Gardeners, families flock to Rochester’s busy seed library

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — A bustling downtown scene on the last Saturday of February included a flood of gardeners converging at the Rochester Public Library’s seed library, open for its eighth year.

The open house event was aimed at expanding access to food and encouraging residents to grow their own. Activities for youth and adults filled both levels of the library throughout the day as heavy snow fell outside.

The seed library is located on the second floor and, available through its Bookmobile, offers free, open-pollinated seeds with a limit of 10 packets per person. Seeds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis with no checkout required. Growing guides are available online and in person to help gardeners plant, harvest and save seeds.

The selection includes vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, with varieties ranging from beans and carrots to peppers, squash and watermelon. The catalog also includes tomatillos and Asian greens grown by immigrant and experienced farmers with the Village Agricultural Cooperative.

“There’s hundreds of people that show up to get their seeds,” said Diane Sneve, a volunteer with the University of Minnesota Extension’s Master Gardeners of Olmsted County.

She said the seed library was created in part to address food deserts in and around Rochester.

“There are spots of Rochester and the surrounding area that did not have access to food,” Sneve said. “Show people that they can grow their own food, and that those who have the space could also grow extra food and share that with their neighbors.”

Participation has grown in recent years. During the first two hours of last year’s opening, about 700 people picked up seeds. On Feb. 28, nearly 400 people attended in the first hour.

The demand reflects growing interest in home gardening and food access, volunteers said. Some participants have expanded beyond backyard plots to rentable garden spaces in Olmsted County parks, growing enough food to share within their communities.

The seed library also allows beginning gardeners to enter each planting season with renewed momentum, Sneve said.

“They can grow what they want, and even though there is some labor involved in getting those seeds in the ground, they can see the benefits of that,” Sneve said. “It brings a lot to your mental health in the sense of, this is very positive.”

Sneve said a recent trend is gardeners growing both flowers and vegetables.

“People want to really branch out, and that tells me one — they’re becoming confident. Two, they’re really interested in gardening,” she said. “Instead of just saying I only want to grow flowers, now they’re like we want to grow all these different things and be more creative with their spaces that they have, which is really cool.”

Master Gardener volunteers were on hand to answer questions about when and how to plant.

“When should I start my seeds outside? Is it OK to start my seeds now in the house?” Sneve said were common questions. “No, it’s too soon — but for sure after March 15.”

Peas and onions can be planted outdoors earlier in the season, Sneve said, while crops such as peppers and tomatoes are typically started indoors as seedlings and transplanted later in the spring.

“That time will come sooner than it seems,” she said.

“I’d wait a few weeks so you have around 10 weeks or so before you want to put them outside,” Sneve said.

Save the seeds

The 10-packet limit this year is five fewer than last year. Seed saving remains central to the library’s long-term success. Most of the seeds offered are heirloom varieties that require gardeners to save and return them to keep the varieties in circulation.

Gardeners can use saved seeds for the next growing season or share them with neighbors and friends, Sneve said, which helps ensure the seed library’s future.

“If we don’t have seeds, eventually they will run out,” Sneve said. “It’s very easy to save the seed.”

New gardeners may feel overwhelmed by the process, but Sneve said it can sound more complicated than it is — typically allowing part of a mature crop to dry before storing the seeds. She recommends classes available online and in person at the library to demonstrate how to dry and store seeds for the next season.

“It’s always helpful to look at something that really worked well, or was a strong crop of beans, cucumbers, whatever it may be, and it’s very easy to save the seed,” she said.

Family garden

Families made a special trip to browse seed tables on opening day.

“It’s a great experience to have with their families,” Sneve said.

Alexis Otis attended the seed library opening with her four children and husband, Jake. The seed library has become a tradition for them, but this year was the first time they attended opening day.

“The seed library gets us in the mood to garden and starts the gardening season off,” Otis said. “Gets the kids excited too, to pick out some seeds.”

The family uses raised beds, with each child getting “their own little garden space,” she said.

“I like to eat food that you grow,” Finnley Otis said. “I learn from my parents and just from experience.”

His siblings — Greta, Arlo and Rue — helped select carrots, herbs, winter squash, onions and watermelon, along with some new items.

“I had never heard of mizuna lettuce, so I’m excited to try something new,” Alexis Otis said. “There’s a big variety — choices that I probably wouldn’t pick in a store.”

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