Happy spring! Now that spring has officially arrived, now is the time to gather your seeds and get growing! The Somers Seed Lending Library is a good place to start!
For the last 4 years, the Somers Seed Lending Library has been a wonderful addition to our library and to this community. The Somers Seed Lending Library is a free community heirloom seed lending project, demonstrating that libraries check out more than books! The idea is simple. Growers get enough seeds to grow 5-6 plants from the seed catalog. They record what seeds they are taking, and complete a basic contact info sheet. Then they grow their plants during the season, and at the end of the growing season, the grower saves some of the seed for next season, and returns a portion (usually 2-3 times the starting amount or more) to the seed library to continue the cycle.
Our hope is that you will enjoy gardening and picking the fruits of your hard labor. Along with saving seeds, consider checking out some great books on gardening and cooking to experience a true culinary treat!
Donations are gratefully accepted to help grow our seed library. On our wish list: new packets of heirloom and/or organic seeds.
Lastly, we have a free seminar coming up in April that offers a wonderful opportunity to educate patrons on seeds:
Seed Choices: The Relevance of Seeds and Our Local Food System: Saturday, April 15 @ 10:30 - This exploratory discussion offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the idea that we all—gardeners and eaters alike—play a role in stewarding one of our most valuable natural resources: seeds. Shanyn Siegel will lead this informative conversation about seeds and the seed industry, and how they both impact one of the things most essential to our everyday lives—our food. Shanyn will explain the different types of garden seeds available and share options for selecting the best seeds for organic gardens—and a resilient regional food system. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the significance of our seed choices and some unusual heirloom seeds to try. Information about Community Seeds and the Community Seed Resource program will be shared. Whether you're a homesteader, a gardener, or simply a person who cares about sustainable food and agriculture systems, this class provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the source of it all: seeds.
So, please come and visit the Somers Seed Lending Library the next time you are in the library. This is your chance to get heirloom quality seeds to grow quality plants, to learn about the importance of seed as a vital natural resource, and to get into the spirit of the season of spring! Follow Somers Seed Lending Library on Facebook.
