The Bay City Seed Library, a joint project of the co-op and the Bay County Library System, opened March 20 and quickly turned out to be a rousing success. Patrons lined up to select free packets of seeds, which had been donated by numerous providers.

We – naively, it turns out – thought we’d have more than enough seeds for our first season. In fact, after just a couple of days, we started running short of many seed varieties. It was a problem that we were, frankly, happy to have after discovering so much public interest.

For co-op members, this project shows one way cooperatives can work for the sustainable development of their communities, following one of the seven principles that guide our co-op and co-ops throughout the world.

Free seeds especially ease the way to growing food for low-income people. Tending the garden, of course, is also a great summer activity for kids.

The aim is to encourage people who’ve never gardened to get started, both through the seeds and through the educational resources available at the Wirt Library downtown, where the seed library is located. It’s called a seed “library” because patrons are encouraged to return some seeds from their harvest later in the year.

The seed library is still available during Wirt’s regular hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday–Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday (through May). To keep up on the project (and pick up some garden tips), you can like Bay City Seed Library on Facebook.