Joan had gardened in various settings before developing a garden on Galiano and experiencing the thrill of using seeds from plants that were grown by another islander.

She enjoys learning from, and with, the gardening community here.

Francis has been a keen gardener since he was a young boy. Over the last 8 years he has been working with many farmers and a wide variety of crops in Canada and the US, distributing an organic biostimulant as a side business.

He believes the seed library is a great way to preserve local heritage seed stock, especially in an era of genetically modified plants. Maintaining a garden plot at the Lions Hall as well as a small garden at his home, he is excited to grow a wider variety of vegetables next season using the seed stock available from Galiano’s seed library.

Barry has always wanted to start a seed library. One of the founding members of Seed Library of Galiano, Barry had his first allotment garden in the UK in 1989 and has been collecting seeds ever since then. What was once a pastime is now a way of life. We now have Allotment Gardens on Galiano and he loves all aspects of the work to connect with the cycle of life and the connection with all generations of horticulturalists from the dawn of civilization.

Doug has been connected to growing food most of his life: his grandparents were gardeners, his parents always had a garden and orchard, Doug and his wife Elizabeth had a large vegetable garden in Saanich where they lived while he was a teacher for 27 years. But he always wanted a farm and his wife wanted to be a pioneer– so she got her wish– they bought farmland and the rest is history!

Lezlie has been gardening on the West Coast for 45 years. She has a special interest is seed saving and sustainable growing methods with a focus on heritage tomatoes. Much of what she’s learned from other gardeners and through experience she enjoys sharing.

For many years Lezlie worked with Lower Mainland and Coastal communities helping to support sustainable and local food systems. She’s happy to offer what she’s gleaned through her involvement with our seed library.

Shauna has been gardening on what is now known as Galiano Island since her formative years. Shauna has a deep interest in biodiversity and native plants, as well as growing plants in a garden setting – seed saving is a key part of her practices.

Currently, Shauna works as the School Garden Co-ordinator at Galiano Community School, teaching kids in the school garden and running small growing groups for the wider community through her work for the Galiano Food Program.