When it comes to fresh produce, being able to purchase from a local farmer provides many rewards beyond what is available from the produce we tend to find in large grocery stores. In the spring months, I enjoy having the opportunity to purchase seeds and seedlings to plant in my own garden. I must admit that I normally buy my seeds and seedlings from local garden centres, and have never really taken the time to seek out local suppliers. As such, I wanted to get in contact with a local farmer who specializes on seeds and seedlings. I searched online and located Matchbox Garden & Seed Co. which is owned and operated by Hanna Jacobs (Matchbox Garden & Seed Co., 2017; Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market, n.d.). She is a local farmer who sells certified organic vegetable seeds and seedlings both online and at the Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market in Toronto (Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market, n.d.). I was unable to make it to the Farmers’ Market to try and meet Hanna in person, but managed to speak to her over the phone. The information she provided me with during our call was extremely informative and really opened my eyes on seeds and seedlings. Hanna founded her company back in 2006 within a 1000 sq foot urban farm in downtown Toronto. She eventually expanded her business by moving to a 2-acre rental property in Brampton. After that, Hanna ended up purchasing a 1.5-acre property just outside of Caledon where she now cultivates fresh vegetables, seeds and plants every year. She finds that this is a good size for her and has no plans to expand any larger in the future. Hanna offers her produce for purchase at 3 or 4 farmers’ markets and belongs to a small CSA (community supported agriculture) program as well. Matchbox Garden & Seed Co. offers approximately 100-120 varieties of open pollinated plants in addition to their seeds. Hanna informed me that individuals can purchase seeds through her website at matchboxgarden.ca, but she does not currently mail out any actual plants because it tends to be too involved of a process. Hanna explained that when it comes to farming, she is both and activist and an environmentalist and that this forms the basis of why she chooses to farm organically. She informed me that the way in which farming tends to be done nowadays goes against what nature and the earth wants. The use of tractors to till soil, for example, may seem efficient yet causes great damage to the soil. Hanna believes that to grow healthy plants you need to have healthy soil. As such, she chooses to place more food into her garden for her plants by way of added compost and refrains from tilling it into the garden bed. She finds that this results in much better crops and larger yields within a smaller space. In talking about political and environmental initiatives, Hanna told me that she is a member of Seeds of Diversity Canada. This is a members group whose objectives are “to search out, preserve, perpetuate, study, and encourage the cultivation of heirloom and endangered varieties of food crops…” and “to educate the public about the importance of heirloom and endangered varieties of food crops and the need for their continues cultivation and preservation…” (Seeds of Diversity Canada, 2017). She also belongs to The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, a national movement whose aim is to “conserve and advance seed biodiversity, keep seed in the public domain, and promote ecological seed production” (Seeds of Diversity, 2013). Hanna informed me that this initiative also conducts trials on various seed varieties. Throughout my conversation with Hanna I was learning a great deal about seeds that I did not know about in the past. I’ve never really thought much about the various types of seeds available or what goes into producing a quality seedling, nor did I understand much about the importance of seed ecology. Hanna helped to provide me with further information on this, which I was very grateful for. She has clearly worked extremely hard in promoting and building her business and is doing exceptional work in promoting organic plants. This activity has made me think more about where exactly my seedlings come from. This spring I definitely plan to make more of an effort in searching out organic biodiverse seedling varieties for my garden rather than just picking them up from my local garden centre. I look forward to paying a visit to the Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market this spring to explore their produce and hopefully have the opportunity to meet Hanna in person and thank her again for taking the time to educate me on her products and pick up some of her seedlings to plant in my own garden. References:
Matchbox Garden & Seed Co. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.matchboxgarden.ca/about Seeds of Diversity. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.seedsecurity.ca/en/about-us Seeds of Diversity Canada. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.seeds.ca/ Trinity Bellwoods Farmers’ Market. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tbfm.ca/
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AuthorHi everyone. I'm Peter, and I have decided to follow my passion and pursue a career in cooking. I look forward to connecting with you all. Archives
February 2017
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