Community Seed Library

What is the Seed Library?

The Red Deer Public Library Seed Library is a collection of open-pollinated seeds available to library cardholders completely free! Members come to the library and borrow up to three packets of seeds for their garden. They grow the plants in their garden and at the end of the season, they let a few plants ‘go to seed.’ From those plants, they collect seeds and return one or two packets of seeds to the library to keep the collection growing. Since seed is a living thing, it must be renewed each year somewhere by someone or unique varietals can become extinct. Even growing one seed and returning it to the library makes a difference.

What is the Purpose of the Community Seed Library

The purpose of the seed library is to educate our community on the importance of seed saving while fostering a culture of sharing, self-reliance, and community resilience, preserving and perpetuating Red Deer’s agrarian roots.

How Can I Donate Seeds?

Please fill in a Community Seed Library Donation Form, opens a new window for every kind of seed that you wish to donate and bring the seed in a sealed envelope with the form inside to any branch of Red Deer Public Library. Donation forms can also be picked up at any branch of Red Deer Public Library. 

What Types of Seeds Can I Donate?

The library accepts donations of open-pollinated seeds like beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes as well as other types of seeds that are easy to save and adapted to urban spaces, particularly if they are adapted to the Red Deer area, or have ties to this community.

When Can I "Borrow" Seeds from the Seed Library?

Our seed library will be open for browsing and placing seed "orders" on March 20, 2025.