A new seed library will be starting in Guelph this spring.
Vegetable, flower and herb seeds can be taken for free and seeds can be left for others at the library, which will be located in the Guelph Tool Library at the old Tytler Public School building on Ontario Street. There is no cost.
People are also encouraged to grow out the seeds then donate back from the fruits of those labours at a later date.
“You can take what you need, grow them out, hopefully save some seeds from what you grow and bring them back,” said Lisa Conroy, who is coordinating the Guelph Seed Library, which grew out of Transition Guelph’s Urban Food Working Group.
“We know we won’t always get seeds back, but we’d accept any in-kind trade,” Conroy said.
“It’s going to be pretty low key, at least in the beginning, but I think it will be popular, especially with a lot of backyard gardeners. People often don’t need a tonnes and tonnes of seeds. If you are just putting in a few tomato plants or a few squash, then you can come out and get a couple.”
The Guelph Seed Library hopes to officially launch on March 24 at Transition Guelph’s Seedy Saturday.
That event has always held a popular seed trade table.
“I think the focus will mostly be on vegetables and herbs, the easiest to get seeds from,” Conroy said.
Seed libraries also offer people the chance to try just a few of something rather than buying a whole package. They also allow people to share some unique seeds others may not have seen before.
Some seeds have already been donated and the library is looking to get a fridge or freezer to keep all the seeds in.
“We have a nice inventory already,” said Tool Library coordinator Susan Carey.
The idea came from a seed library in Toronto but the motivation is to have more people in the city growing their own food “and this is one way that we can do that,” Carey said.
“One of the nice things about it is that it’s pretty unique. Not every city gets to have something like this and we do.”
The Guelph Seed Library has its own Facebook page.
