Cultivating Resilient Food Systems With Bear Root Gardens

“A lot of people, when they look at food, they think about grocery stores, farms or production lines,” Pat Joslin, senior manager of support operations at Second Harvest, said. “But they don’t necessarily consider where the food really comes from — the seed.”

When he’s not working to support food rescue across Canada, Pat and his wife run Bear Root Gardens in Verona, Since 2013, they’ve been growing and saving heirloom seeds passed down through generations, along with locally adapted seeds, maintaining about 80–90 vegetable, herb and flower varieties on their property.

Pat’s passion for seeds began when he started thinking more deeply about the origins of our food and the loss of crop diversity over time.  

“Growing seeds is a pretty cool connection with plants that not a lot of people know about or experience,” he explained.  

Today, he’s dedicated to preserving unique varieties and sharing seeds with others, helping strengthen biodiversity and the resilience of our food systems.  

‍

‍

Preserving Biodiversity and Resilience

Over the last century, humans have lost more than 75% of agricultural biodiversity, as modern agriculture increasingly prioritizes crops that can travel long distances and store well.

“They were breeding vegetables that could store and ship further, not so much for taste. That’s why local, heirloom varieties are so important,” Pat explained.  

This loss of diversity can make food systems more vulnerable. When farms rely heavily on a single crop or variety, they can become more susceptible to pests, disease and environmental changes.

“With monocultures, if there’s some sort of pest or disease, then you lose all of it. Diversity matters,” Pat noted.  

The good news is that locally produced seeds can help counter these risks and strengthen food systems.  

“When you use seeds produced in the area that the plants are grown then they will typically perform much better,” Pat continued. “It’s having those locally adapted genetics within the seeds that makes the magic happen.”

Seed sovereignty refers to the rights of farmers or communities to save, use, exchange or sell their seeds. There is a movement of farmers working to preserve these rights in an effort to protect food access and biodiversity.  

‍

Seeds, Community & Connection

For Pat, seeds represent both a practical resource and something much more meaningful.  

“Seeds could be the currency of the future. So, if that’s the case, I’m loaded,” Pat joked.

But his sights are set on other riches. Sharing seeds also builds community connections. Across Canada, seed swaps and local seed events bring together gardeners, seed savers and growers to exchange knowledge and varieties.

“I’m happy to share my seeds with anybody, so I always offer that up. Seed swaps and local seed events are all about sharing seeds,” Pat explained. “For most of human history, this kind of community knowledge-sharing was the norm. That’s how people grew food for 14,000 years.”  

For communities facing food insecurity, seed sovereignty can help support access to nutritious, locally adapted crops; encourage sustainable, agroecological practices with fewer chemicals and build resilient food networks that are less dependent on industrial supply chains.

Beyond resilience, valuing seeds and the knowledge of growing food encourages a mindset that respects the full journey from soil to table.  

For Pat, that care is best expressed by the act of sharing seeds.

“Maintaining our collection of what we like and what grows here and sharing it with people — that’s the heart of it.”

‍