Spring is just around the corner! Many spend the dark, cold parts of winter thinking of all things growing, living, and green, and planning gardens. Whether community members are propagating seeds, signing up for a CSA, planning to purchase starter plants at the co-op in the coming months, or buying fruits and veggies from Community Foods producers, you are investing in local agriculture! Learn more about one of Seward Co-op’s local seed vendors, North Circle Seeds.
North Circle Seeds, located in Vergas, Minn., is committed to creating an ecologically diverse, equitable, and inclusive food system. They are a Community Foods producer because they are local, small-scale and use sustainable practices. North Circle has an intentional relationship with their seeds and their Midwestern growers’ circle, who produce regionally adapted seed using chemical-free, sustainable, and organic practices. They also prioritize inclusivity and equitability by connecting with communities and individuals who are reclaiming cultural foods and seeds in Minnesota and the greater Midwest. This includes increasing access to culturally-specific foods and seeds. To North Circle Seeds, seeds are life and symbolize relationships, trust and patience. According to Zachary Paige, proprietor of North Circle Farm, the true intention of North Circle Seeds is to spread that message. “Seed is not an iPhone, it is not a technology, it is a biology that we have a relationship with.”