b'Grow Your Own LibraryInstead of heading to the library to check out a book, why not check out some seeds?Alex Martin amartin@issuesink.comIMAGINE HEADING OVERto your local library.return saved seeds, seed libraries manage to get seeds Usually, most people visit their libraries to check outfrom other means. a book, read it and return it. But, what if one day you A lot of smaller seed companies who want to serve660stumbled on a section in your library with a new fea- local needs donate seeds at the end of the year thatis the total turea seed catalogue. Instead of browsing throughwerent sold, McDorman says. Then, seed librariesnumber of sections and genres of books, you could explore flowerhave plenty of seeds to get started with. seed librariesseed, vegetable seedYou have now discovered theThe Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance looks to helpopen across wonderful world of the seed library. people learn how to save seeds so that they can donatethe globe.This isnt some piece of science fiction. Seed librariesback to seed libraries. Through their Seed School pro-are spreading throughout the United States, and evengram, the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance steps up to into other parts of the world under different names, butteach their students how to save seeds, which is valu-with the same idea. You grow something, you save theable when it comes to seed libraries.48 seed and you give it back to your community.Seed saving isnt a dark, scary forest. In fact, 99%states have In the United States, the idea of a seed library isof breeding took place before they even heard aboutseed lending exactly like a public library. You head over, pick out theMendel, McDorman says. Our Seed School is basedlibraries open seeds youd like to grow and check them out. Afteron that. We need to have plants that work for us whereto the public.you successfully grow them, you set aside some of thewe are, and to do that, I think we just need to reawaken seeds and package them back up. Then, you take themour sense of playfulness. Whats the worst thing that can back to the seed library and check them back in.happen when you make a mistake in your backyard? Seed libraries have been around about 15 years orYou can eat the mistake!15so, says Pat Miller, director of state government affairs atMcDorman says the best part of saving seeds foris the number the American Seed Trade Association. Its a great waylibraries is that you not only get the saved variety thatof countries for people to get involved with gardening. More peoplecould be extremely old, but also the story behind it.that have getting interested in seeds is great. One variety in our local seed library is Mrs. Burnsbegun to When I first got involved in seed libraries, welemon basil, which her family brought to Tuscon,participate in thought they would run out of seed, says BillArizona, when they moved, and they have saved forseed lending McDorman, executive director of the Rocky Mountainover 100 years, he says. Now theres a place you canlibraries. Seed Alliance. Oftentimes, theres no limit on thetake saved seeds when you dont use themyou can amount of seeds you can check out, so you can checktake them to your local seed library. out a lot of seeds at once.Miller and McDorman both agree that the real place McDorman says he was surprised from his experi- seed libraries excel is getting children interested in seed. ence with seed libraries. Half the battle is getting seedsOne of the things Rebecca Newman, the founder turned back in.of the first seed library in a public library, discovered is According to an amendment in the Recommendedthat children got really involved, McDorman says. Uniform State Seed Law, which is a model guidelineSeed libraries get children both into seed and more for state seed laws developed by the Association ofinvolved at their local library, Miller says. Theyll see American Seed Control Officials and key stakeholders,seeds in the library and think its really cool to start seed libraries cannot create the expectation that seedsworking with.must be returned in exchange for receiving seeds.McDorman quotes famous ball player Yogi Berra The intention in that particular language was Okay,and says that we cant predict what will happen in the you can have this, but you cant say because you checkcoming years. out seed you have to bring back seeds, Miller says.We dont think seed libraries are a fad, he says. But the reality is, if people have seed left over, its easyIts growing exponentially every year. Theres 600 to give back and share their seeds.worldwide, and 82 in our Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance However, that usually isnt a major problem for seedmembership.SWlibraries. Even if people who check out seeds dont 6/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'