Seeds are a hot item at a couple of Salmon Arm gardening stores this March. (File photo)

Seeds are a hot item at a couple of Salmon Arm gardening stores this March. (File photo)

Seed potatoes ‘flying off the shelves’ as Shuswap residents decide to grow own food

Pandemic draws a new Salmon Arm crowd to the joys of growing plants

When the going gets tough, the tough get growing.

A fitting slogan, perhaps, for what may be a new, old trend in Salmon Arm.

According to garden supply outlets in this historically agricultural community, residents are buying vegetable seeds with unusual abandon.

At Buckerfield’s, manager Toni Walton said she is selling “tons” of seeds, far more than normal.

“I also have onion sets and seed potatoes flying off the shelves,” she said, something she predicts will also happen with her blueberry plants.

“They want to grow their own food because there’s nothing in the grocery store,” she said. “Another woman said she’s not a gardener or farmer but she wants to grow her own chickens so she’ll have meat.”

Read more: Sad time for City of Salmon Arm gardeners as more than 300 hanging baskets come down

Read more: Shuswap food bank gets innovative for self quaranting residents

Asked if the sudden interest in seeds has taken her by surprise, Walton said no.

“I’m not surprised. I’ve been to the grocery store.”

At Nico’s Nurseryland, vegetable seeds are a hot item there too.

“Seeds are definitely selling. More so than normal,” said manager Maaike Johnson.

She said customers aren’t necessarily saying why they’re buying, but they’re definitely also purchasing seed-starting products whether soil or peat pots.

“I think with everything that’s going on we can still plant a garden and go outside,” she said, pointing to the hand washing emphasized during the pandemic. “We can get our hands dirty and it’s okay. It’s good to be outside.”


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Salmon Arm Observer