SEED LIBRARY PROJECT
Beginning Tuesday, April 7, the Seed Library can be accessed at the Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry (203 1^stStreet Coralville, IA 52241) every Tuesday  (2:00-6:00pm), Thursday (10am-Noon) and Saturday (10:30am-1:00pm). The Seed Library will contain more than 1,500 heirloom seed packets representing 40 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  Visitors to the food pantry are welcome to select as many seed packets—which contain 15-20 seeds per packet—as they will use.

While primarily intended to help those with limited resources, the Seed Library is available for all Coralville residents, regardless of need. Not only is the Seed Library a tool to combat hunger, but also a way to strengthen the local food system by encouraging more people to garden.  All Coralville gardeners, even if they have the resources to purchase their own seed, are invited to stop by and pick up a seed packet or two.  Gardeners with an abundant harvest are encouraged to share their excess with the food pantry.  The Seed Library offers heirloom seeds, allowing gardeners to collect and save seeds from this year’s harvest and return them to the Seed Library to be used the following year.

The Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry’s Seed Library and gardening efforts are made possible through grant funding from the Carma Mohler Fund of the Iowa United Methodist Foundation.  Numerous seed packets were donated by the Iowa Food Systems Council’s Cultivate Iowa initiative (www.cultivateiowa.org) and Seed Saver’s Exchange (www.seedsavers.org).