Our Mission
The WSU Seed Library offers a selection of locally developed seed to Jefferson County gardeners and seed savers in an effort to strengthen regional biodiversity and resiliency.
We support a communal model of seed saving and hope to foster a community of seed savers who contribute to the adaptability and genetic diversity of our local seed stock. As we grow, save and share seeds, we make micro adaptations to the seed that contribute to the evolution season after season. Help us grow and save these seeds and become seed stewards.
We wish to honor and offer our gratitude to native and indigenous peoples who tended the seed and the plants they produced. Through their relationship with seed, they created fruit and vegetable we eat today and those seed bear their history. This connect us to our ancestors and the ancestors of all people throughout the world.
Want to become a Seed Steward?
Join our 250+ participants! Borrow, Grow, Return!
Each spring, the library will feature 2-3 seed varieties that you can “borrow“. We’ll provided you with enough seed so that you can grow plants to eat and for seed saving. We ask that you select several of your most vigorous, fast maturing and delicious plants to go “to seed”. At the end of the season, return your seed to The Seed Library at the WSU Jefferson County Extension office or at one of our seed cleaning events.
Returned seed will be combined with others of the same variety. The following year, we’ll distributed the seed to the community.
Seed Library offers Support and Education:
- Invite you to seed saving events such as seed swaps and offers classes and workshops on how to save seed.
- Provide information and links on our webpage to information and tutorials on every part of the growing and saving process.
- Connect you with educational opportunities and information through our partners at Washington State University Extension, Organic Seed Alliance and the Jefferson County Library.
- Answer your questions at seedlibrarywsu@gmail.com.
Thank you for doing your part to support community food resilience.
Interested or Questions? Contact us at seedlibrarywsu@gmail.com
Karen Seabrook
Seed Library Inventory
Next year’s community seeds will be announced in Spring of 2022
Education
Planting guides gives you information about what vegetables and herbs you can plant indoors for starts or into your garden. Here are links to several planting guides for our region.
EM057E Home Vegetable Gardening in WA, pages 13 – 14
West Coast Seed Regional Planting Charts for B.C. Canada (choose coastal chart for conditions most similar to the Olympic Peninsula)
Please note that these guides have been developed for large geographical regions and the direct sow and transplant months may vary depending on your location. In fact, most gardens have their own microclimates. To determine your microclimate, check out this WSU publication:
For more information about seed saving:
WSU Saving Seeds, Seed Saving Chart,
http://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/
To access WSU large catalog of free gardening publications, click here: https://pubs.wsu.edu
Events 2022
Online education opportunities will be listed on the WSU Extension Calendar: https://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/calendar/
Thank you to our Sponsors!
