Our mission is to promote the awareness and importance of our seeds as the most elemental source of everything we depend on – food, clothing, and shelter. Many gardeners, farmers, and the public have lost touch with where our food and other resources come from. We have outsourced seed production to biotech and agribusiness. We have forgotten that the seeds we save and share are an expression of our culture, our values, and our shared history. Seeds that survive and thrive preserve and contribute to biodiversity that ensures resilience to the vicissitudes of climate, drought, and natural and un-natural disasters. We have an opportunity to regain an awareness and appreciation for the simple and complex miracle of our seeds, to select and collect them, to save and share them, to reclaim and reestablish locally adaptive traits.
Open-pollinated seeds, versus hybridized or genetically-modified seeds, that have evolved over numerous growing seasons or perhaps even thousands of years are inherently more bio-diverse, giving them the ability to thrive in a specific regional climate, geography, and hydrology. Furthermore, this biodiversity is like a built-in insurance policy that enables adaptability to climatic change, and will be hardy and resistant to environmental stresses that would fell plants from seed imported from other regions or countries.
How to use the seed library
USING THE SEED LIBRARY
To check out seeds:
Must have a library card to check out up to 10 packets of seeds per season
Must make the commitment to bring back some seeds at the end of the growing season from each type of seed taken
Must commit to keeping accurate records for future growers
Seeds are shelved by common name
Must checkout seeds with librarian
There is NO charge to grow seeds
To return seeds:
Seeds must be cleaned, non-GMO, open pollinated, heirloom, Landrace, or heritage NO HYBRIDS
Seeds must be labeled with crop, variety, seed source, date planted, date collected, location grown, collected by
Notes about growth rate, taste, color are great additions and information for future growers
Return seeds on designated “Bring Back Seed” days or make arrangements with seed librarian by email seed@embudovalleylibrary.org
