Cindy Conner, a former Reynolds Horticulture instructor, has generously donated a copy of her new book Seed Libraries: and other means of keeping seeds in the hands of the people. This is the first book to cover the topic of seed libraries published in the United States.
Cindy’s daughter, Betsy Trice, currently teaches Sustainable Agriculture at Reynolds and started the community seed library which is housed at our Goochland Campus Library. Cindy had mentioned it in her previous book, Growing a Sustainable Diet and her editor at New Society Publishers urged her to write a book on seed libraries. This February the book was published.
Cindy traveled the country visiting various seed libraries and documented how they work, where they are housed and how they are managed.
According to the book’s back cover Cindy’s book includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for setting up a seed library
- A wealth of ideas to help attract patrons and keep the momentum going
- Examples of existing libraries and other types of seed-saving partnerships
There is increasing interest in how and where our food is grown and it all starts with having control over the seeds we plant. Many gardeners want to grow and eat food that comes from seeds that are not genetically modified. There is also interest in heirloom varieties of vegetables.
More people are gardening and even those with small yards or balconies are planting in containers. There are some good books available that address how to save and store seeds, but this is the first book that describes how to share them. It is a most welcome addition to our library.
