RS Library Seed Exchange Updates

Roaring Spring Community Library Director Michelle McIntyre said their Seed Library and Community Seed Exchange programs have been seeing a lot of activity again this year.

They had so many seeds this year, they now have an overflow shelf and another card catalog to store everything.

"This year we had 1,800 we gave away," she said.

On Monday, they were opening up another big packet of seeds that were sent to them.

McIntyre said the seeds that go out the door thw fastest are peppers, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, beets, sugar snap peas, pumpkins, herbs and sunflowers.

"Flowers are always popular," she said. "The herbs we ran out of quickly as well."

A lot of the heirloom and native varieties are highly sought after by patrons because they are more adapted to the local climate.

The program will open again in October for winter sowing.

Winter sowing is a gardening method that involves planting seeds in a container and leaving them outside to germinate until spring. The process mimics how seeds grow in nature and can be a low-cost way to start many plants, including native species.

McIntyre said people often use this method to grow Kale, carrots, lettuce, oregano, milkweed, and dill.

"Many people will continue to grow their native plants by winter sowing," she said.

They now have one catalog for just flowers, one for herbs, one vegetable, and one for the seed exchange.

McIntyre said they had a lot of seeds when the program started earlier this year but now there is not a whole lot left.

She said at some some point, they want to start a house plant exchange.

McIntyre said the library has received a Department of Environmental Protection grant which is worth beween $4,300 and $4,700 through Penn State. This grant will help the library to teach patrons everything from growing food, to cooking.