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Santa Fe Seed Library

 

Santa Fe Seed Stewards To Offer “Seeding Resiliency” Gardening Classes

The Santa Fe Seed Stewards, a project of the Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners, will present a 5-week series of free gardening classes beginning July 7, 2022, and running through August 4 from 6-7:30 pm. The classes are part of the community education component of the Seed Library at the Southside Branch Library. The series includes two feature film screenings, and workshops on seed saving, fall vegetable gardening, and drip irrigation. The Santa Fe Seed Library is operated by the Santa Fe Seed Stewards in partnership with the Santa Fe Public Libraries. The following classes will take place at the Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive on five consecutive Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 pm.

The series kicks off with a screening of “Seed: The Untold Story.” This award-winning film follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000-year-old food legacy. With Vandana Shiva, Winona LaDuke, Jane Goodall. Thurs., July 7, 6-7:30 pm

Then on July 14 Seed Stewards and Master Gardeners Susie Sonflieth and Diane Pratt will present “Seed Saving for Resilient Gardens” They will cover the basics of harvesting, processing, and storage of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds through hands-on demonstrations.

Next up on July 21, it’s Kelly Nace with The Firebird for “Drip Irrigation Basics” and best practices for setting up a DIY water-wise drip irrigation system.

The film “Kiss the Ground” will be screened on July 28.  Narrated by Woody Harrelson, the film explores the astonishing capacity of our soil, if coupled with regenerative practices, to reverse our carbon footprint and feed the world.

Finally, on August 4, “Planning Your Fall Vegetable Garden” rounds out the series. Local vegetable guru Jannine Cabossel, aka The Tomato Lady, offers proven techniques for extending your gardening bounty well into the cooler fall months.

In addition, on Saturday, September 24 from 1-3 pm Seed Stewards and Master Gardeners Susie Sonflieth and Diane Pratt will offer “How to Save Seeds for Resilient Gardens” in conjunction with the Master Gardeners Let’s Grow! Education series. The class includes the basics of harvesting, processing, and storage of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds through hands-on demonstrations and will be held at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds, 3229 Rodeo Road, outdoors under the portal of the Exhibit Hall.

Resources for seed saving, growing vegetables from seed, growing tomatoes, soil preparation, seed viability, seed isolation charts, and much more are posted at https://SFEMG.org and https://santafelibrary.org

 

Santa Fe Seed Library to Re-Open March 26, 2022, at the Southside Branch Library

March 26, 2022, marks the re-opening of the Seed Library at its original location at the Santa Fe Public Library’s Southside Branch on Jaguar Drive.  The Seed Library, operated by the Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners’ Seed Stewards, houses thousands of open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds donated by local growers and commercial seed companies. Patrons may “check out” up to 5 packets at no cost. A library card is not required to use the Seed Library.

The Seed Library will be open during the library’s regular open hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“It’s so great to be able to operate the Seed Library out of the library again after two difficult pandemic years of distributing seeds via “Mini Seed Libraries” at eleven locations around the city and county. We look forward to being able to meet Seed Library patrons on Saturday mornings and talk with folks about growing from seeds and saving seeds,” said co-project leader Christine Salem.

To help patrons make selections and learn about seed-saving practices, the Seed Stewards will staff an information table at the Seed Library on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. through the spring. Patrons will be offered resources on how to harvest seeds, and learn how saving those seeds for planting the following years will result in locally-adapted, climate-change resilient varieties of their very own. Patrons are encouraged (but not required) to return part of their harvest to help increase the library’s locally-grown seed offerings.

For those new to vegetable gardening, the SFEMG Seed Stewards will offer free Basic Seed Saving and Gardening Workshops throughout the season.

Since its launch in 2019, Santa Fe Seed Library has distributed nearly 15,000 seed packets to the community. In January, 2020, the Santa Fe Reporter named it one of their Twenty Favorite Things About Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe Seed Library is a project of the Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners’ Seed Stewards in partnership with the Santa Fe Public Library. We are grateful to Ace Hardware Santa Fe, Agua Fria Nursery, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Botanical Interest, El Guique Farm, Farm Direct Organic, High Desert Seed + Gardens, High Ground Gardens, High Mowing Organic Seeds, La Villita Ranch, Lake Valley Seeds, Plants of the Southwest, Reunity Resources, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Seed Savers Exchange, Snake River Seed Cooperative, Western Family Farm, Zulu Petals, and the many local gardeners who have donated their seeds.

Seed Library Support and Workshops

In partnership with the Santa Fe Public Library, Seed Stewards will put on educational events virtually and in-person for the public during peak planting and harvesting times. Topics include how to start and transplant seeds; soil building and raised beds; how to select, collect, and save seeds; seed exchanges; seed storing; drip irrigation techniques, botany and breeding. Workshop schedules will be posted on both the SFPL and SFEMG websites. Seed Stewards will work with SFPL to create posters, flyers, brochures, booklets and digital resources to provide how-to information and support to the public on seeds and seed stewardship. Materials will be available at the Seed Library and online.

What Are Locally-Adapted Seeds and Why are they Important?

Open-pollinated seeds versus hybridized or genetically-modified seeds that have evolved over numerous growing seasons or perhaps even thousands of years are inherently more bio-diverse, giving them the ability to thrive in a specific regional climate, geography, and hydrology. Furthermore, this biodiversity is like a built-in insurance policy that enables adaptability to climatic change, and will be hardy and resistant to environmental stresses that would fell plants from seed imported from other regions or countries.

Find out more at https://www.sfemg.org/seed-stewardship-project

Online Resources

  • Main Library

    145 Washington Avenue
    (505) 955-6781

    library@santafenm.gov

  • Oliver La Farge Branch

    1730 Llano Street
    (505) 955-4862

  • Southside Branch

    6599 Jaguar Drive
    (505) 955-2820