West Coast Seeds is a Certified Handler of Organic Seed.

I will be a farmer and I urge you to ponder that perspective for your own efforts. A neighbourhood of farmers, sharing their harvest and their seeds and their recipes will strengthen our communities. So I urge you to adopt a vegetable. Choose your favorite open pollinated variety and learn about it through the seasons, then begin collecting its seeds so that you can share them and your recipes with others. We can all help to build our neighbourhoods from garden to garden to garden.” — Mary Ballon, Founder of West Coast Seeds.

West Coast Seeds Declaration of Principles

West Coast Seeds believes, first and foremost, in the principles of organic growing. Namely, we believe that food and all plants should be grown without the use of synthetic chemicals and that the seeds we supply are an important component within the broader conceptual approach to organic gardening. We believe that growers are custodians of the land they grow on — however large or small — and that by nourishing the soil through organic gardening techniques like composting and crop rotation, the plants they grow will be more vigorous, and less demanding. We believe that food should be grown in healthy soil.

We believe in supplying our customers with the freshest, fattest seed available to us, with the highest rate of germination possible. Our seed is never treated with insecticides, fungicides, or other chemicals which we believe cause more harm than good. In the rare instance when our seeds are coated for easier handling, the coating will be organic and composed of natural ingredients such as clay, molasses, etc.

West Coast Seeds specifies to every supplier we deal with that genetically modified seeds are not acceptable to us. We believe that genetic modification is fraught with problems, and should not be a component of agriculture or food production. To the best of our knowledge, the seeds we sell are free from genetic modification (GMO).

All of the seed products we sell meet the purity specifications of the CFIA and the USDA.

Our seed products are free from all noxious and prohibited weeds.

As part of our commitment to supplying fresh, fat seed with a high rate of germination, we have all our seed lots tested regularly for germination. Seeds that do not meet our high standard of germination, as well as all seeds returned from our retail partners, are donated to charitable organization both at home and abroad in developing countries. To inquire about our Charitable Seed Donations to Mission Gardens and local School Garden programs contact community@westcoastseeds.com.

Finally, we believe in the principles of eating locally produced food whenever possible, in sharing gardening wisdom, and teaching people how to grow food.

Who Owns West Coast Seeds?

The Diamonds are fourth generation British Columbia based family whose businesses are overseen by Charles and Craig Diamond. Since Craig’s grandfather Jack Diamond, came to Canada in 1927 as a young man and purchased his first business in 1940, the Diamonds have been engaged as leaders in business. They continue to follow the principles of community and philanthropy set by Jack. The values of West Coast Seeds resonate deeply with the Diamond family and they are committed to uphold this tradition.

The Diamond family is proud to carry on stewardship of West Coast Seeds and continue on the path set by founder Mary Ballon.

Fiesta Gitana