Free Shipping, Tariffs and Seeds, More

Greetings Folks! If you are in Canada then you are probably still covered in snow, but don’t get complacent; spring is just around the corner. If you live on the coast, as we do, you can be starting the hardiest of crops inside now, and getting them going so that they can be transplanted as soon as possible when the snow melts. This would be your greens like kale, lettuce, turnips, bok choys— the Asian greens in general are really hardy, mizuna, the mustards, etc.

For the rest of this month we are offering Free Shipping, to get you into the spirit of spring. And honestly, if you are tired of the snow, there is no better palliative than looking at seeds, planning the perfect garden in your mind, and dreaming of summer harvests of tomatoes, bunches of fresh basil, or the fragrance of a perfectly ripe sweet pepper.

Speaking of peppers and tomatoes, it is almost time to start them if you can do so inside and have some lights to give them a head start. It might seem a little excessive if you have never used indoor lights to start your seedlings, but it is a game changer for the home gardener. it really is. Peppers in particular benefit from the early start, as they are such slow growers when they are little. That extra few weeks inside gives you a lot more fruit, and an earlier harvest come summer.

Most of you must know about the changes down south and the tariffs that are looming. I hear a lot of fear porn in the media, but I don’t hear much talk about solutions. Yes, change is coming, and regardless of how you feel about it, you can make changes that will absolutely make a difference. How? That is easy. Buy local.

Whether you are buying a bottle of wine, or a packet of seeds, or a lift of lumber, buy a product that has been fully grown or made in Canada— at least as much as possible. That is the trick though. Knowing what your buying….

In the world of seeds— the only world I feel I’m qualified to really talk about— there are loads of companies that appear to be local but aren’t. Picture the website featuring “Alice and Dan”, two young farmers who grew up in the city and always knew they loved growing things, and finally got to move to the country and raise their children and now sell seeds for a living. By supporting them you are helping to support them and save the planet, or whatever.

Are they really growing these seeds themselves? Or are they buying them in bulk, wholesale online, and reselling them to you, the unaware buyer? Here’s the key: If they don’t say explicitly, “we are growing these seeds here, all of them, on our farm”, they probably aren’t.

Another example: West Coast Seeds is a local company, in the sense that they are based in Canada, but their product is not Canadian at all. They source their seeds from all over the world, but they don’t actually tell you that. You, the trusting buyer, assume their product is Canadian because they talk a lot about growing on the West Coast, they have a planting chart for local growers, and so on.

We are entering changing times for sure, and it can be a little scary, but on the positive side, like never before we are able to research, ask questions, and empower ourselves to make good choices— not just about seeds (which would be awesome!), but about all of our food and other commodities that we rely on.

We are never going to be self sufficient in avocados here in Canada, obviously, and maybe not in many things. But we can— and should— do way better than we are. Why not process our lumber here in Canada, instead of shipping it into the States and buying back finished lumber? We used to. We could also refine our oil here instead of shipping it south and buying back the finished products. And so much more.

Before I am accused of simplifying everything let me just say that yes, it is complicated, but not impossible. Start small, say, with seeds. Grow from there. End of rant.

All the best!

Your local, Canadian, crazy seed farmer

Sal Dominelli