A Seed Chat w/ Rebecca Newburn
Rebecca Newburn, co-founder of Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library and a leader of the Seed Library Network, joins Greg Peterson for a conversation about the power of community seed libraries. They explore how seed libraries differ from seed banks, why local seed matters, and how seed saving can increase biodiversity, food resilience, and community connection. Rebecca also shares new resources for seed saving, education, children, librarians, and communities that want to create their own seed-saving cohorts. The conversation ultimately comes back to a simple idea: seeds are life embodied, and they sprout hope.
Key Topics & Entities
- Seed Library Network
- Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library
- Seed libraries vs. seed banks
- Community seed saving and sharing
- Local and regionally adapted seed
- Seed diversity and biodiversity
- Permaculture and traditional wisdom
- Seed-saving education
- Seed-saving cohorts and teacher training
- Seed-saving guidelines and charts
- Seed libraries in public libraries and schools
- Food resilience and cultural preservation
Key Questions Answered
What is a seed library?
A seed library is a free community resource where people can get seeds without paying for them or being required to return seeds. When gardeners learn to save and return seeds, the library can become increasingly self-sustaining.
How is a seed library different from a seed bank?
Seed libraries generally serve home gardeners and don't require seeds to be returned. Seed banks are more commonly associated with farmers and often require a return of seed in greater quantity than was borrowed.
Where did the modern seed library movement come from?
Rebecca was inspired by BASIL, the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library at the Berkeley Ecology Center. While taking a permaculture design course, she connected with one of its founders and decided to develop a replicable model for creating seed libraries.
Why is local seed so important?
Rebecca believes communities need to re-localize their seed. Much commercial seed is produced in different climates and sometimes different countries. Locally saved seed has the opportunity to adapt to local conditions while communities preserve greater genetic and cultural diversity.
What does localizing seed look like?
It means more people learning to save and share seeds, increasing the diversity of seed stocks, and paying attention to which plants actually thrive in their own communities.
What should home gardeners save seed from?
Save seed from what you like. Greg and Rebecca emphasize selecting plants that perform well in your particular environment and produce food you actually enjoy eating.
What makes a seed library successful?
Success depends on the community. It might mean getting people to garden for the first time, meeting the community's demand for seed, or gradually increasing the percentage of locally donated seed.
Why is genetic diversity valuable in a home garden?
Greater diversity can mean different plants mature at different times, while variation may provide more resilience when pests, frost, or other challenges affect the garden.
What does a gardener need to know about saving viable seed?
Seed saving isn't simply about collecting seeds. Some crops need cross-pollination and a sufficient number of plants to maintain viable genetics. Rebecca's forthcoming seed-saving chart addresses ease of saving, potential cross-pollination, viable seed production, and recommended population sizes.
When are cucumber seeds ready to save?
Unlike cucumbers harvested for eating, cucumbers intended for seed saving should remain on the vine until they become fully mature, orange, and even begin to soften. This allows the seeds to develop properly.
How can communities create seed-saving teachers?
The Seed Library Network is developing replicable seed-saving cohorts that combine online instruction from experienced seed savers with local hands-on learning. The goal is to help communities develop people who can teach seed saving to others.
How can seed libraries connect with children and educators?
Rebecca is developing coloring books, seed-saving activities, story-time resources, songs, bookmarks, downloadable materials, and "Program In A Box" concepts that libraries, educators, and homeschoolers can use to teach children about seeds.
Episode Highlights
- Seed libraries are free community resources where people can access seeds without the obligation to return them, while seed banks typically involve more formal seed-return requirements.
- Rebecca's experience creating Richmond Grows became a replicable template that has helped thousands of seed libraries get started around the world.
- The Seed Library Network map has about 1,500 self-reported seed libraries, while Rebecca notes that the actual number worldwide is much larger.
- Rebecca wants to see more local seed, arguing that centralization of seed has contributed to lost biodiversity and that locally adapted seed becomes increasingly important amid extreme weather.
- Greg shares his own experience discovering crops worth saving after moving from Phoenix to Asheville, including a self-seeding basil, a favorite round cucumber, and productive broccolini.
- Rebecca is developing a seed-saving chart covering plant families, ease of saving, cross-pollination, viable seed production, and recommended population sizes for home gardeners.
- The Seed Library Network is developing a 2027 cohort model to train more community seed-saving teachers and make high-quality seed education available to communities around the country.
- Rebecca describes seeds as grounding, life embodied, and something that "sprout hope," connecting seed saving with resilience and community.
Calls to Action & Resources
Sign up for our monthly Seed Chat at SeedChat.org
Visit UrbanFarm.org/1006 for the show notes and links on this episode!
Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!
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