“It all starts with seeds. The seeds are the things we all need to take care of, and bring our conscious minds and our hearts and our spirits to. Think about how lucky we are first of all to even access seeds.
When you receive seeds or you go and collect seeds, you’re asking for the responsibility to take care of those seeds and the gift to produce something with those seeds.
One of the teachings in my culture, which is Ojibwe or Anishinawbe, is that we ask the seed for permission. We’re actually asking the seed and my ancestors, so your ancestors, and all the local ancestors that were here before us on this land: “can we have your guidance and your permission to grow this seed?” And we ask the miinikaan, the seed, “can I have your permission and your guidance to grow you and nourish you and help bring you to your full fruition?”
And what a gift that is to be able to create that relationship. So just as you hear people talking about creating the relationship with the plants, we want to create a relationship with the original place that starts, which is with the seed. And really give the seed your love and your care and your respect, because the seed is a being just as we are beings and seeds need to be taken care of.”
- Johl Whiteduck, Miinikaan co-founder
Grow the plants out and help save seeds! We request that you save some seeds from the plants you grow and send them back to the library at the end of the season.
The cost of $3 per seed packet is used to cover the costs of mailing seed packets within Ontario, so you will not be charged shipping when you check out.
Indigenous gardeners, growers and seed savers: we will send you seeds free of charge and have some more varieties not listed here. Please contact us for details and to tell us about your request!
You also have an option to donate additional funds to support the seed library: these donations are used for seed packaging supplies, additional seed mailings offered free of charge to selected communities, and to support our gardens where we grow the seeds.
