West Coast Seeds has its roots firmly planted in Ladner.
Many in the community may just think of West Coast Seeds and its retail location on Elliott Street in Ladner Village, however, it has a far larger operation, including direct to consumer sales and a vast network of wholesale customers.
It has grown significantly in the last five years and is already bursting at the seams at its warehouse and trial facility on 34B Avenue in Ladner.
“We operate based on the concept of Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for repairing the world),” said spokesperson Aaron Saks. “Our annual tomato seedling sale allows us to raise money for local charity organizations. Good corporate citizenship is an essential motivation at West Coast Seeds.”
Over the years, monies raised from the sale have been presented to Reach, OWL, Delta Hospice, Delta Safe Haven and, most recently, Vancouver Covenant House.
Seed donations also support numerous educational and food bank projects, including; Hawthorne Elementary, Chestermere Food Bank outside Calgary, the Richmond Sharing Farm, the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, the Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School, Victory Gardens and many others.
“Our own trial grounds here at the West Coast Seeds farm produced over 4,700 pounds of produce that was distributed among local community-based food banks,” said Saks. “The spirit of giving is important to us and helps to unite us as a team.”
West Coast Seeds also works with a variety of farms in the area, including Fraserland Farms which leases some property to produce organic products.
West Coast Seeds also works with Emma Lea Farms and Westham Island Herb Farm within the Pacific North Direct Farm Market Association and will once again support local farmers in the agriculture barn at this summer’s PNE in Vancouver.
On Sunday, June 23, West Coast Seeds is one of the stops on the South Delta Garden Club’s self-guided garden tour. Garden enthusiasts will be able to tour is warehouse and garden facility and even stop and have a picnic.
From an educational perspective, West Coast Seeds works with Kwantlen Polytechnic University and its farm school in Delta, providing donations, support for seed labs and collaboration on seed trials.
Contributing to the local workforce is also key for West Coast Seeds, which employs 21 full-time staff in Delta (six at the Elliott Street store and 15 at the warehouse on 34B Avenue).
Sales rep Rebecca Kouwenhoven grew up in Ladner and now lives in Tsawwassen. She has been with the company for just over a year and said she loves living and working locally.
“I started as a seasonal employee. It was really inspiring. I was picking in the warehouse and walking past all the seed packets and it felt like there were little packets of opportunity and so much life and abundance everywhere,” she said.
“I asked if there were any year round positions and I got the job. It feels great being a part of the community and when we see the photos of the other organizations who have grown food from our seeds it makes me want to try growing different things as well. It’s a wonderful company to be a part of.”
Accountant Torey Klein said he was looking to get away from a commute, work closer to home and family. West Coast Seeds ended up being the perfect fit.
“It’s a great local company,” he said. “Our kids go to school just around the corner. It’s wonderful to be so close to home and do what I love doing. The fact I was able to get into such a neat company that puts such an onus on giving back is really wonderful to be a part of.”
