When I first started showing up at Seedy Saturday events as someone from the Grist Mill, people were often confused about why we were there. The connection between the Mill’s pioneering heritage seed work and the broader seed-saving movement had been lost.

That connection had deep roots. Seedy Saturday itself grew from the early work of Sharon Rempel, whose research and advocacy around heritage seeds—beginning with Red Fife wheat grown at the Grist Mill—helped bring a nearly forgotten variety back into broad consciousness, particularly among artisanal bakers drawn to its history, flavour, and deep roots. Sharon’s first Seedy Saturday took place at VanDusen Botanical Garden. From there, the idea spread widely across British Columbia and beyond. But over time, both Sharon’s foundational contribution and the Mill’s place in that origin story had faded from view. Her work also shaped the site itself—she created the original heritage gardens at the Mill, establishing a living framework that later seed stewardship efforts could return to.

We couldn’t host a Seedy Saturday at the Mill itself—there wasn’t enough space for a late-winter indoor event—so we rented a local community hall. That one event turned into an annual tradition. We also maintained a consistent presence at regional Seedy Saturdays and seed swaps across the province, showing up with seeds to share and stories to reconnect.

Once we reengaged, people found us again. Zucca enthusiasts came to chat and ask for seeds, comparing growing notes and sharing cultivation tricks passed down through generations. Long-time seed savers started offering their collections to us—varieties they’d been stewarding for decades, now looking for a permanent home. Our gardens began to feature amazing varieties again, after years that had prioritized ease of management over historical interest. One fellow made it his personal mission to find a possibly-lost heritage apple variety called “Richter’s Banana,” reporting back year after year about his hikes up various historical homesteads in search of it for us.

I was regularly invited to speak at these events about the contemporary importance of heritage seeds, connecting historical varieties to present concerns around resilience, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and food systems. Growing the iconic Zucca gourd, stewarding nearly 100 heritage apple varieties, and maintaining the Lang peonies all reinforced that this was living practice, not museum display.

The fellow is still looking for Richter’s Banana. The Zucca seeds keep changing hands. Next winter, we’ll show up again.