ATLANTIC CANADA

The program in Atlantic Canada is focused on virtual and in-person knowledge exchange for seed growers, biodiversity conservation and recovery, and creating strong connections among growers and others who are engaged or interested in seed work. Many farmers in the region use and save seed from open-pollinated varieties with rich history in the area, keeping those varieties, plant genetics, and stories alive one season to the next. Seed growers here help organize some of the country's most vibrant Seedy Saturday events, and are actively involved in local community seed projects -- a thriving movement in Atlantic Canada. ACORN hosted this program from 2013 - 2018 and remains an important collaborator in the region. Stephanie Hughes is the Atlantic Canada Program Manager. You can reach her at shughes@weseedchange.org. See below for more information on our programs.

-- Monthly Virtual Seed Grower Check-ins. These are opportunities for seed growers around the Atlantic region to log on, tune in, and catch up. This is an informal, drop-in meeting space for seed growers to chat about whatever is top of mind. Join us on Zoom! Here is the meeting schedule: February 11, March 11, April 8, and May 13 at 1:00pm atlantic time; June 12 at 6:00 pm atlantic time; July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14 at 1:00 PM; November 14 at 6:00 pm atlantic time; and December 9 at 1:00 pm atlantic time.

-- Farmer-to-Farmer Seed Mentorship Program.  2025 Applications have closed - thanks for your interest!This program connects experienced seed growers with farmers wanting to increase the scale, quality, and/or diversity of seed they're saving on-farm. Mentors are paid to provide 10-20 hours of one-on-one support, helping mentees reach their seed growing goals. The program is self-directed and flexible, completed between May - November. This is not a hosted internship; mentees should have an established space where they can cultivate their seed crops. To apply to be a 2025 Seed Mentee, click HERE. To apply to be a 2025 Seed Mentor, click HERE. For more information, please email Steph at shughes@weseedchange.org. 

-- Seed Bank Grow-out Program.  The 2025 Grow-out Program is open for sign-ups!The Atlantic Canada Regional Seed Bank was established in 2014 to increase access to regionally adapted, open-pollinatied crop varieties. A partnership between The Bauta Family Initiative, Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, and Seeds of Diversity, the bank is supported by 15-20 regional growers who curate the collection -- choosing, growing out, improving, and contributing the varieties each year. The 2025 program will focus on rare bean varieties, originally contributed to the seed bank 5-12 years ago. Listed varieties are in danger of losing viability and need to be re-grown. They are also rare, available from 3 or fewer commercial providers in Canada according to Seeds of Diversity's Ecological Seed Finder. Please click HERE to view the list of eligible varieties. Please click HERE to sign up. Some grow-outs require data collection; the crop descriptor form for beans can be found HERE. 

-- Atlantic Grown Seed Showcase Gardens. From 2022-2024, in partnership with Hayes Farm (NB) and Legacy Community Garden (PEI), we trialed and showcased dozens of varieties of regionally bred and stewarded vegetables. Read more about this work. 

-- Find Local Seed. In partnership with ACORN, our program maintains a regional database of seed sellers in Atlantic Canada. Providing information on the company, the kind of seed it sells (local, imported, etc.), and its organic status. Purchasing locally grown seed for your garden and farm is an important way to support farmers and to access high quality seed with excellent potential for regional adaptation and seed saving. Access the directory. Learn more about Canada's vegetable seed industry.

-- Seed Libraries & Community Seed Projects. This region is home to dozens of community-based seed programs which aim to share seed and educate about seed saving. If you're part of such a project, or looking to find one/start one, please visit the Community Seed Network. Add yourself to their growing membership by putting yourself on the map, and check out their long list of resources. For more information on this sector in Atlantic Canada, contact Steph Hughes.