Library District Debuts the New Seed Library

Poudre River Public Library District is taking Marcus Tullius Cicero’s quote literally: “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing.” With the debut of the Library District’s new Seed Library, located at Old Town Library, the community can add vegetable, fruit, and herb seeds to their list of check outs.

Eileen McCluskey, Old Town Library manager says the seed library is, ” a unique way to introduce new gardeners to the gardening world and to encourage people to grow their own food.”

The Seed Library is an ever-changing collection of open-pollinated, non-genetically modified, and/or heirloom seeds that have been donated by local gardeners, seed banks, seed companies, and other partner organizations.

Just as if the seeds were books, borrowers check out packets of seeds and plant them, then allow some of their plants to mature or “go to seed” and harvest and return those seeds to the Library for others’ use. Individuals do not need to return seeds in order to borrow seeds.

The Library District worked with CSU Extension Master Gardeners, The Gardens at Spring Creek, and The Growing Project to establish the Seed Library and to provide community education around key gardening topics like gardening in a low-water climate and saving seeds.