The Little Free Seed Library officially made its return to the Brantford Public Library, at both the main branch and the St. Paul branch on Monday, March 17 and Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
The program, which has been running since 2018, is held in partnership with Equal Ground Community Gardens (EGCG) and this year, residents have the opportunity to borrow up to five packets of seeds.
From squash to cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and so much more, there are plenty of vegetables, herbs and even flower varieties to choose from.
Each package of seeds comes with information about when to plant according to the frost date, if they should be directly sowed or started beforehand, the germinating time, and the depth they should be planted at, as well as how far they should be spaced apart.
Cheryl Stornelli, the Library’s Manager of Communications and Community Engagement, said the seed library is a great option for anyone looking to grow something new or to simply try their hand at gardening for the first time.
“The whole idea of growing your own fruits or vegetables is that it makes getting access to produce a little bit more accessible,” Stornelli said. “I think the nice thing about this free seed library is that it’s free to access and so if it’s your first time growing something new, or even your first time growing something at all, it really takes that cost barrier away. So especially in these times of uncertainty, there’s almost no cost to start growing your own food.
As a gardener herself, Stornelli said that there’s also an added benefit of trying out a new hobby and even getting children involved too.
“This is a great way to just experience how amazing it is to grow your own food and eat it; I know for me there’s a lot of pride in being able to do that,” she said. “It’s also a great family activity too so if you have a child or a younger family member you’re close with, this is a great opportunity to try something different and new together.”
For those who may not know where to start or how to grow, Tom Bentley, the Library’s Community Engagement Coordinator, said there are plenty of resources available at both library branches.
“If folks want more information about gardening, we have hundreds, just hundreds of gardening books on vegetable gardening and landscaping, flower gardening, as well as on canning and preserving too,” he said. “In addition to that, we have some great digital material through Press Reader, and there’s lots of digital gardening magazines you can access through OverDrive which are all for free with your library card.”
The way it works is simple; stop by either branch to locate the seed library, browse through the catalogue and pick out your seeds, then head to the front desk to fill out a form and check out the seeds (no library card necessary).
At the end of the season, bring any seeds you haven’t used or that you’ve harvested from the plants you grew, back to the library to use for next year.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
