Good Ground Seed Library
A Seed Library in the Hampton Bays Public Library (and at the Good Ground Heritage Garden - see below)! Community members are able to procure and donate organic vegetable and native plant seeds for free as a public benefit. Establishing a seed library is an important step to develop a network of community-based seed savers who create locally adapted plant varieties, increase biodiversity, and mitigate the loss of plant gene integrity due to the genetic engineering of commercially produced seeds and plants.
Envelopes containing seeds provide plant variety names and directions on germination, growing and harvesting. Anyone from the community is welcome to take a small amount of seeds to grow in their home garden or community garden and is encouraged to save seeds of their own to donate to the Seed Library for others to take. There is no fee for Seed Library usage, but an opportunity to donate funds toward the continuation of the program is provided (above).
This year we are grateful for generous support from High Mowing Organic Seeds and Fedco Seeds, and also our volunteers who collected seeds from our Good Ground Heritage Garden! It has been quite difficult to get seeds this year due to a shortage from the supply companies due to the pandemic. If anyone has extra seed to donate we would gladly accept them.
Visit the Seed Library in the adult reference section of the Hampton Bays Public Library, visit the remote seed library at the Good Ground Heritage Garden at St. Joseph Villa, and "like" the Good Ground Seed Library on Facebook!
Good Ground Seed Library at the Garden! Due to the ongoing public health crisis, ECI has created a remote seed library at the Eco-Shack and Good Ground Heritage Garden at St. Joseph Villa, 81 Lynn Ave, Hampton Bays. Organic seeds are available as a free service to the community. Hours of operation are during the daylight hours, on any day of the 7 day week. There's no better time to start growing food at home! 🌱
Join our next event! Each year, ECI hosts 3 gatherings which support the Good Ground Seed Library and its patrons: the Seed Saving Workshop, the Seed Sorting Party, and the Seed Sowing Social:
🌱 Seed Saving Workshop (Late Fall) - A hands-on workshop in Seed Saving. Seed harvesting, processing, and proper storage procedures are discussed and practiced. Donations of locally harvested seeds are welcome. Seeds are used to restock the Good Ground Seed Library.
📰 In the News! Ecological Culture Initiative And Friends Restocking Good Ground Seed Library
🌱 Seed Sorting Party (Late Winter) - An evening of seed sorting and socializing. Seeds are sorted into packets, used for the restocking of the Good Ground Seed Library. Most find seed sorting to be a meditative and calming experience.
🌱 Also check out our weekly Seed Sorting Workdays on Mondays, 10 am - 1 pm through Mar 30th
🌱 Seed Sowing Social (Early Spring) - An evening of seed sowing and socializing. We will create potting mix, newspaper pots, and sow heirloom seeds. Participants can bring planted pots home to grow indoors, and then transfer to home gardens outdoors.
🌱 Volunteers Needed! The Good Ground Seed Library is in need of volunteers to help with seed processing (harvesting seeds from collected flowers and pods), seed sorting, restocking the catalog with organized seed packets, and keeping the seed library neat & tidy. Please contact ECI's Agro-Ecology Director Rachel Stephens if you would like to help → rachel.stephens@eciny.org
The Good Ground Seed Library was unveiled to the community on March 8, 2017, along with a presentation from ECI entitled Restoring Good Ground: Sowing Seeds of Change.
📰 In the News! Article from the Southampton Press: ECI Will Bring Seed Library to Hampton Bays