Northern Latitudes: Sourcing and Saving Seeds from Similar Climates

At the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, we work toward a future where farmers have the power to save, improve, and share the seeds they rely on. That means building a seed system rooted in genetic diversity, regional adaptation, and collective care.

Seed systems are complex—shaped by geography, labour, economics, policy, and culture. They involve trade-offs. No single model is perfect. This series is about holding space for nuance, highlighting under-recognized work, and building shared understanding of the systems that feed us.

We invite you to join us—with curiosity and care—as we shine a light behind the packet.

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Latitude is one of the strongest drivers of climate and seasonal photoperiod (day length). Together, these factors shape which crops can thrive in a region, when they should be planted, their potential yield, and—most importantly for seed growers—whether a variety can reliably complete its full seed-to-seed cycle. Seeds originating from regions with similar latitudes in Europe and Asia are therefore often well-adapted to Canadian conditions.

For seed growers in northern climates, understanding where a seed comes from—geographically, genetically, and culturally—is essential. Yet sourcing seeds from abroad can also bring practical, agronomic, and logistical challenges. 

In this webinar, three farmers will share how they obtain seeds from comparable northern latitudes and the stories behind the varieties they steward.

• Andrew Still and Sarah Kleeger (Adaptive Seeds, Oregon) will reflect on their Seed Ambassador travels in Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Denmark, and Romania more than a decade ago.
• Theo Wiederkehr (Carrick Seeds, Ontario) will demonstrate how they navigate the NordGen gene bank and discuss thier deep interest in grey peas.
• Heather Ramsey (Umi Nami Farm, BC) will explain their farm’s motivations for sourcing seed from Japan and what they appreciate about varieties from Watanabe Seed.

Whether through traveling and exchanging seeds, purchasing from foreign seed companies, or accessing public gene banks, participants will gain insight into sourcing and growing seeds from similar latitudes—and, just as importantly, into how knowledge, traditions, and cultural foodways travel with seed.

Photo credit : Daniel Brisebois.