by Megan Klein-Hewett

You can check out a lot of surprising things at the Ames Public Library, but did you know you can borrow seeds to grow your own garden? The Ames Seed Library is a community resource that offers free vegetable, flower, fruit and herb seeds in order to empower people to grow their own food and build relationships through gardening. 

This joint project between Ames Public Library, Iowa State Extension and Outreach Story County, Mustard Seed Community Farm, and Seeds of Sustainability, provides a resource for the Ames community to access a wide variety of seeds to encourage sustainability and community resilience. Seeds are donated by commercial seed producers and community members. 

Using the Ames Seed Library is easy! Come to the library or browse the online seed catalog at AmesPublicLibrary.org/SeedLibrary to see what seeds are available. Once you’ve selected your seeds, complete a quick online form available on an iPad near the Seed Library. Take home your seeds and grow! If you can, harvest seeds from your plants and donate them back to the Library. 

Keep an eye on the Library’s events calendar for upcoming programming to support your gardening endeavors. Look for an Apple Tree Grafting Workshop on March 29, held in the Library Auditorium at 10 am. Registration is required with only 30 spots available, so make sure to register on the Library’s webpage! On April 19, a seed and plant exchange will be held in conjunction with the Ames Repair Café, with seeds and plants available in the Library’s lobby while supplies last.

This summer, look for a plant and gardening related book discussion group to pop up in our local parks, and in the fall, for seed saving workshops to learn more about how to properly save different fruit, vegetable, and flower seeds for next season.

Seed donations are accepted anytime at the Adult Services desk on the library’s second floor. Donations are repackaged by volunteers so that amounts are appropriate for a home garden, and then added to the Ames Seed Library. Volunteers are so important for the Ames Seed Library! If you’re interested in volunteering your time, please contact webref@amespubliclibrary.org to learn more about available opportunities. 

Whether you’re new to gardening, or have a green thumb, the Ames Seed Library has something for you! Stop by the library’s second floor near the Adult Services desk and look for the red Ames Seed Library cabinets.