The national Save Seed Sharing Campaign is officially launched. We are encouraging you to sign and share the petition to protect seed libraries from being regulated out of existence. Seed libraries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska have received letters from their state departments of agriculture misapplying commercial seed law to the free, public exchange of seed through seed libraries.

 
If you receive a letter from your state department of agriculture, please email Rebecca Newburn, richmondgrows@gmail.com, and Neil Thapar, neil@theselc.org. You can also email us if you want to get more involved in the campaign.

State seed laws are helpful in ensuring that farmers who buy seed from seed companies get quality seed. Seed libraries are not commercial operations and we do not want anyone to possibly interpret our membership forms as contractual. Here are a few things that you can do:
- review your membership form
- remove any language that asks or requires members to return or replace any borrowed seeds
- language that is clearer is to "encourage members to return or replace seeds" or "invite" them to return seeds

Here is a sample membership form that reflects the recommended changes.  Thanks to Round Valley Seed Library (Covelo, CA), Seed Library of Los Angeles (SLOLA), Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (Berkeley, CA) & Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library (Richmond, CA) for their contributions to the form.

February 10-March 4
Learn More & Register Here

Wanted to attend Seed School but couldn't take the time off work? Now you can attend the first ever Seed School on-line with Bill McDorman of the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance.

The Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance  is proud to announce their Seed School Online series an online educational series comprised of weekly, 1� hour webinars.

 

Hundreds of students have graduated from their day- and week-long programs and many more have requested that they bring Seed School to their college or community.  Now they can!  They have partnered with Urban Farm University to create a signature online series.  They integrate short, focused lectures with hands-on exercises and your questions and comments to create the energized class-room learning environment they have come to expect at all of our Seed Schools.   

April 8-12
Williams, Oregon
Learn More & Register here

Seed Academy Training with Don Tipping (Siskiyou Seeds), Rowen White (Sierra Seed Cooperative) & special guests.

An in-depth, hands-on training for farmers, gardeners, educators, entrepreneurs, permaculturalists & anyone interested in becoming a part of the Seed Movement. Learn with the experts. Gain the essential skills you need to harvest & process seed. Learn the fundamentals of plant breeding & propagation. Receive the step-by step tools, strategies & inspired vision required to start or upgrade a seed business. Meet & network with your bioregional neighbors to optimize results.  Seed Academy's mission is to increase network capacity, collaboration & synergy in the Seed Freedom Movement in the Rogue Bioregion & beyond. Co-sponsored by O.S.U. Extension.

Cindy Conner's new book Seed Libraries and other means of keeping seeds in the HANDS of the PEOPLE is being released by New Society Press in the next month. This is a great addition to any seed library.

• 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.

Herbalist Without Borders has started a medicinal seed saving project and library. More resources coming soon!

Have a helpful resource or cool program?  Share it with the community in our "Up Beet!" section. Send to richmondgrows@gmail.com.

We'd like to have a regular feature called "Book Worm" where we feature a book that complements the seed library. We'd love your 2-3 paragraph review of a book you recommend that public/seed libraries carry. Email your recommendations to richmondgrows@gmail.com.

Share the Save Seed Sharing Campaign with your community. Check out the Citizen Action and Find Out More resources.

Send a photo of a cool bean you saved. We'd love to feature it as our banner photo. Include the variety, species, where you grew it, and any other information, such as a story you'd love to share. Photos can be sent to Rebecca at richmondgrows@gmail.com.