Normally about now, the Cleveland Seed Bank is hosting its annual Winter Seed Swap where growers and potential growers gather to share the seeds they saved from last year’s harvest or to pick up free seed packets provided by the seed bank. The event includes vendors and exhibitors from environmentally friendly nonprofits, farms, and businesses offering growing-related products and services, as well as food and live music.
Naturally, that event was swept from the calendar by the pandemic, like so many others. But the pandemic also fueled an upsurge of interest in home gardening. And the Seed Bank still has other ways of getting seeds into people’s hands and into the ground.
One of them is their seed libraries at local library branches which they hope to start in March at public library branches which will be open in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Lake counties. There people can “check out” a couple of dozen of varieties of organic, open-pollinated vegetable, herb and edible flower seeds. More info on locations here.
In addition, for serious swappers, the seed bank has created a Facebook group where people can post what seeds they have available and make private arrangements to get them to people who want them.
“Inspired by the locally focused ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook groups, we are inviting participants and members to create posts about seeds they have available to share and then find a way to creatively exchange them,” they say. “Contactless porch pickups are encouraged as are unique drop-off locations like local coffee shops or ‘Little Free Libraries’. Sending seed through the mail is also an option as long as both parties agree and you don’t mind waiting. The Seed Bank is also contributing seeds from our inventory, available for contactless porch pick-up on designated days.”
Particopation in the private group is free; answer a few questions and agree to the rules and you’re in.
Finally, you can help the work of the nonprofit Cleveland Seed Bank by becoming a member. Go to hummingbirdproject.org/membership-form.