A Seed Library Of Our Own

 Seed library 

We  borrowed Grangemouth library`s seed library for Apple Day

 What is the Seed Library?

You can use (or “borrow”) seeds from the seed libraries for free! No prior gardening skills needed! We only ask that you take what you will definitely use, then we would like you its not a demand, but if you donate (or “return”) seeds at the end of the growing season. Others will benefit

Seed donations keep the library stocked for the next season. If you plan to help keep the lending library stocked, pick a variety or two of your plants and let them mature all the way to seed production.

A seed library is a simple way of preserving and sharing a diverse array of seeds. It spreads the love of gardening, strengthens access to food resources in the community, keeps rare plants circulating, therefore protecting our food source diversity. Our own planned seed library will become part of the global movement of food security 

Our sustainability manager has gathered some seeds. This year at the Hub, we grew a small amount of produce. We experienced both failures and successes; for instance, we had apples for Apple Day. We collected seeds from the Hub's grounds, some local gardens, and wild-growing trees and bushes in Falkirk District Ward Eight's green spaces. 

We have onion seeds, spring onion seeds, sunflower seeds, two varieties of lettuce seeds, hops, raspberries, and blackberries. We considered collecting seeds from the apple trees that bore fruit for Apple Day, but we just don’t have the time. The same applies to the pears we harvested. Additionally, we gathered some sweet chestnuts; we will eat some and plant others. 

Next year will be better, but we need to start planning now, as this time of year is ideal for seed gathering. We had hoped that youth teams, such as the Guides, Brownies, Boys Brigade, or Scouts, would help us collect seeds like local squirrels gathering supplies for winter. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the time to organize this. 

We will schedule our spring fair and ensure that we have saplings to give away for donations, similar to last year's sunflowers. We also plan to establish our seed library. Any help with organizing this would be greatly appreciated.

DID YOU KNOW?

Four corporations - BASF, Bayer/Monsanto, ChemChina-Syngenta, and Corteva Agriscience are the four big corporations that currently own the rights to over two thirds of the world’s seed and pesticide sales. These sales generate huge profits for the companies and they have been accused of ‘biopiracy’ by activist Pat Mooney of the ETC Group for eco-justice, 

Seed laws criminalizing farmers for using diverse crops that stand a better chance of adapting to climate change are threatening food security globally. Seed sovereignty activists want to reclaim the right to plant

Seeds are ultimately what feed us and the animals we eat," Jack Kloppenburg, a rural sociologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. "Control over seeds is, in many ways, control over the food supply. The question of who produces new plant varieties is absolutely critical for the future of all of us." 

    seed marketing laws in many countries forbid the sale — and often, even the sharing — of seeds that haven't been certified to meet standards such as a high commercial yield under industrial farming conditions.  buying seeds from corporate agribusinesses. means more and more of the world's food relies on less and less genetic diversity,

     Every gardener knows that, Changing climatic conditions mean growers' carefully attuned agricultural systems are thrown out of whack. Particular plants need particular conditions, and as temperatures and rainfall shift, so, too, do the areas in which a plant can thrive. (This is why the hubs suede seeds failed this year)

    This is why Liberate Diversity! in Europe, are advocating for seed networks that allow Gardeners,farmers and communities to bypass the corporate agribusiness giants and manage seeds on their own terms.

And this is why our community needs its own seed bank/library and oor own non secret squirells oot an aboot squirelling awa seeds,nuts, berries an fruit

sweet chestnuts