Member profile: Meet Manish, of Gaia Organic Seeds

Manish Kushwaha is a fourth generation farmer from India who founded Gaia Organic Seeds in 2019. The farm operates on greenbelt lands in Ottawa, where the lease is managed by the National Capital Commission. Manish’s return to his family’s roots in agriculture came from serious thought about the loss of biodiversity and the necessity to build a resilient seed ecosystem in Canada that can adapt to climate change and provide stability for local growers and eaters. Manish says, “As a country we import a lot of seeds from the US, but we have to increase the domestic capacity of seed production and invest in local research” 

Gaia Organic Seeds was founded with a mission to preserve and nurture biodiversity. Manish explains, “The world has witnessed the irreversible loss of Earth’s biodiversity, a tragedy with far-reaching consequences. As stewards of the land, we embrace our responsibility to counter this trend by sustaining the diversity of plants we consume.”

Gaia Organic Seeds sells over 1000 varieties of seeds, including heirlooms, vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, medicinal and dye plants. Within his varied collection, Manish is particularly excited about bringing historical and cultural varieties back to the forefront, while adapting them to the local microclimate. This allows communities to reconnect with culturally significant foods by having the capacity to grow them out locally. In addition to heirloom varieties, Manish is also working on breeding new varieties of crops using traditional breeding methods. In fact, they now have some varieties that can grow well even in the colder regions of zone 2! 

When asked about what the public can do to support a resilient local seed system, Manish says, “Engage with seeds! I’m just one guy. We need everyone to come together to build the ecosystem that we want. What keeps biodiversity alive is that we engage in it. We can only keep seed varieties alive if people are trying them, cherishing them, buying them, nurturing them and eating them.” Ultimately, seed growers can’t keep growing varieties for people if they aren’t showing interest. Buying seeds from local seed producers brings us closer to a vision of sustainability, biodiversity, and resilience for our planet and its people. 

To find out more about Gaia Organic Seeds and to support the important work they do, go to https://gaiaorganics.ca or follow them on https://www.instagram.com/gaiaorganicseeds/.

Written by:

Jessica Tong

Land Access and Outreach Coordinator