Sean and Nicola from LivingSeeds

The story behind Livingseeds goes back over 30 years. As a young boy I always remember collecting seeds, if I came across a tree that was shedding seed pods or wild flower in seed, I’d collect the seeds and store them in a small wooden box. This wooden box (which I still have) amassed a surprisingly large collection of assorted and unknown seeds over many years. None were catalogued or named and I could only identify a handful of the really distinctive ones, the rest were indiscriminate and held my dream of germinating them.... one day.

I kept them just for the idea that they could literally grow into trees or plants that I could one day use in my garden. It was the romance of ‘growing a garden from scratch’ that kept me collecting the seed. I think it's also the idea that there exists the potential of life and the ability of giving sustenance in every single seed.

The older I grew, the more my tastes in seed and plants changed, I went through various phases in gardening and seed collecting, some examples are; Indigenous trees, Aloes, Cycads, Bulbs, orchids and finally veggies.

Growing veggies started in 1997 when we had our first child and naturally we wanted to feed her only healthy, natural food. Our gardening interests changed to food gardening specifically to meet this goal. That was really the beginning of concentrating on collecting veggie seed specifically. From there it started with just a few varieties, and every season I would slowly swap and trade seed with other food gardeners who had also been saving seed for many years. These gardeners would share knowledge and techniques with me, both in gardening and in seed saving, techniques that I still use to this day to help keep seed pure and viable from year to year.

How did you start doing what you are doing now? 

The idea for an online website was purely an accident (We believe a God ordained accident). Steve Venter from www.texo.co.za got in touch with me and was asking for some heirloom seeds. Up to that point I had been collecting and sharing with like-minded gardeners, basically by word of mouth. Steve and I hit it off from word go, and I offered to supply Steve heirloom vegetable seed at no charge, for a new venture of his. Being the person he is, he insisted on payment. So, In true barter style, his payment was as follows.

First the idea of South Africa’s first online Heirloom Seed Store, and second the hosting of Livingseeds.co.za at no charge for the first year. The credit therefore for Livingseeds.co.za being available to you guys is actually Steve’s, as I would never have thought that the response would have been so great.

Imagine getting up in the morning to "live your dream", that's exactly where we are at, living out our passion for sustainability and leading others to a more independent future in their food. We homeschool our 5 children, who all have a very clear idea of where their food comes from. They are all involved in the processes required to produce food from veggies to beef. They realise that food requires effort, and yes, it does grow in dirt!

What are you most proud of in this process? 

There are so many things to be proud of as we are a globally unique company in what we do. No other company grows over 1000 varieties on a single property, almost every seed company in the world are in reality seed aggregators, buying in seed and repacking it under their brand. Livingseeds’ sells over 1250 seed varieties, we buy in less than 200 varieties, the balance is grown by us on The Livingseeds Farm.

However, it’s the knowledge that we are giving people the hope and inspiration that they can take charge of their food, health and lives, that fills us with happiness.

Livingseeds is not just a seed business, it’s a vehicle that people can use to better their lives. Whether it’s taking control of food costs, nutrition or making an income we have helped thousands of South African gardeners to achieve their goals.

What is the most helpful piece of advice you received when you were just starting out?

Sjoe, that was a long time ago, but it was to have plenty of irons in the fire! Meaning that as a new homesteader, income is scarce and sporadic. If you have multiple income streams you get the benefit of a small but constant source of income from various seasonal resources. This takes the pressure off, and you get to learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the long run.

What advice would you like to give to others who are younger/earlier on their journey?

Two things.

1. Ignore people that disparage your dreams. Nothing great is built in comfort and security. The homesteader lifestyle is hard, but oh so wonderful.

2. Find someone or some people that have a similar mindset and/or goals to you, who have walked the path you are going down. Especially people that are prepared to show you the ropes. YouTube may be great, but it’s not always the best teacher.

Where do you see growing going in South Africa?

Without being punny, food gardening is growing in leaps and bounds as more and more people realise that home grown food is exciting, cheaper, more nutrient dense and vastly more flavourful. More and more younger people are turning to food gardening and homesteading than ever before, it is really so exciting to see.