Veggin’ Out in the Garden with the WCPL Seed Savers Library

by Laura Blankenship

A glimpse of my container garden with basil, parsley, cilantro, and Larry in the background.
In the foreground: first red onion of the year, 2013

Living on a tight budget, I’ve been doing a lot of veggin’ out… on my porch, that is. This is the third year I’ve grown my own food in containers at my apartment. It started out as one tomato and a couple basil plants in each of my four pots by the driveway. Now, this April, it’s an official container garden: at least 20 different pots/herb boxes/recycled storage bins that are already boasting spinach, kale, red onions, and brussels sprouts. As I write, I’m waiting for the first young sprouts of the leek, beet, and swiss chard seeds I planted last week to peek out through the soil.

Last year’s giant spinach crop, from transplants. We didn’t buy spinach for several months last year.
We had all we needed just outside our door.

If you’re prone to impulsivity (like I can be), you might be tempted to buy $40 worth of seed packets at your local supermarket while you’re there to get toilet paper. (Like I did… last year. However, I returned the seeds after realizing my error. I had no idea what I was doing, not enough space, and no real plans!) After returning the seed packets, my garden again grew transplanted tomatoes and herbs. I tried my hand at red onions and sweet peppers for the first time, too!

My chives returned this spring!

A close-up of the first freshly plucked red onion from the container garden, 2013.

This year, I’ve added all kinds of new stuff, and from seed! And I didn’t have to drop $40 for all the seeds I wanted. I didn’t have to pay a single penny, actually, for the bulk of my seeds. I’ve found a resource to help me turn my eagerness to grow my own plants from scratch into a productive, planned garden— including an informed gardener—without breaking the bank: my local Seed Savers Library!

This upcycled card catalog lives in the Washington County Public Library (WCPL) behind the reference desk. Inside each brightly painted drawer you can find a bounty of organic seeds!

In my opinion, The Washington County Seed Savers Library (SSL), of Abingdon, VA,  is just the absolute coolest thing in town. Now one year old, the program is a collaboration between the Washington County Public Library System, Appalachian Sustainable Development, and Appalachian WildSide. The seed packets are located in the cute little converted card catalog, pictured above. Most of the seeds available for checkout come from Seed Savers Exchange and Southern Seed Exposure. Will Stein, Reference Librarian and staff contact for the program, told me that locals are beginning to bring in seeds they’ve been saving in the area for generations.

“Turkey Crawl” pole beans brought in by a local farmer.

If you’re interested in saving seeds, here’s how it works: come to one of the fun SSL events to learn about growing from seed and how to save seeds, get tips for beginners and experts alike, and meet others interested in seed saving. This Saturday, April 26th, the Washington County SSL will be at the Earth Day Celebration next to the Abingdon Farmer’s Market (at the Fields-Penn House). They’ll be giving away sunflower seeds and there will be other seeds available for checkout! If you can’t make it to this event or another event in the future, just call up the library and let them know you’re interested in coming in to check out some seeds.

Will Stein or an SSL volunteer will meet you to discuss the program, answer any questions, and help you fill out the daunting half-sheet of paperwork so you can begin checking out seeds! (It’s that easy!) During harvest, you collect the seeds, dry them, and return to the WCPL. Because there is such a wealth of information available at each presentation and because some plants’ seeds are harder to save than others, going to the presentations are definitely encouraged! (Plus they’re a lot of fun!)

Cindy Conner, blogger for Mother Earth News and founder of www.HomeplaceEarth.com presented “Grow a Sustainable Diet” at the WCPL on April 10th. (See? Fun!)

The perks of the Washington County Seed Savers Library include:

1. FREE SEEDS: You can check out up to 6 different seed packets each year completely FREE! The seeds are organic and/or heirloom seeds (GMO free)!

The bounty inside the drawer labeled “greens.”
I checked out some Rainbow Swiss Chard myself!

2. FREE GARDENING TIPS: When I went to check out seeds, I got free literature about seed saving, the best planting dates, the difference between GMOs and the more naturally-derived hybrid seed; I even got a paper just for me, all about container gardening!

Literature obtained from the WCPL when I checked out my seeds.

3. YOUR BODY, YOUR CHOICE: By growing your own, you control what you put into your body. If you want GMO free corn, soybeans, or squash, the Seed Savers Library gives you access to non-contaminated strains.*

GMO-Free Summer Squash Seeds!
*While the seeds you get are GMO-free, you are responsible for making sure they stay that way. For seeds labeled “moderate” and “advanced” for seed savers, special precautions need to be taken. Ask how you can ensure their purity.

4. YOU BECOME PART OF THE MOVEMENT: When you plant and save organic seeds, you are passing down not only individual plant strains, but also the tradition of self-sufficiency and independence from the food industry. As Cindy Conner put it in her April 10 presentation, “Whoever owns the seeds also controls the food supply. So think about that!”

Non-GMO corn!

5. FREE FOOD: When you plant free seeds, you harvest free plant-based food! (Though you do “pay” in elbow grease, time, and energy. But that’s part of the fun.)

This is me,  transplanting spinach, 2014. It’s fun to get your hands dirty! (I did not grow these from seeds). Planting and harvesting from seed this year should prove to be even MORE fun because I’ll be spending no money on the seeds I get from the SSL. Plus, by sowing seeds from scratch, I’ve had even a few more weeks to play in the dirt!

6. FREE EVENTS: There are all kinds of informative, relevant, free programs hosted by the Seed Savers Library.

Cindy Conner at WCPL, April 10th, 2014.

I had the pleasure of attending “Grow a Sustainable Diet” by Cindy Conner. The presentation was named after Conner’s new book. Her presentation was so ripe and dense with information that it deserves a post all its own. Here’s a link to a video recording of another fun presentation: Bill Best on his experience seed saving here in Appalachia! If you are in town this Saturday, April 26th, or live nearby, I definitely encourage you to visit the Seed Savers Library next to the Farmer’s Market, in the lawn of the Fields-Penn House.

If you don’t live nearby, there’s good news! Official seed saving groups are popping up in communities all across America. Google “seed saving” + your community name to see if there’s a seed saving organization in your area! If you’d like to get one started, there are several resources available! Like Lisa Jett, Reference Assistant and Washington County SSL-organizer put it, “the best effort can always be successful.” For resources on how to start the effort in your community, visit the WCPL Seed Savers website for links, resources, contacts, and ideas. Cindy Conner is also currently writing a book on seed saving libraries. Once published, you will find a wealth of information there as well. According to Lisa, Conner has already been helpful to the WCPL Seed Savers, giving them ideas for obtaining free seeds.

Randy Smith, SSL volunteer, has been instrumental in organizing the seeds, spreading the word, and doing behind-the-scenes work.

If you’re interested in helping with Washington County’s SSL, stay tuned. First, simply checking out seeds and returning your harvested seeds at the end of the season is a way to literally “give back”. If you have time, energy, expertise, or a helping hand to lend, Charlotte Parsons, Library Director, has cited many other ways to help with the program. Volunteers are needed for data entry, presentation set-up, and helping the Seed Savers Library itself to travel. “We’d like to go out on the road”, says Charlotte. “Our cabinet has wheels, but we need carriers.” Further, partnerships with master gardeners and farmers in the area are crucial to the continued success of this program. Ben Casteel and Jarrod Wilson of Appalachian WildSide are just such young experts in the field; the program needs more master growers like these community members eager to share their expertise with beginners.

To stay informed or to explore what the Washington County Public Library Seed Savers has to offer: follow the Seed Savers Library on  Pinterest, like them on Facebook, visit them at Seed Savers Library, or call the WCPL at 276-676-6298. Of course, stay tuned to Veggin’ Out and About! as we cover all kinds of plant-based news, including updates on the Washington County Public Library Seed Savers program!

Hope to see you all on Saturday getting your free sunflower seeds and learning about seed saving!

Laura Marie Blankenship has a BS in Psychology from The College of William and Mary. She has worked as an editor, ghostwriter, and graphic designer and has spent over 8 years in the food service industry. Tinkering in the kitchen, experimenting with various cuisines, and creating meals out of whatever’s available are some of her favorite pastimes. Laura now resides in her small hometown of Abingdon, VA, where she works at a coffeehouse part-time and also sells her artwork.

After borrowing The China Study from Veggin’ Out and About! cofounder, Danielle Bussone, Laura has slowly transitioned most animal-based foods out of her diet. Contact Laura with your questions, comments, and suggestions or just to tell her what a good job she is doing to help others live long and healthy lives!