34 GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2017 Small Players, Big Options Berezan agrees. He says most urban farms are quite small compared to commercial farming operations, but collec- tively they offer a significant market for the seed industry. “These are not people who are buying vast quanti- ties of seed like most farmers are, but if you add them up, I would say it’s a pretty significant purchasing unit. And they’re buying smaller units of seed so they are paying more than someone who is buying bulk seed,” he explains. Berezan adds urban agriculture could be a boon for some smaller seed producers who don’t have the capabil- ity of moving thousands of kilograms of product, but are nimbler and can respond quicker to customer needs than some larger-scale operations. Growth in the urban farming market is also a great opportunity for seed companies to enhance seed diversity by catering to the specific needs of smaller urban farms, Berezan says. Doing so would help reduce the chances of less popular varieties from becoming lost or no longer viable, he adds. Gale says while the seed industry is better positioned to respond to already established needs in the market, that wouldn’t have to preclude it from considering new products for urban growers. He says freezer box water- melons and cherry tomatoes are examples of prod- ucts that were developed before there was widespread demand for them. “It’s hard to know whether you’ve got the product and you find the niche or you have the niche and then go look for the product,” he says. “Both require someone with a certain kind of vision.” Ron Berezan, an urban agriculture guru based in Powell River, B.C. and a frequent gardening commentator on CBC Radio, says most urban farms are quite small compared to commercial farming operations, but collectively they offer a significant market for the seed industry. DEPENDABLE. FUNCTIONAL. RELIABLE. At every step, Convey–All’s seed tenders, conveyors, and bulk systems deliver. Phone: (800) 418-9461 Email: conveyors@convey-all.com www.convey-all.com INNOVATIVE QUALITY SOLUTIONS Driveover Transloader