Seed Saving Libraries

What is a Seed Saving Library?

• A place where members of the community can check out or swap seeds.

• A place for educational classes on gardening and sustainability issues.

• A collection of materials that will assists patrons on how to grow their own food and become more self-sufficient.

• An opportunity for like-minded people to meet and discuss current issues.

Why become involved?

You would no more think of getting rid of a copy of---

Charles Dickens- A Tale of Two

Cities

But every year we loose more and more varieties of fruits, vegetables, and field

crops.

Watermelon Radish

• This loss of varieties translates into lower genetic variability in our food plants.

• Lower variability means lower adaptability to stresses such as disease or climate change.

• Each time a seed variety is lost, we lose another chance to feed ourselves in a world of changing climate and shrinking resources.

• (http://howtosaveseeds.com/whysave.php)

Just five biotech giants • Monsanto• Syngenta, • Bayer, • Dow• DuPont

Since the 1990’s the five companies have

bought up more than 200 other companies

to dominate our access to seeds.

That is where Seed Saving Libraries can help.

• The basic idea is that you plant the seeds, let some of them go to seed, then return some of these next generation seeds back to the library for others to borrow.

Benefits of a Seed Saving Library

• Participants can reduce their food cost.• Return flavor back into your food.• Maintain regional food choices.• Participate in history, maintain genetic

material from past generations.• Develop our self-reliance.• Participate in the circle of life.

By participating you can

help save such varieties as:

Dragon Carrots

Paris Market Carrots

Chioggia Beets

Moon and Stars Watermelon

Boston Marrow Squash

Amish Pie Pumpkin

R

Red Zebra Tomato

Wapsipinicon Tomato

Wisconsin 55Tomato

Nebraska Wedding Tomato

LETTUCE

CORN

Eggplants

Beans

Grant OlsonSeed Savers Exchange

Our mission is to save North America’s diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

Seed saving is the process of saving seeds from open-pollinated fruits, vegetables, grains, flowers & herbs.

Traditional agriculture relied on seed saving to maintain farms and gardens year after year.

When you save seeds from a particular plantvariety, you want those seeds to grow into a plantthat is identical to its parent plants. This trait isknown as varietal purity.

An open-pollinated variety exhibits varietal purityand breeds true from seed; open-pollinated varieties are maintained by allowing a natural flow of pollen between plants of the same variety.

When pollen flows between different varieties within the same species, this is known as cross-pollination.

Cross-pollinated seed is not ideal for seed saving, especially when you want to preserve a variety.

seed saving for beginners: beans, lettuce, tomatoes

Is my plant a Hybrid or an OP?

Hybrid plants will not reliably produce seeds that will grow up to be like its parent(s).

Open-pollinated plants can produce seeds that will grow up to be like its parent(s).

Popular Hybrid Tomatoes:Sun Gold, Big Boy, Early Girl, Celebrity

Popular Heirloom Tomatoes:Brandywine, Amish Paste, Black Krim

Kingdom: PlantaeDivision: MagnoliophytaClass: MagnoliopsidaOrder: Fabales

common name: beanbinomial name: Phaseolus vulgaris

Family: FabaceaeGenus: PhaseolusSpecies: vulgaris

P. vulgaris will only cross with other P. vulgaris beans. It will not cross with runner beans (P. coccineus), lima beans (P. lunatus), or fava beans (Vicia faba).

What is my plant’s Species?

How is your plant Pollinated?

keel

fusedanthers

Out-crossers are plants that are most often fertilized through cross-pollination.

Is my plant Mature?

How many plants do I need?

How do I store my seeds?

Steve Hopson

Scott Vlaun

http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/Seed-Donation-Program

http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/Webinars

Steps to Set Up a Seed Library• Decide what type of library- check out or swap.• Recruit volunteers.• Figure out where you will house the seeds in your

library and how to house them.• Contact seed companies about donating seeds or

purchase seeds. (try to stay with companies located in your area of the country)

• Create records of the types. Place records into circulation system.

Steps to Set Up a Seed Library- 2

• Put together promotional materials. Press releases, handouts.

• Develop basic seed saving and other garden related classes.

• Set rules on seeds that you will accept back into your collection.

• Prepare signage.• Create packets to place seeds into.• Divide up seeds to packets.• Introduce patrons to your seed library.

Seed Saving Libraries with LinksArizona- Pima County Public Library www.library.pima.gov/seed-libraryCalifornia- Richmond Public Library http://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/seed-saving.htmlSan Francisco Seed Library http://www.sfseedlibrary.org/homeSeedfolks Community Seed Libraries http://www.theseedfolks.org/Seed Library of Los Angeles http://slola.org/Hudson Valley Seed Library http://www.seedlibrary.org/about-us-hvslColorado - Westcliffe Public Library – Westcliffe http://westcliffegrows.weebly.com/

Seed Saving Difficulty LevelBeginner: Bean, Lettuce, Pea, Pepper, Tomato

Experienced: Corn, Cucumber, Muskmelon, Radish, Spinach, Squash, Pumpkin

Expert: Beet, Swiss Chard, Cabbage Family, Carrot, Onion, Radicchio, Endive, Turnip, Chinese Cabbage

Isolation DistancesBean- 5-10ft, Lettuce- 25ft Pea- 50ft, Pepper- 500ft

Tomato- 5-10ft, Corn- 1 mile Cucumber- ¼ mile, Mellon- ¼ mile Radish- ½ mile, Spinach- 5-10 miles

Squash/Pumpkin- ¼ mile Beet- ½ mile, Cabbage- 1 mile Carrot- ¼ mile, Onion- 1 mile

Watermelon- ¼ mile

Potential ClassesBasic Seed Saving, Starting Garden SeedsSquare Foot Gardening, Seed CompaniesSalad Gardens Insects: Friend of FoeGrowing Herbs Growing FlowersContainer Gardening Companion PlantingOrganic gardening Food PreservationLandscaping Wildlife GardensWater Gardens Backyard Ponds/ StreamsRain Gardens Rock GardensRoses Prairie GardensBerries and Fruit CompostingGardening With Kids Flower arranging, dried flowersTomato Tasting Competition (Watermelon, Pepper)Choosing the Right Tree for the Right Location

Seed Savers Exchange Webinars http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/Webinars/Seed Savers Exchange: Vegetable Planting and Seed Saving Instructions http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/Seed-Saving-Instructions/#beetVegetable Seed Saving Handbook http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.phpSeed Matters http://www.seedmatters.org/Colorado State University Extension http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07602.htmlInternational Seed Saving Institute http://www.seedsave.org/Organic Seed Alliance- A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers http://www.seedalliance.org/Publications/publication-download-forms/download-form-1/

Video LinksRichmond Grows Seed Saving Libraryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQEmmdfWhHI&feature=player_embeddedHow to Save Peas and Beanshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjUssS970-U&feature=player_embeddedHow to Save Lettucehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9kAJMiN5NrEPublic Library Association Conference - Seed Lending Libraryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=u7hDkMo04qQ Seed Saving Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Uq9E7qruc&list=FLGfxWVLm3O9qimbGSrOe0Cg&feature=player_detailpageSeed Saving Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=FLGfxWVLm3O9qimbGSrOe0Cg&feature=player_detailpage&v=gbLpIQrAa_8Seed Saving Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=FLGfxWVLm3O9qimbGSrOe0Cg&v=YnpWSfzWCxk&feature=player_detailpage

Blacktail Mountain

watermelon

French Breakfast

Radish

Outhouse Hollyhocks

Tennis Ball Lettuce

Orangeglo Watermelon

David Mixdorf dwmixdorf@southsiouxcity.org

Grant Olson grant@seedsavers.org

Seed Savers Exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/