Leon County Seed Library Program

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

In its continuous effort to enhance quality of life for its citizens, Leon County worked with local partners to create the Seed Library Program in 2015 as an innovative opportunity to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyles. The Leon County Main Library and its six branch libraries offer fruit and vegetable seeds acclimated to our local climate that residents can check out, similar to checking out a library book. Residents are able to check out three packs of seeds each month, which include instructions for planting and cultivating the seeds. After growing their fruits and vegetables, patrons are asked to return new seeds from their crop yield. With the implementation of the Seed Library program, Leon County promotes and educates citizens on the benefits of gardening and creates a sense of community. Since the inception of the program in 2015, Leon County has distributed 26,000 seeds, creating heightened interest in both gardening and in the Leon County Public Library System.