First toilet paper, now seeds. The effects of COVID-19 reach many parts of the economy, including seed suppliers. With people scared about their food supply and having more time on their hands, the interest in backyard gardening seems to be growing as fast as zucchini in summer.
What does this mean for you? If you’ve already ordered seeds, be prepared to wait a bit longer than usual.
“We are swamped!” says Karyn Wright of Terra Edibles. “Orders have been coming from all across the country. I am putting in 10- or 11-hour days trying to keep up.” Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds and Frank, Lisa and Julie Cochrane of Cochrane Family Farms are facing the same challenge of not enough hours in the day to fill orders.
The website of William Dam Seeds states “Due to the Covid-19 Crisis, we have seen an unprecedented level of orders being placed.” As with Veseys, Agrohaitai, Annapolis Seeds and many other companies, shipments are taking longer to reach customers.
It’s not just the increase in orders creating delays. West Coast Seeds explains that the need for physical distancing has resulted in many office staff working from home. The warehouse has fewer workers per shift to increase space among staff, and extra time is taken for sanitizing. Also, more people are turning to online suppliers as Seedy Saturdays have been cancelled and retail outlets close.
If you haven’t ordered seeds, you might be out of luck—particularly if you’re a home gardener. Stokes Seeds, for example, shut down its website for a week in late March “to ensure the food security of the coming season.” They focused their “limited resources on commercial vegetable grower orders and home garden orders already in [the] system.” Johnny’s Selected Seeds is accepting new orders from commercial customers only. OSC Seeds is no longer taking orders from any customers. Meanwhile “out of stock” notices keep popping up on online seed catalogues.
Karyn Wright of Terra Edibles has observed “people ordering more seed than they could ever use.” While she finds this trend “frightening,” she says “It’s exciting in some ways—seeing people take control of their own food source.”
There is a silver lining. An increase in seed sales may mean that more people are gardening—and getting physical exercise, mental peace and healthy food.
“Amidst these challenging times, something amazing is happening,” according to the Incredible Seed Company. “People are planting gardens! May this trend last long into the future!”
“Gardening is our therapy of choice,” is the message of West Coast Seeds. “It provides an opportunity for calmness and clarity, to reflect on the natural world, and to cultivate beautiful things. Let's turn away from the constant news stream and share our joy in the garden.”
Planting seeds in April is a way of defying the negativity and putting a positive outlook on the future.
— Janet Wallace