Farmers, home gardeners, landscapers and others with a green thumb have shopped at the Halifax Seed Company for over 150 years. With beginnings as a small seed merchant business in downtown Halifax, operations now include two retail locations in Atlantic Canada and online sales across the country. Now a fourth generation-owned family business, Halifax Seed Company continues to grow.

Planting seeds

Halifax Seed Company originated in 1866 in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s believed that the business first focused on providing seed and related supplies to local farmers.

Alfred (Fred) Tregunno was a travelling seed salesman for the Steele-Briggs Seed Company in Ontario for over a decade. While on a sales call in Halifax, Tregunno was asked to help assess the value of Halifax Seed Company after its owner passed away. Recognising an opportunity, in 1925, he purchased the business and relocated to Halifax with his family. This marked the beginning of the Tregunno family’s long-standing ownership of Halifax Seed Company.

Establishing roots

Focusing on flower, vegetable and forage seed, Fred Tregunno slowly grew the business to reach customers across Atlantic Canada. Releasing an annual seed catalogue, farmers and gardeners could browse available products and mail in their orders.

A wartime labour shortage required Fred’s son Warren to leave university to join the family business. In the ‘40s and ‘50s, the father and son team expanded Halifax Seed’s retail presence across the Maritimes. They acquired businesses in Charlottetown, P.E.I. and Saint John, N.B. and rebranded to have a Halifax Seed in each province.

After their father’s unexpected passing, Warren and his brother Paul took over the family business in 1960. Together, they moved the company’s head office and retail space from downtown Halifax to Kane Street, where it remains today. The location’s larger warehouse allowed Halifax Seed to expand into golf course supplies, power equipment and plants.

Representing the third generation, Tim Tregunno joined operations in 1979 and later took over the business with his brother-in-law, Mike. After selling its P.E.I. location in the ‘80s, Halifax Seed continued growth through catalogue sales, a travelling sales team and a focus on commercial wholesale customers. In the ‘90s, the family purchased warehouse space in Debert, N.S., to act as its main distribution hub.

Tim’s daughter Emily joined the business in the early 2000s to focus on the company’s marketing and online presence. She was later joined by her sister Ali, who oversaw operations in New Brunswick. Together, they adapted quickly during the pandemic and launched a new website and an e-commerce platform to meet booming demand for home gardening supplies. Emily and Ali officially became co-CEOs and fourth-generation owners of the family business in 2023.

Growing strong

Today, Halifax Seed continues to operate two retail locations (in Halifax and Saint John), plus online orders and commercial wholesale. Just as the business has passed down through generations, so have many of its customers. “Being an established business in Atlantic Canada is incredibly special,” commented Emily. “Many customers today have done business with us for generations, which has helped us carry on our legacy.

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