Take the One Rare Variety Challenge This Year!
Here's the easiest and best way to make a real difference as a seed saver. You don't need a lot of experience, a lot of space, or any special tools. Just choose a plant species that you know how to grow, find a variety that's relatively rare, and learn how to grow more of those seeds. If everyone saved just One Rare Variety in their garden, those seeds might not be rare anymore!
How to Find A Rare Variety That Needs Saving
We have two online tools that can help you find a variety that's rare enough to need saving.
- Our Member Seed Exchange lists all the seeds that are saved and offered by our member seed growers. Everyone can read through it, and members can request seeds from other members. As many as two-thirds of the varieties offered in the Seed Exchange each year are not available from seed companies, which makes it the biggest source in Canada for truly rare varieties. We challenge you to choose one interesting variety that's offered by only one person. Grow it, save the seeds, and offer them in the Seed Exchange next year. It sounds simple, but it makes a huge difference for that variety because it doubles the number of people growing it and offering seeds. If everyone did this one simple challenge, every single vulnerable variety in the Seed Exchange would be a lot more safe.
- Our Canadian Seed Catalogue Index and Ecological Seed Finder list all the vegetable seed varieties offered in Canadian garden seed catalogues. Newly updated for 2024, we index 9428 different seed varieties from 119 Canadian companies. You can find out which varieties are rare and which aren't just by looking at how many companies sell each variety. We challenge you to choose one interesting variety that's only offered by one seed company. Grow it, save the seeds, and offer them in the Member Seed Directory next year.
Sometimes scrolling through our Member Seed Exchange can be overwhelming. There are so many seeds! But the majority of them are only grown by one or two people, so we need more seed savers to keep those varieties alive!
Seed companies seem to have an amazing assortment of seeds, but 69% of the 9428 commercial varieties are only available from one company each. It's way easier to find a rare variety than it should be!
What to Do With Your Saved Seeds
Besides offering them through Seeds of Diversity's Member Seed Exchange next year, you can help improve your local community's seed diversity by donating seeds to a local seed library, a community garden that saves seeds, or a Seedy Saturday/Sunday seed swap.
Since the variety you choose is so rare, you might be the only person you know who has those seeds, so make sure other growers know how important and special they are. Encourage other seed savers to multiply them too, and use them as an incentive for gardeners to learn the simple techniques that they can use to save their own rare seeds for the next year.
If every seed saver took up this one simple challenge, so many rare seeds would become instantly a lot more safe!
Regional Seed Newsletters from our Friends
Since 2013, Seeds of Diversity has collaborated with The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security to support farmers to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of seed they save on their farms. The Bauta Initiative runs in every province across Canada and regularly hosts webinars, field days, and other types of programs that may be relevant to not only commercial sector farmers but also backyard or hobby seed savers.
Learn more about The Bauta Family Initiative in your region by subscribing to their newsletters, and/or contact your Regional Coordinator.
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Prairie Region: Prairie Pod Newsletter
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Ontario: EFAO Seed Program E-News
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Atlantic Canada: Atlantic Canada newsletter for The Bauta Family Initiative
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British Columbia: Farm Folk City Folk newsletter
Canadian Seed Catalogue Index 2024
Did you know there are 119 garden seed companies in Canada (that we know of) that sell 9428 different kinds of vegetable seeds? That's a lot, and we know that because we made an index of all their catalogues!
Every year, our Canadian Seed Catalogue Index is updated to record the diversity and availability of vegetable varieties across Canada. You can use it to find your favourite varieties, or you can use it to find varieties that are sold in your region.
The Most (and Least) Rare Vegetable Seeds in Canada
Our Canadian Seed Catalogue Index shows all the garden vegetable seeds offered from 119 Canadian seed companies in 2024. You can use it to find your favourite seeds, but at Seeds of Diversity we use it for another reason - to learn which seed varieties are easy to find, and which we need to rescue!
Seed Libraries Across Canada - Part 8
It has been more than two years since the original article that sparked the creation of this series, and what we’ve come to realize from connecting with dozens of Seed Library organizers and enthusiasts is that there are pockets of passionate people everywhere. From public libraries to educational institutions; environmental organizations to neighbourhood groups; families and individuals.
This summer, for the first time, our Youth in Food Systems program will be piloting an inter-school Seed Library in Waterloo Region alongside Smart Waterloo Region’s Nurture project. Connecting young people with our food systems has become an important part of our work, and seed saving is a valuable next step in that. We’re thrilled to have a chance to do this in 20 school gardens this season.
Depth of Field : Films About Farming
Depth of Field is a series of 40 short documentaries produced and presented by the National Farmers Union and March Forth Creative. The films showcase Canadian farmers and farm workers, and their sustainable farming practices on and off the land.
Since returning from a season of filming on 40 farms across 9 provinces, award-winning filmmakers Tamer Soliman and Sarah Douglas have spent the winter months steadily digging through their footage to create captivating short films. Get ready to be inspired by the stories of farmers who are deeply invested in growing food for Canadians.
See more about Depth of Field, and local screenings, at nfu.ca/filmsaboutfarming
In this issue
Regional Seed Newsletters from our Friends
Canadian Seed Catalogue Index 2024
The Most (and Least) Rare Vegetable Seeds in Canada
Seed Libraries Across Canada - Part 8
Depth of Field : Films About Farming
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