Many seed libraries are concerned with the lack of returns. One way to increase your offerings is to invite people to become stewards. The Grow a Row Program encourages community members to dedicate a portion of their garden to cultivating specific crops. By increasing the harvest of these targeted plants, you can significantly expand your seed library's offerings.
Questions to consider 🤔
Questions to consider 🤔
- Do you have any unique or rare seed varieties that you'd like to share with the community, but are concerned about having enough seeds to preserve for future growing seasons?
- What crops are in high demand that you would like to ensure that you have plenty to offer?
- Can you identify any individuals, groups, or organizations in our community who might be interested in dedicating a portion of their land to growing seeds specifically for the community seed library?
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A Grow a Row program engages volunteers to grow selected crops for the benefit of your community. These varieties can be chosen for various purposes, such as:
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Getting Started
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How to Choose Seeds
Selecting the right seeds is a crucial step in building a successful Grow a Row program. Whether your focus is on food security, genetic preservation, or community resilience, here are some suggestions for choosing the best varieties to grow and share:
1. Seek Out Rare and Culturally Significant Varieties Look through donated seeds to identify rare, unusual, or culturally significant varieties. These might be crops that hold historical or community value, or plants that are becoming increasingly rare. Separate these varieties from your general collection and grow them in bulk to ensure they’re available for future generations. You may even want to purchase unusual or heritage varieties to steward and preserve.
2. Focus on High-Nutrition, Easy-to-Grow Crops for Food Security If your goal is to address food security, choose varieties that are well-suited to your region and can provide substantial nutrition with minimal effort. Crops like beans, squash, and other high-yield, easy-to-grow plants are ideal choices for ensuring your community has access to healthy, resilient food sources. Maintaining specific varieties may be less critical, and instead, growing diverse seed mixes could offer more value. Visit our partner Going to Seed for information about how to grow and work with diverse mixes.
3. Tailor Seeds for Different Growers Consider creating two categories of seeds for different growing situations:
5. Create a System to Track and Encourage Participation Develop a system for tracking which varieties are being grown and by whom. This can help you monitor progress, maintain communication with volunteers, and ensure that seeds are returned and shared in a sustainable way. Clear documentation also helps build a transparent, accountable seed stewardship process.
6. Provide Resources and Mentorship for New Seed Savers Provide educational resources and connect new seed savers with experienced mentors. Consider starting with "super easy" plants (like peas, beans, or lettuce) that are beginner-friendly or genetically diverse mixes. This will make it easier for newcomers to participate and increase the chances of obtaining large quantities of high-quality seed.
7. Use Pre-Printed Labels for Ease and Clarity To streamline the process, create pre-printed labels for each seed variety. These labels should include important information, as well as any special care instructions. This ensures that seed borrowers are aware of the plant’s history and specific needs.
8. Engage Community Gardens and Schools Encourage local community gardens, schools, and educational programs to participate in the Grow a Row initiative. By making seed-growing a community effort, these groups can incorporate seed stewardship into their activities and help support the wider community.
9. Collaborate with Local Gardening Groups and Experts Reach out to local experts and organizations, such as Master Gardeners, garden clubs, permaculture guilds, urban ag groups, and horticulture departments. These groups may be interested in curating specific crops or encouraging their members to participate in growing and saving seeds. This collaboration can significantly expand the reach and impact of your program.
10. Create a Labeling System for Rare and Unique Plants Develop a system for marking rare or unique plants within your seed lending library. For example, you can use a special stamp or envelope to indicate which varieties are of particular importance. This will help borrowers understand the significance of these plants and encourage them to be extra mindful in saving and returning seeds.
Selecting the right seeds is a crucial step in building a successful Grow a Row program. Whether your focus is on food security, genetic preservation, or community resilience, here are some suggestions for choosing the best varieties to grow and share:
1. Seek Out Rare and Culturally Significant Varieties Look through donated seeds to identify rare, unusual, or culturally significant varieties. These might be crops that hold historical or community value, or plants that are becoming increasingly rare. Separate these varieties from your general collection and grow them in bulk to ensure they’re available for future generations. You may even want to purchase unusual or heritage varieties to steward and preserve.
2. Focus on High-Nutrition, Easy-to-Grow Crops for Food Security If your goal is to address food security, choose varieties that are well-suited to your region and can provide substantial nutrition with minimal effort. Crops like beans, squash, and other high-yield, easy-to-grow plants are ideal choices for ensuring your community has access to healthy, resilient food sources. Maintaining specific varieties may be less critical, and instead, growing diverse seed mixes could offer more value. Visit our partner Going to Seed for information about how to grow and work with diverse mixes.
3. Tailor Seeds for Different Growers Consider creating two categories of seeds for different growing situations:
- Home Gardeners: These are typically people with limited space, so they may prefer easy-to-grow, low-maintenance crops like tomatoes, peas, beans, and lettuce. These plants don’t require large populations, making them perfect for small-scale growers.
- Urban Agriculture or Farmers: For those with larger growing spaces (such as urban farmers or rural growers), offer varieties like carrots, squash, corn, or brassicas (e.g., cabbage, kale) that require larger plant populations and more space to thrive. Some crops, like carrots and beets, require large growing populations to produce seed and the root will be inedible at the seed saving stage. Because of this, people with limited space may not want to dedicate their garden area to crops that they can't consume directly. Hence, it might be good to partner with folks that have more land.
5. Create a System to Track and Encourage Participation Develop a system for tracking which varieties are being grown and by whom. This can help you monitor progress, maintain communication with volunteers, and ensure that seeds are returned and shared in a sustainable way. Clear documentation also helps build a transparent, accountable seed stewardship process.
6. Provide Resources and Mentorship for New Seed Savers Provide educational resources and connect new seed savers with experienced mentors. Consider starting with "super easy" plants (like peas, beans, or lettuce) that are beginner-friendly or genetically diverse mixes. This will make it easier for newcomers to participate and increase the chances of obtaining large quantities of high-quality seed.
7. Use Pre-Printed Labels for Ease and Clarity To streamline the process, create pre-printed labels for each seed variety. These labels should include important information, as well as any special care instructions. This ensures that seed borrowers are aware of the plant’s history and specific needs.
8. Engage Community Gardens and Schools Encourage local community gardens, schools, and educational programs to participate in the Grow a Row initiative. By making seed-growing a community effort, these groups can incorporate seed stewardship into their activities and help support the wider community.
9. Collaborate with Local Gardening Groups and Experts Reach out to local experts and organizations, such as Master Gardeners, garden clubs, permaculture guilds, urban ag groups, and horticulture departments. These groups may be interested in curating specific crops or encouraging their members to participate in growing and saving seeds. This collaboration can significantly expand the reach and impact of your program.
10. Create a Labeling System for Rare and Unique Plants Develop a system for marking rare or unique plants within your seed lending library. For example, you can use a special stamp or envelope to indicate which varieties are of particular importance. This will help borrowers understand the significance of these plants and encourage them to be extra mindful in saving and returning seeds.
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