What does it mean to be Canadian?

I'm noticing a lot of people standing around supermarkets lately, quietly reading labels. Canadians have suddenly found themselves in the midst of an economic war and are trying to discern how best they can personally respond.

I too have been pondering this situation. On one hand I feel pretty good. I can congratulate myself for being a local company that grows Canadian seed, for Canadians, in my very Canadian back yard (which is covered in a thick layer of snow right now). Regardless of the political situation I think local grown seed is very important ecologically. But given what we're facing, is that enough?

Can't get more Canadian than this bouquet!

What many people have discovered when searching through those labels is that Made in Canada can mean a lot of things. Not just was the product made here, but where did the contents used to create that product come from? Where did you get the packaging? Where was it assembled?

Seed companies are full of these layers. Larger companies are more like distribution centers. They may be a Canadian company, but the seed they sell is often grown elsewhere. Larger companies tend to import seed that cannot be grown as well in a cold country like Canada. Previously this wasn't seen as a bad thing - is it bad now? What about smaller companies that do grow their own? Where did they get the gardening products used to grow the seed? The compost, the plant pots, the labels, the shovels. What about the envelopes and the wrapping, the labels and the stickers? Who produced those? There are a lot of layers.

I have previously supported a lot of companies large and small, Canadian and American

This is where my head has been at for the last month. I grow my own seed on my property in Prince Edward Island, but I do purchase seed stock when I want to try new varieties and expand my inventory. Where does that seed originate? I also purchase grow lights, heat mats, plants pots, soil, vermiculite, amongst a host of other garden tools. Where are they made? My seeds are packaged in envelopes that up to now were coming from the States - I have been searching for a Canadian supplier and it is harder than you might imagine. Some of my packaging is from a Canadian company - but they produce their materials in a satellite manufacturing plant in the States. I discovered that Avery labels is American but produces labels in Ontario.

The world business market is global and that has been wonderful for many people. We can purchase strawberries in winter, clothing from Taiwan, a Korean car that was designed in Germany. We can use the best of what the world has to offer to make products that are top tier. But it makes the "Made in ####" question increasingly difficult to answer directly.

Personally I will continue to try and do what I do best. Grow quality seed that I am proud of, and be a good community member to my local community as well as my Canadian community. I will also continue to search for Canadian products that support that mission.

Marguerite