Monday, April 27, 2020

Ashe Seed Library available by mail


April 2020 marks the beginning of the fourth year of operation for Ashe Seed Library, located on the upper level of Ashe County Public Library. The purpose of the seed library is to offer free, open-pollinated seeds to our community in hopes of preserving and enjoying our food heritage far into the future. In this spirit, we encourage folks to save seeds from these plants and either return some to the seed library or use them to continue to cultivate these special, regional varieties. 


This year is remarkable in that the library is closed to the public until at least the end of April and services may remain limited during the prime time period for starting seeds in our area. Additionally, we recognize that many seed companies are struggling to keep up with current demand so access to Ashe Seed Library may be one of only a few options for obtaining some of these varieties in 2020.

We would like to offer the opportunity for community members to request a limited number of seeds to be mailed to their homes. Each household may request up to 10 packets of seeds from the list found here: https://bit.ly/ashe-seed-library-inventory

Please email your request to ashereference@arlibrary.org or call 336.846.2041 x111 to request your seeds. Please include the following information in your email (or have it ready if you call): the common name of each seed, number of packets of each seed, your full name, and your mailing address.

Once your request is received, a librarian will process your request, ensure that we have the seeds available, and contact you if any substitutions or clarifications are necessary. 

Ashe Seed Library is a partnership among Ashe County Public Library, NC Cooperative Extension-Ashe County CenterBlue Ridge Women in AgricultureASU's Sustainable Development Department, and our Ashe County community.

In 2020, we are grateful for donations of seeds from High Mowing SeedsSeed Savers Exchange, Seeds of Resilience Garden (ASU's SD Dept.), NC Cooperative Extension-Ashe County Center (Ashe County Victory Garden), NC Native Plant Society-Blue Ridge Chapter, Seed Programs International, and individuals in our community who diligently saved and donated seeds.

All seeds are offered for educational purposes and may not meet germination or varietal purity standards prescribed by NC seed laws.

No comments:

Post a Comment