Native seed producers across the country are banding together to strengthen national native seed supply and increase availability for consumers.
Launched last fall, Native Seed Producers of Canada is a working group of Canadian farmers that are producing native forb (herbaceous flowering plants) and/or grass seeds for market. Their goal is to advance the country’s native seed industry and support ecological restoration efforts.
Jenny Fortier, the owner of Northern Wildflowers in Sudbury, is a founding member.
An ecologist and master gardener, Fortier has carved out a niche providing native seeds to commercial clients in the mining, energy, and utilities sectors looking to rehabilitate industrial sites.
She also sells flower, vegetable and grass seeds to home gardeners looking to create more natural garden plots that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.
SEE: From mine site to pollinators paradise
While there’s been an increasing effort toward habitat restoration and regreening in Canada, until now there’s been a disconnect between demand for seeds and what’s actually available, Fortier said.
“There's been this kind of miscommunication of supply, which has led to the mismatches in availability of things,” she said.
“And there just hasn't been that two-way communication to make sure that we're ready with the seed supply we need in Canada to achieve the goals that we have.”
One of the challenges is that native seed producers are few in Canada — there are currently only about 20 active growers — and most are small to medium-sized producers, she noted. There are far more native plant nurseries operating.
Producing seed itself can be daunting. Seed growers are faced with similar challenges to other farmers: land is expensive, for example, and there’s only so much available that’s optimal for growing.
But they also have to become experts in 10, 15, sometimes 20 different crops at once, versus a traditional farmer who specializes in one crop — pigs or corn or wheat. And seed farmers require an extra measure of patience since the time between cultivation and harvest is much longer.
“Farming is already hard, but then growing native plants for seed, you're growing plants that sometimes take four, five, seven, years before you have a seed crop,” Fortier said.
“So it's a totally different style of farming. It's a different style of harvesting. It's a different style of seed conditioning. It's just a really different, unique space, because it really is a space where it takes a lifetime to become good at this.”
The newly formed organization will enable growers to share input, combine their strengths and work together to solve broader issues facing the industry, Fortier said.
Addressing some of these issues together is a “step in the right direction” to make sure that enough supply is available, she added, while also helping to educate the public on the benefit of native plants.
Additionally, it opens the door to more farmers who might be interested in trying their hand at growing native seeds.
Some seed producers already contract other farmers to grow some of their crops to mitigate risk, said Fortier, who employs this practice at Northern Wildflowers.
Working with Native Seed Producers of Canada can help remove some of the uncertainty that comes with growing seeds. Members can advise on things like how to grow the crops, determine when they’re ready for harvest, employ best harvesting methods, and assess seed quality.
“You could try it on a crop or two and see if it's something that works well on your farm,” Fortier said.
“But we're always looking for more farmers to contribute to that supply, because it is going to take a lot of farmers to supply the seed for our restoration targets in Canada.”
