Roaring Spring Library Expands Its Seed Library

Roaring Spring Community Library’s Seed Library program was created to promote gardening and food security, according to director Michelle McIntyre.

The program serves residents of Blair, Huntingdon, and Bedford counties.

All seeds are free.

Residents of these counties may select their orders from a form, and pick up their seeds at the library of their choice.

Stephanie Fulcher, program organizer, said they have over 30 varieties of lettuce and tomatoes, 20 varieties of hot and sweet peppers, and nine varieties of onion seeds.

“Sunflowers are very popular and run out quickly and have been stocked with nine varieties this year,” Fulcher said.

Patrons who are overwhelmed with the selection can choose to order variety packs.

“This may make choosing lettuce a little less daunting, and extra packs don’t count towards your 25 pack limit,” she said.

Fulcher said new additions this year include plentiful amounts of brussels sprouts, asparagus, and tomatillos.

She said volunteers are packing the seed packets with higher seed counts, especially for corn and beans to ensure gardeners have good harvests.

There are two types of seed libraries which are kept in repurposed library card catalogs, and have different sources.

The Seed Library inventory comes from commercial companies, and the Community Seed Exchange Library is stocked from local gardeners.

“These people have donated their collected seeds back to us so we can share them with our patrons,” Fulcher said.

She said this type of library provides a more sustainable source of seeds, not relying on donations.

“It also increases diversity in the seed community and generates more of a connection in the gardening community when gardeners are able to share their work with others,” Fulcher said. This year they are asking gardeners to consider saving the seeds from their heirloom plants and donating them back for next year’s Community Seed Exchange Library.

“Heirloom plants are special because they are unlikely to cross pollinate, and maintain the parent plant characteristics in the seeds,” she said.

Fulcher said this makes them ideal for seeding saving.

Those interested in sharing seeds, can bring their collection to the RSCL in a paper or plastic bag or small bottle, and fill out the brief information card.

Volunteers will then divide up the seeds and label them, as well as give the seeds an identifying name unique to that donor.

The seed libraries are separate, and each has its own order form.

Seed donations that come directly from manufacturers, typically include seeds that have not been sold within their “sell by” date.

“Since many seeds retain good germination rates beyond this date, we are able to offer them to local gardeners for free,” McIntyre said.

Most seeds are from the previous selling season, and a few are from the year before that.

She said not all seeds are “expired”, some companies donate fresh seeds, or even gift cards to order from their current stock.

The Seed Library receives a large variety of seeds, from flowers and vegetables, to herbs and rare varieties.

“We have many varieties that you may not have heard of, and offering a sample of these seeds provides many people with an opportunity to try something new,” McIntyre said.

She said the 2024 seed library has been made possible through grants from the UPMC Foundation.

Grant money pays for supplies for the library, such as envelopes, office supplies, ink stamps, printing and paper, and additional in-demand seeds.

The seed library is operated by volunteers through the RSCL, as well as volunteer support from the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners program.

Volunteers request donations, write grants, inventory seeds, organize seed catalogs, manage online information, post to social media, and fill orders when the library opens.

McIntyre said the bulk of the volunteer work is repacking seeds into new, smaller

envelopes for wider

distribution of the seed supply.

The Seed Library would not be possible without the help of all of the volunteers who offer their time to the community gardeners that utilize this service, she said.

“Each year we grow, we need the help of more volunteers,” McIntyre said.

She said the volunteers get first access to their library selection each year, and are able to get some of the more rare or limited quantity seeds that do not make it to the general seed library selection.

All orders for seeds are placed through an online google form, where people are able to choose up to 25 different varieties.

They asked patrons to limit seed orders to two per year for each library or four total.

Because of the high demand for certain seed varieties, some may be unavailable by the time an order is filled.

When this happens, substitutes for other comparable seed varieties will be provided.

Each packet will include the plant name, variety, company it originated from, and information on how to plant the seed and care for it.

Some varieties might have “organic” or “heirloom” stamped on them, or special requirements such as “pre-soak seeds” or “refrigerate seeds”.

Early orders open on January 22 for people who are interested in getting their seeds as soon as possible.

Those early orders must be picked up in person at the RSCL on January 27, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or January 28, 2 - 5 p.m., where patrons can also add additional seeds to their order from the library’s overstock selections.

This is to celebrate National Seed Library Swap day on January 27.

Regular orders, that will be delivered to the patron's library of choice, will begin being filled on February 1.

The links to both seed libraries are found on either the RSCL Facebook or website.