Sesen Farm & Seeds is a small family business owned and operated by Riccardo and Maria Manazza.  They originally began their love for seed collecting in their small backyard garden located in Vancouver BC.  The house was small and the backyard consisted of only grass accompanied by a very large deck that overshadowed the backyard.  They dug up their whole back yard and turned every inch of soil into viable growing space. They also chopped the deck in half in order to make room for more garden space and to eliminate the shade.  With the southern exposure and the deck out of the picture they were able to begin a journey of gardening and seed collecting.  It is amazing how much a small plot of land can give you in return.

From then on they learned how to grow and collect seeds through experience, research and genuine interest.  On less than ¼ of an acre Riccardo and Maria managed to feed Themselves and family and friends well into the winter months with the help of various preservation techniques such as canning and dehydrating.  After a growing season they quickly realized that they had outgrown their backyard and their dream was now to pursue a farm where they could do it all on a larger scale.  The dream was from raising animals to composting and creating fertilizers as well as growing all of their own food to collect the seeds for the next years crop.  Riccardo and Maria quickly sold their Vancouver home and began the search.  It was not easy to find the perfect setting for their farm & future seed company. After many trips to the Okanagan they settled on an 8 acre area of land in Oliver BC.  This 8 acre farm is now their home and home to Sesen Farm & Seeds, where they are committed to farming, growing and collecting quality seeds to share with others who really care about what they are eating, how it is grown and where it originates.   

Riccardo & Maria decided to branch off into not only growing ground crops & seed collecting - but into the farming sector as well.  They recently dove into it all head first, by adding Chickens, Pigs, Ducks, Rabbits, Llama's, Alpaca's, Cows, Homing Pigeons, Peacocks, Sheep, Goats, Dogs & Manx Cats to their farm.  They are learning everyday how to have the plants & the animals work together in a healthy, symbiotic relationship to keep the land healthy and beautiful.  They have adopted many of their farming techniques from a well respected farmer in West Virginia named Joel Salatin (He has many books out which are all worth reading).  They are working with removable cages for the broilers - so everyday is a new patch of fresh grass & bugs.  The animals are always rotating and never cooped up in one place to avoid any health problems.  Their chickens are in removable coops as well, which can be relocated anywhere on the property.  They believe that life should never be stagnant but always moving and rotating.  Riccardo built a large removable shelter for the livestock in the field which can be towed around to new area's of the land.  Riccardo & Maria erected a large greenhouse which is home to the Turkey's and Chickens & Rabbits in the colder months and once it warms up the animals go out to pasture & the plants take a turn with the best fertilizer on earth! 

The beauty of farming & growing your own food is not only the health & fresh air - but the continuous stream of knowledge that you gain on a daily basis.