It’s spring planting season, and you can now check out seeds at the Point Reyes Library. Librarian Annemarie Russo, a longtime garden lover, gathered seeds last year to start the seed library. Now jars of corn, fava beans and sunflower seeds are displayed along with planting books on a low cart for kid-friendly viewing.
Unlike books, seed takers are not required to return any seeds, but they are encouraged to grow plants and, if possible, save some seeds to return to the library to share with others. Beginners may want to start with super-easy seeds like beans and peas; fava beans, also known as broad beans, are among the easiest to grow. In Marin’s Mediterranean climate, they are practically fool-proof. Inside the pod of the fava are four to five large seeds—beans that can be eaten or saved as seeds. Favas, like most legumes, have the extra benefit of enriching the soil with nitrogen—called “green manure”—if you cut them down before the pods develop. For seed-saving purposes, the pods should dry on the stalk in the garden until they burst open for easy access to the seeds.
The best seeds to save are open-pollinated, meaning they are fertilized by wind, insects or birds that carry pollen from plant to plant. Most of these are heirlooms that have been around for at least 50 years without change. Heirlooms will grow to be “true,” or very similar to their parent. Hybrids, on the other hand, have been crossbred to develop certain traits such as disease or drought resistance. When you plant a seed saved from a hybrid, you cannot be sure how it will come out.
The once-common practice of seed sharing was practically lost about 200 years ago with the rise of industrialized food production. Since then, seeds have become big business. The largest seed company—Bayer, owner of Monsanto—has the world increasing relying on genetically modified seeds. The seeds sold in many garden stores are often owned by these large corporations, and many of these seeds have been modified to be transported long distances and treated with insecticides.
Locally grown seeds, on the other hand, are free of pesticides and adapted to local soils. Seeds grown in the same location and microclimate become more dependable. This makes our food system stronger in face of climate changes.
Can seeds save us? Seeds grow into plants that feed us, clean the air, mitigate climate change and lessen our fears of interruption to our food supply. A local seed movement can only thrive with community support. Librarians Annemarie and Simon Woodard have stepped up to oversee the seed-planting library, but they depend on gardeners and plant lovers to help by bringing in seeds and sharing information in the community.
Check out the seeds at the Point Reyes Library and consider planting more and sharing your homegrown seeds with the community. For children who become interested in seed saving and growing plants, there is “Root and Shoots” by the Jane Goodall Institute USA, an online program that helps kids develop leadership skills.
Pamela Noensie is a U.C. Marin Master Gardener who lives in Nicasio with her family. She loves to grow vegetables, including fabulous fava beans for their beautiful flowers and beans, and to save the seeds.