Seed lending takes root at Concord library

This month, people will be going to Concord’s Fowler Branch Library not to return books, but small bags of seeds.

This past spring, the library launched one of the state’s first seed exchange programs, through which residents “borrow” vegetable seeds in the spring and then return seeds plucked from mature plants in the fall. Residents are able to enjoy their harvest and then are asked to let some of their best plants go to seed, which they can bring back to the library for others to enjoy.

Saving seeds promotes biodiversity, said Kitty Smith, co-coordinator of the seed library, and the plants that are grown from the seeds will eventually adapt to the community’s growing conditions.

Seeds are stored in a card catalog, placed into one of three categories: “super-easy,” “easy” and “difficult,” representing the level of difficulty of saving the seeds. All seeds are non-genetically modified and organic, Smith said.

She said the seed exchange idea came from an article about a public library in California. Smith and co-coordinator Enid Boasberg quickly formed a committee and recruited volunteers as well as seed donations from companies. They even set up a website: www.concordseedlendinglibrary.org.

Since the program’s launch on Earth Day (April 22), about 70 people have taken advantage of the seed library, Smith said.

The coordinators have also been getting inquires from other communities about starting a seed lending library. Libraries in Hardwick, Groton and Norwell also began seed exchange programs early this spring.