After being planted at two library locations, satellite seed libraries in the west end of Guelph is reducing barriers to gardening.
The Guelph Seed Library and Guelph Public Library are behind the pilot program. Launched at the Scottsdale and Bullfrog mall branches in August 2020, residents can access free seed packets using their library card.
Since launching the program, Susan Carey of the Guelph Seed Library said it is going really well and estimates over 2,000 seed packets have been accessed by residents.
"Pretty much everything goes," said Carey, noting the Scottsdale branch area has lots of families who are looking for activities, while the Bullfrog neighbourhood has established gardeners.
"People are quite happy to go to the libraries and find there is a selection of seeds and I think it has motivated a few people who maybe got curious about 'Oh, I wonder what the library's got this week in terms of seed selection!' And if I was on holidays and they ran out of seeds and the next week at the library the librarians would be telling me, 'Oh, people were disappointed the last couple of days!'"
Next week, the GPL and Guelph Seed Library will meet to talk about making the program permanent, and possibly expanding it. Carey said she hopes to distribute seed kits at the libraries to help library users garden. Each kit would contain pots, identifying sticks, seed packets and dirt needed to start gardening. Our Food Future has also contributed a little booklet into the kits, which teaches children about the life cycle of a seed.
"You can have the seeds in your hand, but actually putting them out in the soil and getting them out to grow, if we can just help people overcome these little roadblocks, then I'm all for it, right?" said Carey, "and if that means offering people some free pots and offering little doggie (dog food) bags full of soil, then yeah let's do it."
Carey adds she would like to grow the awareness of fall produce. With the satellite seed libraries, she said there is a drop in demand towards the end of summer.
"Even in Canada, we could be planting certain things right now and extending people's backyard food production into the fall," said Carey, adding the Guelph Seed Library will be hosting a separate workshop on this topic with 10C and Our Food Future about fall gardening called FALL in love with growing.
Carey said many residents and small businesses help contribute to the program through donations and volunteering.
"For the entire season, there is somebody who has basically been my inventory librarian, so all the little seed requests that come in, she takes care of it, she actually keeps the seeds organized on the shelves, and that is such a blessing because that's a very time consuming aspect of running the (Guelph Seed Library)," said Carey, "so now I can do more of the programming, making the community connections and making the meetings for Our Food Future."
The Guelph Seed Library is also looking into other changes within its own programming, including offering culturally appropriate foods to people and families who are food insecure.
"This summer, we grew a couple of different basil's and we grew bitter melons to donate to take some first steps towards offering the kinds of foods that make people feel at home," said Carey.
