5. WILD ROSE HERITAGE SEEDS
"Wildrose Heritage Seed Company Limited offers only ‘heirloom’ vegetable seeds for one simple reason: These seeds represent our history from generation to generation and they represent our future food security as well. We encourage you to save the seed from our open-pollinated seed varieties that we offer. With the proper growing techniques and the proper seed saving methods, you can reliably grow and enjoy the same plants for generations to come. We strive to offer only the highest quality agricultural seed available that fits our ethical profile. Wildrose Heritage Seed Company Ltd. tests our seeds regularly for seed germination rates and purity to both determine the vigor of the seed and to determine the presence of weed seeds. All of our seeds that we sell are tested by BioVision Seed Labs in St Albert, Alberta, to meet or exceed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) standards and the Canadian standards established by the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada for Seed quality.
Not one of our seeds is a ‘GMO’, genetically modified organism. They are all open pollinated varieties. They are nature’s first open pollinated seed types, ‘originals’. The original or ‘heirloom’ seeds were what nature designed for food sustainability. It is within this application of growing and saving ‘heirloom’ seeds that we are able to help ensure sustainability of these remaining seed types for future generations. "
