Seed and Soil Program

Welcome to the Seed and Soil Program! 

The Just Food Seed and Soil Program provides you with free seeds, soil, and information to grow vegetable plants in your garden, yard, or balcony. Your garden can feed your family and friends Good Food!

Our request intake is now closed for 2026.
If you submitted your request, we are working to match you with a distribution site.

Any distribution sites that have available soil will have a registration link listed below.

If additional seed & soil becomes available we will announce it!

You will receive a selection of free vegetable seed varieties. These seeds are organic and untreated, which means that they are free from any pesticides or other chemicals. 

You will also receive approximately 160 litres of free organic top-soil – enough to fill three blue / black recycling bins. This is about $50 worth of soil. This soil is high quality, full of nutrients. It can be used for your vegetable seeds and other edible plants. 

An information sheet with instructions on how to grow food from seed, weblinks to a Garden Guide in 5 languages (English, French, Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish), and other resources will be provided. 

You can pick up your Seed, Soil, and Information Sheet at a Distribution Event in your neighbourhood.

For community members:

What You Need to Do (once distribution sites are announced): 

1. Contact your the Distribution Site nearest you for a registration form
2. Complete the Registration Form
3. Drive or walk to the Distribution Event in your neighborhood
4. Visit the Registration Table to sign in and pick up your Seeds and Information Sheet
5. Carefully drive or walk up to the soil loading area to pick up your soil 

What You MUST Bring to the Distribution Event:

1. A vehicle that can transport soil
   1. If the event is driving distance, bring a car that can fit three recycling bins 
   2. If the event is walking distance, bring a car OR walk with wheelbarrow, wagon, or other vehicle 
2. Three blue / black recycling bins (or similar containers) to contain your soil. Garbage bags are NOT strong enough.

Distribution Sites:

Please scroll down to see the list of participating distribution sites in this year’s Seed & Soil Program. (If none are listed, the sites have not yet been finalized)

Gardening Resources:

Just Food Garden Guide: 
Do you want a detailed guide on growing from seed, planning a garden layout, composting, harvesting, and more? Read the Just Food Garden Guide (available in English, French, Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish): https://justfood.ca/gardenguide/

Gardening Workshops: 
Just Food is always hosting new virtual and in-person workshops on how to garden in Ottawa:  https://justfood.ca/upcoming-workshops

Gardening for Kids: 
The Ottawa Farm School program at Just Food teaches kids how to grow their own food and support their communities: https://justfood.ca/ottawafarmschool/ 

Vermicomposting: 
Looking for ways to use your household food scraps to give your plants more nutrients? Vermicomposting uses worms to break down food scraps and turn it into a rich, dark soil. Our friends at The Box of Life have an indoor vermicomposting system that even works in apartments: https://www.theboxoflife.com/