Canadians continue to avoid purchasing U.S. products, including fruits and vegetables. But avoiding American imports comes at a cost: higher prices. “Because energy is more expensive, (moving) these products around is costing more,” said Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of agri-food analytics at Dalhousie University in Halifax. “So that’s why that sector is highly vulnerable to geopolitics.” The rising cost of food has many Canadians looking to grow their own produce, turning to places such as Northern Wildflowers, a plant and vegetable seed supplier. The 40-acre seed farm is located in Whitefish in Greater Sudbury. “Maybe they have a patio and they’re still making use of the space they have, if they’re interested in gardening,” said Jenny Fortier, founder and CEO. “Or folks on acreage who are like, ‘I want to convert a bit of space to produce a bit of my own food.” Northern Wildflowers sells vegetable seeds that are contract-grown by small Canadian farmers. The products are sold online and in garden centres, hardware stores, supermarkets and specialty shops. Fortier said they’ve seen increased interest from across Canada, particularly for vegetable seeds. Most of that interest is coming from customers who are faced with higher costs in grocery stores. “From folks who are in more rural areas and are saying either I can’t afford produce or the produce available to me is in such poor condition that it’s not really all that appetizing,” she said. Even when growing their own fruits and vegetables, Fortier said customers are also asking where the seeds are from, wanting to support Canadian companies. “Customers are really thinking: is it from here? Is it grown here and/or processed here?” Fortier said. “Like, how much of that supply chain is actually happening here? Customers are really aware of that -- a lot more than they’ve been since I started in this space. As for advice, Fortier said learning to grow your own food is an extended process. “Gardening is like cooking -- it’s something that takes a lifetime to learn,” she said. “Take it easy on yourself if you’re new. Everything that you grow is different. To give yourself the best chance of succeeding, she said it’s important to start with good-quality seeds or plants that thrive in a short season, since Canada’s growing season is short. Charlebois warned that maintaining a thriving garden is hard work and that it’s costly to get started. “But if you’re committed to gardening, you will eventually amortize all the expenses that you made at the beginning, and it will actually be financially interesting later on after a few years,” he said. Charlebois’ advice for someone wanting to try gardening without spending a lot of money is to start within a community garden. And make friends, since vegetable gardens tend to over-produce. RELATED STORIES:
