Advertise on podcast: SeedHeads / Les Semeurs

In this episode, Steph Benoit is joined by fruit tree grower and orchardist Matt Soltys of The Urban Orchardist to explore the long game of fruit trees, seed saving, and participatory plant breeding. Together they dig into what it really means to grow and breed long-lived perennials like apples, pears, paw paws, and quince -- from seed stratification and grafting, to climate resilience and regional adaptation. Matt shares his vision for a bioregion-wide, community-driven fruit breeding network, explains why diversity matters more than ever in a changing climate, and reflects on how fruit trees carry stories, culture, and connection across generations.

Dr. 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.

Dans 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.

Rav 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.

Botanist 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.

Dans 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.

Steph 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.

Dans 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.

Craig 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.

Roland 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.

Evalisa 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”.

In 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.

In 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.

Dans 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 encore.  

In 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 talks about Toronto’s food sovereignty movement, the impact of community gardens, and what authentic allyship in the food movement looks like.