By Hasini Vijay Inbasri

Manish Kushwaha said at Gaia Organic Seeds they’re ‘just able’ to meet the demand, but occasionally they’ve had to send out orders a bit late because of it. (Submitted by Manish Kushwaha)

As the trade war between Canada and the United States rages on, many Canadians are rethinking their grocery shopping habits and turning to their own backyards for fresh produce. Natasha Nash, a gardener near Carleton Place, Ontario, is among those increasingly opting to grow their own vegetables to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs on food imports.

Nash expressed her frustration at the grocery store, noting that finding homegrown produce, particularly broccoli and celery, has been a challenge. “If I’m going to the grocery store and I see a head of broccoli is … coming from a U.S. farm, I just don’t [buy it],” she said. This desire to support local agriculture and lessen dependency on external resources has led her to cultivate a more significant portion of her family’s food supply at home.

Local seed suppliers have reported a remarkable increase in sales, suggesting that more residents are choosing to plant their own gardens as a response to the ongoing trade conflict. Manish Kushwaha, owner of Gaia Organic Seeds, noted that the demand has been so high in March that they are struggling to keep pace with orders. “We cannot keep up with the orders right now,” he said, highlighting a particular surge in sales of vegetable seeds, including varieties typically sourced from California.

Colin Matassa, general manager at Robert Plante Greenhouses, confirmed the trend, stating that customers have explicitly cited tariffs as a motivating factor for their shift toward growing their own food. Matassa emphasized the challenge of meeting the rise in demand as they work diligently to restock seeds weekly.

Nash is taking advantage of the growing season to expand her garden, now planting a variety of crops such as celery, strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, and beans, which she previously relied on U.S. farms to supply. With a garden size of 25 by 45 feet, she plans to can or freeze excess produce to prepare for the winter months, an approach she didn’t adopt before the trade war. “It feels more necessary than it did previously,” she said, reflecting on the importance of understanding where her food comes from and being self-sufficient.

As gardeners like Nash look for ways to reclaim some control over their food sources, local seed companies continue to see a promising boom in sales amidst the backdrop of heightened trade tensions. The shift underscores a broader movement toward self-reliance and a renewed appreciation for local resources in the wake of uncertain global trade dynamics.

Works Cited:
Tunney, Joseph, and Gabrielle Huston. “Seed Sales Blossoming as Gardeners Try to Avoid U.S. Produce.” CBC, 24 Mar. 2025, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/seed-sales-blossoming-as-gardeners-try-to-avoid-u-s-produce-1.4538104. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

‌