Check out the new seed library!

There’s a new library in town… a SEED library!  Starting Friday, April 1, patrons to the Clear Lake Public Library will find a Community Seed Library near the upstairs circulation desk.  A seed library is a collection of seeds (flower, grass, vegetable, herbs) that patrons can borrow to plant at home.  This collaboration between Central Gardens of North Iowa and the Clear Lake Public Library is hoping to encourage the community to garden, reconnect people to the outdoors, create a community-sustained seed collection, and provide information and education about gardening.  

As the initiative progresses, look for information from the organizations on programs aimed at Seed Saving, hopefully to come this fall.  

How does it work?  It’s no April Fool’s joke.  The seeds are completely free and you don’t even need a library card to enjoy them.

Sponsors ask that patrons limit themselves to just five packets total

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this year so there is enough to go around.  Seeds must be destined to be planted in Iowa.  If you choose not to grow them, or acquire other seed packets that you aren’t going to use, kindly donate the seeds back to the library for other patrons to utilize next growing season.  

Full seed packets are disbursed into smaller quantities, generally between 10-20 seeds if they are large seeds, to spread the gardening love.  This year, the project is grateful to have starting quantities supplied by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Cerro Gordo County Conservation. Organizers hope in the future, the seed library will be self-sustainable with the help of educational programs led by knowledgeable community members.

Those wishing to donate seeds to the library may bring unopened seed packets to the library.   Herb seeds are especially needed at this time.

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