Sharing Our Local Seeds
Prevent Extinction in Your Own Backyard
History- A Project of Fruitful Commons
We have shared tens of thousands of seed packets since our founding in 2018. The first volunteers met at a Sustainable Food Center seed swap on National Seed Swap Day in January 2018. The following October we held our first seed swap at the Austin Public Library Central Branch with 100+ attendees. In January 2019 the Central Branch Seed Collection opened, with many other neighborhood libraries to follow. In February 2020 participants learned how to graft fruit trees our first fruit tree scion swap at Texas Keeper Cider. During the Covid-19 crisis when the libraries closed and swaps were not happening, we shared 7000+ seed packets via food pantries, community gardens, porch pickup and little seed libraries. In March 2022 we are stronger than ever with the support of Fruitful Commons!
preventing extinction
By sharing our local seeds, we are encouraging gardeners to grow plants that otherwise may go extinct due to development, habitat loss, deer pressure, and lack of commercially available seeds.