Salt Spring Island was once home to our nation's largest, wholly Canadian mail-order seed business. Mary Hogg, granddaughter of Percival James, presents her family's agricultural journey in the Gulf Islands. The James Seed Company had its inception in 1913 on Parker Island, before expanding to Salt Spring and later to Cowichan Bay.
Archival photos bring to light her family members and the labour intensive work they undertook to produce their crops. Mary shows us the heritage homes, vintage tools and tractors, horses pulling ploughs and glass greenhouses used in the seed growing operations; and describes the many challenges they encountered over the years as well as the leisure and fashion trends of the day.
Dan Jason, local author\farmer and owner of Salt Spring Seeds, told the assembled audience that the story of James Seed Company inspired him to create his own mail-order seed business, in 1985.
With gratitude to the Salt Spring Historical Society for organizing the presentation, November 9th, 2005 at Central Hall, and to Mary Hogg and her family for sharing their life and times. And reminding us of the importance of history, community and family.
More photos and historical information may be viewed at: saltspringarchives.com/
This video comes courtesy of the archives of Peter Prince, a Salt Spring filmmaker and musician: peterprince.ca/
Please subscribe - it will help support our ongoing video work. Likes are much appreciated.