More than seeds - It's a way of living
At Yonder Hill Farm, we grow heirloom seeds with care and purpose—so you can grow your own garden with confidence, connection, and resilience.
Our Story
Yonder Hill Farm began as a quest for authentic sustainability – to connect deeply with the land, preserve agrarian heritage, and leave a living legacy for future generations.
In 2011, we brought our experience in local living, sustainable farming, and handcrafting to this beautiful hillside farm in Nova Scotia. With saved seeds, baby nut trees, grape cuttings, and apple scions in hand, we set out to grow food that nourishes body, spirit, and soil alike.
What started as a small homestead garden in 2012 has grown into a thriving seed farm and food-producing ecosystem. Today, we offer our Canadian-grown, open-pollinated seeds, willow whips, seed garlic, asparagus crowns, sunchokes, and more – all produced and processed right here on the farm.
Our Seeds
Everything we sell is grown here on our land – ecologically, without synthetic sprays, untreated, non-GMO, and open-pollinated. Our collection of over 200 varieties includes rare heirlooms, heritage favorites, and some of our own farm-bred originals.
By choosing our seeds, you’re supporting small-scale Canadian seed production and getting fresh, vibrant seed adapted to short seasons and backyard gardens. You’ll find us online, at Seedy Saturdays, and at local farmers’ markets – and our seed racks can be spotted in shops around and about our corner of Nova Scotia.
We’re proud to also grow for Annapolis Seeds, a Nova Scotian company selling 100% Maritime-grown seed.
Why We Grow Seeds
We began saving seeds because they are the foundation of food security and self-sufficiency – and because so few people stop to think about where the seeds in their garden packets come from. The more we grew seed crops, the more we realized how vital small scale local seed production truly is.
We’ve come to believe that saving seeds is one of the most powerful acts of hope in this unpredictable world. Locally adapted strains embody resilience and independence, carrying with them the memory of seasons past and the promise of harvests to come. As Canada’s seed biodiversity continues to shrink, we feel a responsibility to keep rare and regionally adapted varieties alive.
Every variety we steward has a story – chosen for beauty, flavour, or performance in our own garden and kitchen – and saved with care. When you plant our seeds, you’re helping to continue that story.
How We Grow
We grow our seeds using ecological practices rooted in respect for the land. No synthetic inputs, no sprays – just soil health, crop diversity, and a lot of observation.
Our small scale means we can give every crop the attention it deserves, from hand-pollinating and selecting the best for seed to threshing, drying, and cleaning.
Seed growing is slow, deliberate work, but the reward is knowing that each seed we pack has been tested by our own hands and our own garden.
Striving for Sustainability
Sustainability isn’t a buzzword here – it’s built into everything we do. Our grid-tied solar array powers the farm, and we minimize inputs like irrigation, season extension, and plastic wherever possible. By selling only what we produce ourselves, we’re building local adaptation and preserving strains suited to our short Canadian seasons.
Thank you for supporting sustainable seed production in Canada – every purchase helps keep these seeds, and their stories, alive.
Homestead Life & Family Farm
Our farm life is rooted in homesteading – growing what we eat, preserving the harvest, and using the same varieties we share with you. Every step of the process happens here: planting, harvesting, processing, packaging, and connecting with customers.
We love sharing what we’ve learned. If you’re interested in homesteading or seed saving, check out our WWOOF Canada profile or reach out about farm stays and apprenticeships.
Meet the Growers
We’re Chris and Garrett (and family!) – gardeners, seed savers, and stewards of this hillside farm.
We’ve been producing vegetable, grain, flower, and herb seed commercially since 2009, and saving many of these varieties since the early 2000s.
Chris holds a Master’s in Sustainable Systems and has spent over two decades in organic farming. She has a passion for propagating plants and for helping people grow their own garden. She coordinates Bridgewater’s Community Gardens program and teaches workshops on gardening and seed saving across the region. Contact us for Speaking Opportunities.
Garrett is a farmer, craftsman, carpenter, and artist who keeps the farm’s tools, buildings, and infrastructure humming and loves growing big patches of field crops like corn, potatoes, and beans.
Whether we’re chasing crows out of the corn, harvesting at golden hour, or packing up for the market, we’re grateful every day to be doing this work – and to share it with you.
Our Farm in Mi’kma’ki
Yonder Hill Farm is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. We’re deeply grateful to live and grow seeds on this land, and we acknowledge the long history of seed stewardship and food sovereignty that exists here.
We’re interested in helping to repatriate Indigenous seed varieties, and also regularly donate seeds to Canadian community organizations. If our seeds could help your project or community, please reach out (please be aware that we only ship seeds within Canada).