As part of its goal to achieve collective Métis food sovereignty, the Environment and Climate Change Department (ECC) is relaunching its popular Seed Mail Out Program.
Otipemisiwak Métis Government Citizens aged 18 or older can apply for this program for a chance to receive a Seed Mail Out kit. Each kit contains the materials, tools, and educational resources you need to produce your own food through home gardening. By growing your own produce, you’ll build on your ability to withstand negative changes in food availability, affordability, or quality, strengthening your community’s food security in turn.
In the first year of our Seed Mail Out Program, we mailed kits containing a seed package, a set of garden tools, and a beginner-friendly gardening guide to 400 Métis households. This year, we’re sending seed kits to 500 Métis households and enhancing our kits by adding resources that support pollinators!
Each qualifying household may only submit one application. Participants will be selected by random draw.
The Seed Mail Out Program is now closed.
Thank you for applying! Applications have now closed. Citizens who have been selected in the random draw can expect to receive a confirmation email by February 23. If you do not receive an email, you were unfortunately not selected this year.
Seed Mail Out Kit Contents
Participating Citizens will receive a kit that contains the following items:
- • One seed package of your choice that contains various types of seeds
- • One set of gardening tools
- • One copy of the “Get Your Garden Growing” guide, a handbook that provides helpful gardening tips and tricks
- • Pollinator-friendly native wildflower seeds and educational resources about pollinators (limited quantity available)
Seed Package Options
Growing regions, or hardiness zones, vary across the Districts. To ensure your harvest is successful, we’re offering three seed package options that each match specific hardiness zones:
Disclaimer: The types of seeds included in each seed package are subject to change due to fluctuations in seed availability. If you have any questions, please contact us at climate@metis.org
If you’re unsure which hardiness zone applies to you, refer to the map below to identify the growing zone for your District!
Get Your Garden Growing Guide
In summer 2025, the ECC Department published the “Get Your Garden Growing” guide, a beginner-friendly resource created in collaboration with experienced Métis gardeners. Throughout the guide, you’ll see photos of their crops and learn about the techniques they use to nurture thriving gardens that produce healthy food for their families and friends.
Whether you’re a new or experienced gardener, the Get Your Garden Growing guide is designed to provide you with high-quality, Alberta-specific gardening information. It’s a great tool for any gardener who’s feeling overwhelmed by online resources, and it continues to be adapted and improved based on community feedback and research.
Visit below to download the guide’s latest version. If you would prefer a physical copy, please visit us at our department booth at Otipemisiwak Métis Government events!
Urban Harvesting Guide and Rural Harvesting Guide
Harvesting is a deep-rooted tradition among Métis people. The plants we gather in rural areas are invaluable sources of medicine, food, and they provide us with a profound sense of connection to the environment and to one another.
Citizens have raised concerns about contaminants on the plants they harvest and how to safely and legally harvest in the areas they prefer. To address these concerns, the ECC Department has developed the Urban Harvesting Guide and the Rural Harvesting Guide. Each document lists guiding principles for harvesting plants, regulations for various land types and municipalities, and safety considerations. They serve to affirm Citizens’ right to harvest safely on public land and in municipalities.
Visit albertametis.com/Urban-Harvesting-Guide or albertametis.com/Rural-Harvesting to download the guides or click the images below to download their latest versions. If you would prefer physical copies, please email environment@metis.org or visit us at our department booth at Otipemisiwak Métis Government events!
