Shows
SeedHeads / Les SemeursNIKI CLARKDr. Niki Clark runs Nikian Farm in Nova Scotia with her partner, Ian Curry. In this episode, Niki shares about their work cultivating paddy rice -- from soaking and seed starting through to harvest, and de-husking or "polishing" the rice. After a decade of experimentation with this crop, Niki shares her learnings and her passion for this work which transforms humble rice paddies info thriving, biodiverse ecosystems, and launching pads for on-farm plant breeding, and community food security.
2026-01-1738 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursRoby GobeilDans cet épisode, Hugo discute avec Roby Gobeil, semencier artisanal du Jardin des vie-la-joie. Ils explorent les landraces modernes, la sélection en conditions réelles, et les projets de métissage que mène Roby sur les carottes, les courges, le brocoli, le maïs sucré, l'okra et le sorgho. Roby partage son approche de la diversité génétique, son passage dans la cohorte Going to Seed, et sa vision de l'avenir des populations évolutives au Québec.
2025-12-2355 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursRav Singh and Ekow StoneRav Singh and Ekow Stone join Steph Benoit to explore the "culture" in agriculture, through okra. In this episode, they talk about their path to farming and its challenges, why okra is such a special crop to both of them and what they hope to achieve through their okra breeding efforts, as well as what they think the future of okra farming is in Southern Ontario.
2025-11-2446 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursLatifa Pelletier-AhmedBotanist and herbalist Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed joins Steph Benoit to explore what it means to grow, save, and share native seed in a time of ecological loss and renewal.
Latifa shares her path from studying herbal medicine and ethnobotany in England to co-running ALCLA Native Plants—one of Canada’s few nurseries dedicated entirely to native species. She describes taking over a 30-year legacy of prairie conservation and how wild seed production differs from domesticated agriculture. Together they discuss how restoring native plants is hands-on climate action anyone can take.
2025-11-051h 06SeedHeads / Les SemeursJean-François DaoustDans cet épisode, Hugo discute avec Jean-François Daoust des Jardins de l'Ile-Dupas des progrès réalisés par leur communauté dans la sélection d'une nouvelle variété de poivron violet qui capture la saveur du Québec. Ils parlent également de leur récent voyage au Pays basque, en Espagne, de la myriade de poivrons qu'ils ont découverts et de ce qu'ils ont appris sur la saveur, la souveraineté des semences et la culture basque autour de la conservation des semences et de la célébration des variétés patrimoniales.
2024-03-2248 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursAllison SquiresSteph talks to Allison Squires of Upland Organics in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory. Allison has been an organic grain farmer for thirteen years, is the President of Canadian Organic Growers (COG), and a farmer mentor with the Young Agrarians apprenticeship program. In this episode, she talks about regional seed as an important adaptive tool for climate change, her work in pioneering organic grain research programs, and the recent changes to Canadian regulations on genetically engineered organisms.
2024-01-2342 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursMel SylvestreDans cet épisode, Hugo s’entretient avec « l’agricultrice accidentelle » Mel Sylvestre, qui produit des semences pour Grounded Acres Farm et la BC Eco-Seed Co-op. Mel parle de sa passion pour la sélection de betteraves et des méthodes qu’elle utilise. Elle aborde la difficulté de sélectionner pour la couleur, la texture et le goût, et discute des occasions qui s’offrent actuellement aux agriculteurs et aux agricultrices qui souhaitent explorer la biodiversité et la résilience des semences à une époque qui privilégie le profit et l’efficacité.
2024-01-1250 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursCraig BoychukCraig Boychuk is a fourth generation Ukrainian Canadian who lives and farms on his great grandparents’ homestead in Treaty 4 territory, Saskatchewan. In this episode he talks about the ups and downs of launching his new seed farm and company, No Coast Seeds; why he focuses on growing OSSI-pledged varieties; and his aspirations for new plant breeding projects in the future.
2024-01-0538 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursRoland JoaninRoland Joannin est un sélectionneur de pommes amateur/indépendant au Québec. Il est aussi le facilitateur du club sans but lucratif Pomme de Demain, qui se voue à la création et à la commercialisation de nouveaux cultivars de pommes. Dans cet épisode, Roland parle avec Hugo de ses trente années à travailler avec cette culture importante et de sa nouvelle variété OIASE, qui a été élaborée et nommée en collaboration avec une communauté mohawk avoisinante.
2023-12-2243 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursEvalisa McIllfaterick and Manish KushwahaEvalisa McIllfaterick (Root Cellar Gardens) and Manish Kushwaha (Gaia Seeds) are friends and collaborators in Ontario. Their current mission? Breeding a perfectly sweet, short season watermelon for Ontario’s northern market growers. Along the way, they are learning about on-farm plant breeding, embracing diversity and collaboration, and keeping an eye out for the elusive, once savoured, “mango melon”.
2023-12-1547 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursGreg WingateIn this episode, Steph speaks to seed grower, entrepreneur, and adventurous gardener, Greg Wingate. Greg tells us what drew him to gardening and seed stewardship, where he finds his favourite “treasures”, and what makes them so special. Greg’s decades of experience growing, selecting, and celebrating seeds comes through loud and clear in this lovely conversation all about the love of plants and the growers who love them.
2023-12-1136 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursTelsing Andrews & Maxime Dufresne-GagnonIn this episode, Steph chats with Telsing Andrews (formerly of Aster Lane Edibles, in Ontario) and Maxime Dufresne-Gagnon(Quebec). Long time friends and collaborators, they share a passion for working with uncommon and perennial plants and taking on big challenges in plant breeding. Tune in to learn more about what brought them together, the crop varieties they’ve come to love, and why democracy in plant breeding matters.
2023-01-1555 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursCatherine Gagnon-MacKay et Gabrielle Rochon-SabourinDans cet épisode, Hugo discute avec deux femmes qui représentent le moment présent et l’avenir potentiel des semences régionales au Québec. Catherine Gagnon-MacKay et Gabrielle Rochon-Sabourin sont respectivement directrice de Semences du Portage et directrice de Les Jardins de l’écoumène. Elles parlent dans cette charmante conversation de leurs mentors et des expériences formatrices qui les ont amenés à travailler avec les semences, de ce qu’elles trouvent inspirant de ce travail et de leurs plans pour continuer à faire partie du mouvement dynamique des semences régionales du Québec pour de nombreuses années e
2022-12-2148 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursAnan LololiIn this episode, Steph chats with Anan Lololi, a seed saver, activist, and musician who has been working in Toronto’s food sovereignty movement for over 30 years. Co-founder of the Afri-Can Food Basket, Anan is currently the Chair of the Black Food Sovereignty Working Group, and a Research Associate with Toronto Metropolitan University at the Centre for Studies in Food Security. In this episode Anan talks about how learning to farm and save seeds for culturally important foods–like long beans, bitter melon, pak choi, and callaloo–brings food security, leadership skills, and joy, to folks of African descent. He tal...
2022-12-0954 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursJim TernierDans cet épisode français, Hugo discute avec Jim Ternier, qui est le propriétaire de longue date de Prairie Garden Seeds et qui possède la plus grande collection privée de germoplasme de céréales au pays. Jim a jardiné toute sa vie. Il a commencé comme jardinier-maraîcher qui vendait ses produits pour ensuite se consacrer à la culture et à la vente de semences. Ces dernières représentent pour lui les nombreuses histoires des gens qui les ont créées et cultivées. Jim détient un baccalauréat en mathématiques. Il a siégé au conseil d’admin...
2022-11-2552 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursJennifer Mitchell FetchIn this episode, Steph talks to pioneering Canadian organic oat breeder, Jennifer Mitchell Fetch. Raised in southwestern Saskatchewan, Jennifer Mitchell Fetch has degrees in Biology and Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and a PhD from North Dakota State University. Jennifer has been involved with the breeding of a variety of crops, as well as some work with Fusarium Head Blight in wheat. Jennifer became the oat breeder at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Cereal Research Centre in July of 1998. She began working on organic oat breeding in 2002 and has been involved in the development of 12 oat cultivars in western C...
2022-11-1835 min
ReseedReclaiming Food Sovereignty, Remembering Women Farmers - Leticia Ama DeawuoFood justice is interwoven with conversations about our women ancestors and motherhood in this episode of Reseed. Food is interconnected with human health, planetary health, water, soil, animals, culture, and care. At its worst, the production of food is one of the most damaging sources of climate change and biodiversity loss, and it can be cruel to animals and exploitative to people. At its best, growing food roots us into this beautiful Earth, creating a reciprocal relationship with the land, connections with community - and the reclamation of rights. Guest Leticia Ama Deawuo has been a...
2022-11-0850 min
Talking Radical RadioAdvancing a vision of ecological farming and farmers' rightsIn episode #479 of Talking Radical Radio, Scott Neigh interviews Beatriz Oliver and Aabir Dey of SeedChange, an organization based in Canada that supports farmers here and around the world in working for a more just, sustainable, and environmentally sound future. They talk about the food system as it exists today, the vision embedded in the work of SeedChange, and what they are doing to realize it.
For a more detailed description of this episode, go here: https://talkingradical.ca/2022/07/12/radio-advancing-a-vision-of-ecological-farming-and-farmers-rights/
2022-07-1228 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursBONUS: Lois Armstrong (Steph’s Grandma)Steph’s grandma, Lois Armstrong, has had a huge influence on her relationship with the natural world. She wanted to interview her after spending some time reflecting on intergenerational knowledge and the very sacred way teachings on food have traditionally been passed down from our elders. In this conversation, they talked about gender roles in agriculture, how coming of age in the Great Depression influenced Lois’ understanding of self-sufficiency, and of course, they talked about seeds!
Thank you so much for tuning into Season 2 of SeedHeads! We hope you’ve enjoyed these conversations as much as we have, a...
2022-01-3127 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursLise Dubé et Luce BissonBienvenue les semeurs! Dans cet épisode, Hugo va à la rencontre de deux intervenants pour la culture céréalière, Luce Bisson, copropriétaire de la Ferme Aquilon à Sainte-Sabine en Chaudière Appalaches, Lise Dubé, agronome au Club de gestion des sols du Témiscouata dans le Bas-Saint-Laurent. Luce et Lise s'entretiennent avec nous sur le sujet du sarrasin de Tartarie, du défi de s'approvisionner en semences et variétés adaptées dans des cultures dites émergentes et du potentiel de la sélection végétale participative.
Welcome SeedHeads! Today's episode is in French, with an English tra...
2022-01-2446 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursAudrey LoganIn this episode, Steph sits down (virtually) with Audrey Logan, a Nehiyaw/Metis Knowledge Keeper currently living in Treaty 1 Territory. They founded the Klinic Teaching Garden, a regenerative community garden rooted in Indigenous permaculture principles at 545 Broadway in Winnipeg. They also run Dehydration Nations, a grassroots initiative which hopes to empower individuals and communities to harness the traditional method of food dehydration and pair it with nation-to-nation trade as a way of promoting food sovereignty in Treaty 1 territory and beyond. They talked about building a thriving Indigenous permaculture garden from an empty lot, climate adaptation, stewarding rare heritage seeds...
2021-12-2048 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursPaterne Mirindi et Jean-Philippe VézinaBienvenue les semeurs! Dans cet épisode, nous rencontrons deux agriculteurs spécialisés dans les légumes tropicaux, Jean-Philippe Vézina, propriétaire du Jardins Lakou à Dunham QC, et Paterne Mirindi, Directeur du Groupement volontaire pour le développement rural durable nord-sud, situé dans la région du Centre-du-Québec. Ils nous racontent comment ils en sont venus à cultiver des légumes d'origine africaine et antillaise, du défi de s'approvisionner en semences et variétés adaptées et comment ils en sont venus à collaborer dans de nouveaux projets.
Welcome SeedHeads! Today's episode is in French, with an English tra...
2021-12-1344 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursKeeley NixonHello SeedHeads! We're so excited to be back with Season 2 of the podcast.
Bonjour Les Semeurs! Nous sommes très heureux d'être de retour avec la deuxième saison du balado. Cette épisode est disponible en anglais avec une traduction française sur note site-web. La prochaîne épisode sera en français.
For today’s episode Steph sat down with Keeley Nixon. Keeley is the fearless coordinator of the BC Eco Seed Co-op, the leader of her own one-woman studio Keeley Nixon Creative and Consulting, and farmer on hiatus. Keeley has such a wealth of kn...
2021-12-0638 min
Grain on the BrainPlant BreedingThe Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security supports a national Participatory Plant Breeding Program - PPB - with the University of Manitoba that puts farmers in the driver's seat to select varieties that are adaptive to their organic growing conditions, and their climates. To find out more about this innovative work, please visit www.seedsecurity.caYou can also learn more about the PPB program on the University of Manitoba’s Natural Systems Agriculture page:https://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/ppb.htmlSponsorOur podcast is supported by generous do...
2021-05-281h 00
The Great Futures Podcast featuring Environmental Justice VoicesEpisode 2: Industrial Agriculture & Gender Equity w/ Jess JurcekIn the second episode of the Great Futures Podcast featuring Environmental Justice Voices, I speak with Jess Jurcek, an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. We talk about the interconnections of climate change, industrial agriculture, and gender equity. Enjoy!
Are you interested in learning more? Check out the following resources!
Equitable & Just National Climate Platform: https://ajustclimate.org/
Institute on the Environment at UMN: http://environment.umn.edu/
Food Inc. Documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/
A Foodie’s Guide to Capitalism by Holt-Gimenez: https://www.goodreads.co...
2021-04-2925 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursRichard FavreauRichard Favreau et sa conjointe Monique Michaud cultivent des légumes et des semences à la Ferme Val-aux-Vents à Saint-Valérien, dans le secteur de Rimouski, dans le Bas-Saint-Laurent. Dans cet épisode en français, Richard parle des travaux de sélection et d’évaluation d’alliums qu’il a menés pendant des années, notamment sur les poireaux et les échalotes. Il raconte aussi l’expérience vécue jusqu’à maintenant en tentant de déhybridiser sa variété de tomate préférée. Il partage avec beaucoup de générosité ses réussites et ses échecs, décrit ses projets étape par étape...
2020-12-1143 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursTiffany TraverseTiffany Traverse is an Indigenous seed and land steward at Fourth Sister Farm, a guest in the Peace Region of what’s now known as BC, on Treaty 8 territory, homeland of the Dane-zaa peoples. The land she tends is home base for her ongoing exploration of the relationships between seed and heritage, history and self. In this episode, Tiffany talks about the mentors who have helped guide her seed work, the incredible seeds and plants that inspire her reverent curiosity, and the importance of listening and having "uncomfy conversations" in order to heal ourselves, each other, and our food an...
2020-11-3033 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursAnnie RichardAnnie Richard sélectionne et produit des semences pour Kitchen Table Seed House en Ontario. Dans cet épisode en français, Annie parle des travaux de sélection de plants et de semences qu’elle fait à sa ferme, y compris sélectionner des concombres pour une résistance au mildiou et ses projets axés sur le zucchini Costata Romanesco et la courge Candystick Dessert Delicata. Annie partage sa passion pour les semences comme un portail vers la saveur, la résilience durant une courte saison de culture et la collaboration. Elle donne également des renseignements et des conseils utiles pour...
2020-11-1338 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursBob Wildfong, part 2Bob Wildfong is the Executive Director of Seeds of Diversity Canada. In this episode, Bob talks about the “when”, “why”, and “how” of hand pollinating plants from the cucurbit family (squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, gourds, and their relatives). Bob takes us through the necessary tools and materials, helpful info to keep in mind about bees and squash plant biology, and the best strategies to ensure hand pollinated squash remains pure and genetically robust. If you are ready to take your squash seed saving to the next level, this episode is for you.
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Bob Wildfong est le directeur...
2020-10-3029 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursBob Wildfong, part 1Bob Wildfong is the Executive Director of Seeds of Diversity Canada. In this episode, Bob brings his over twenty years’ experience to the topic of seed saving from cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, gourds, and their relatives). He addresses “what makes good seed good”, the plant biology of cucurbits, best practices for saving seeds from this plant family -- including population size, isolation distance, and squash taxonomy -- as well as the good, bad, and ugly of breaking the rules. If you love squash, don’t miss this episode, which is particularly helpful for beginner and intermediate seed savers.
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2020-10-1634 minSeedHeads / Les SemeursIntro: Steph & HugoSteph Benoit and Hugo Martorell are brand new hosts for a brand new podcast. In this bilingual, introductory episode of SeedHeads, they introduce themselves, chat about what makes Canada’s seed movement so special, and why 2020 is the right time to launch a podcast. They also give a few teasers of what to expect from the pilot season of SeedHeads. In this episode, Steph speaks mostly English and Hugo speaks mostly French. You can find a transcript in your language of choice at seedsecurity.ca/podcast
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Steph Benoit et Hugo Martorell se prêtent à l’an...
2020-09-3008 min
rabble radioPlant a seed -- plant some hopeThe seeds we buy to plant our gardens are an exercise of hope in a tiny package. After all, how do we know that those little bitty things are ever going to amount to anything? For farmers, the annual spring seed shipment can bring with it a whole mixture of emotions as they wondered what those bags would bring. What kind of weather conditions will exist this year? Will it be a full harvest, or would the elements conspire to reduce the family's income through rain, hail, drought or a bug invasion? There is a lot of hope and...
2020-05-2126 min
Weekends with Rob FaiCKNW Weekend Mornings - Update on fisheries, Vancouver pharmacists help local residents, COVID-19 restrictions, and sustainable farming with SeedChangeThe Saturday Edition with Stirling Faux
Chapter 1
TOPIC: Update on fisheries, chats with local fishermen
GUEST: Philip Loring, Associate Professor and Arrell Chair in Food, Policy, and Society, University of Guelph
Chapter 2
TOPIC: Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Vancouver Pharmacists Step it Up to Help Local Residents
GUEST: Mona Kwong, Store Owner of Pharmasave Howe Street
Chapter 3
TOPIC: Easing COVID-19 restrictions
GUEST: Mario Canseco, President, Research Co
Chapter 4
TOPIC: SeedChange
GUEST: Sal Dominelli, Local farmer with Swee...
2020-05-0948 min
The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg PetersonJane Rabinowicz on Global Seed Work.Transforming the food systems of the world through good seeds and sustainable practices.In This Podcast: Did you know that seeds help communities rebuild after a crisis? Here, we speak with Jane Rabinowicz about her work with the Canadian organization SeedChange. Their support for grassroots projects, farmers across the world, and global seed policy impact everyone worldwide. Listen in for how the organization began, how they protect seed diversity and work with local agriculture to preserve endangered plant varieties through seed saving.Jane was appointed as an Executive Director of SeedChange in 2016, after joining the...
2020-03-1430 min
The Urban Farm Podcast Private feed for MembersJane Rabinowicz on Global Seed Work.Transforming the food systems of the world through good seeds and sustainable practices.In This Podcast: Did you know that seeds help communities rebuild after a crisis? Here, we speak with Jane Rabinowicz about her work with the Canadian organization SeedChange. Their support for grassroots projects, farmers across the world, and global seed policy impact everyone worldwide. Listen in for how the organization began, how they protect seed diversity and work with local agriculture to preserve endangered plant varieties through seed saving.Jane was appointed as an Executive Director of SeedChange in 2016, after joining the...
2020-03-1431 min