Burlington County, Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) and the Library Seed Bank partnered to open a seed bank on March 9 at the Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences.
Founded in 2014 by Jeff Quattrone, Library Seed Bank (LSB) brought the concept of seed libraries to the southern New Jersey area.
Seed Libraries are collections of open pollinated and heirloom seeds that are housed at public libraries. The seed packages are available for patrons and or the public depending on the individual library’s policy.
“We are excited to bring this seed bank to the residents of Burlington County. The new seed bank is a great opportunity for the community to learn about all of the plants unique to Burlington County and to have free access to seeds,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Balvir Singh, liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation.
The seed bank initiative will preserve, protect and promote Burlington County’s rich history in agriculture by devoting space at the Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences.
The collection will include seeds that were originally propagated by early seed companies from the local area.Seeds have been donated from High Mowing Organic Seeds, FedCo Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
RCBC’s environmental club Service-Learning Scholars led the efforts to develop the seed library and worked to receive donations from seed companies to pilot this innovative program.
“Burlington County is one of the leaders in the state and the nation in land preservation with more than 67,000 acres of protected farmland and open space. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to preserve and celebrate Burlington County’s rich agricultural heritage. We hope residents will take advantage of this great event and learn how to grow their own plants,” concluded Singh.
The Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences is located at 307 High Street in Mount Holly. The hours of operation are Thursday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday at noon to 4 p.m.
For more information about the seed bank, visit: https://www.libraryseedbank.info/
For more information about planting a garden, visit the following resources:
Planning a Garden: http://www.rcbc.edu/files/PDFFiles/seedlibrary/Planning_Garden_burl_co.pdf
How to Save Seeds: http://www.rcbc.edu/files/PDFFiles/seedlibrary/How_to_Save_Seeds_Burl_Co.pdf.
