About the Seed Library
The Seed Library is an educational project that provides the public an opportunity to learn about the importance of growing their own food, eating healthy, environmental stewardship, promoting green space and plant diversity, while encouraging families to get outdoors. We are modeling our project after the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Seed Library at the Berea Library. Anderson County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Anderson County Library System have established a “seed sharing” library, with different seed varieties, that are housed at the Anderson Branch Library. In September of 2020, we did a “soft-opening” for our Seed Library due to COVID-19 and 793 seed packets were checked out.The following crops were available to the public: beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, mustard greens, radish, and spinach. The Seed Library closed October 19th and reopened in March for a grand opening with up to 40 different seed types, all suited to grow in our area. A total of 5,095 seed packets were checked out in the spring of 2021!! We closed again in June due to restocking and reopened again in the fall of 2021. A total of 2,261 seed packets were checked out in 2 months. Along with the main Seed Library, we also partnered with the smaller library branches in the county and did Pop-Up Seed Libraries. This provided different areas of the county with free seeds and eliminated the travel to the main branch. 244 seed packets were checked out through this program. A total of 1,676 zip codes were recorded when patrons returned their seed checkout forms.
In the spring of 2022, seeds were restocked in an organized card catalog, in which each drawer will contain a different type of seed. In the first 2-3 weeks we had over 2,000 seed packets checked-out. This is almost double the usage we have seen in the past. Seeds that are available to the public are vegetables, herbs, and native plant species. We have reached many areas in Anderson County through this program and we are wanting to continue to reach more. The poverty rate in Anderson County is 15.6% and these people go without eating healthy food or even food at all. The Seed Library will help decrease the number of people who go hungry in Anderson County and decrease the number of people who are simply unaware of how to grow their own food.
The Seed Library project has a lot to offer just by providing seeds. Growing your own food promotes a healthier lifestyle, saves money on groceries, reduces food waste and worrying about food safety, builds a sense of pride, has a positive environmental impact, and it gets you outdoors.
