Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library

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Need Seeds?

CLICK for Seeds available & growing instructions. Look BELOW for the list of seed libraries, what they are offering, and hours of operation.

Planting Guide

Here is a Planting Times Guide listing of what to plant each month of the year (in Spanish too).

Guidelines for Getting Seeds

Wear a mask
Know what seeds the location is providing ahead of time to minimize time at the location
Consider patronizing these community businesses while getting seeds.
Don't call them about availability.
Take what you need.
Take what you touch.
Plant what you take.
Learn about seed saving.

Little Free Seed Libraries

Arlington Market
6462 Arlington Blvd.
8 AM - 9 PM Daily

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli
Collards, Super

Joe's Market - Closed
Sorry, someone took the box.

Easter Hill United Methodist Church
3911 Cutting Blvd. (located on S. 39th St. fence)
Open 24/7

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonde
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Lettuce, 5 Star Gem Mix
Collards, Super
Broccoli

Easter Hill United Methodist Church

Happy Lot Farm and Garden
104 1st St.
Open 24/7

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli
Collards, Super

Happy Lot Farm and Garden, 104 1st St.

The Latina Center
3701 Barrett Ave. (on fence 38th St.), Open 24/7

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli
Collards, Super

The Latina Center, 38th & Barrett Ave.

Got Seeds?

Help grow seed for the community. You can save something you are currently growing or we can provide the seed. No previous seed saving experience required. Become a Grow a Row Seed Steward! Fill in the survey and let us know what you can save!

Volunteer

Help us pack seeds, translate, mentor.
Grow seeds for the community.

Lettuce Unite! Newsletter

La Loma Market
12899 San Pablo Ave.
7 AM - 6 PM Daily (closing hours vary)

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli

La Raza - Closed

Nevin Community Center
598 Nevin Ave.; check City website for hours

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli

Rich City Rides
1500 Macdonald Ave.
12 - 5 PM M, W-Sat.

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli
Collards, Super
Carrots, Red Cored Chantenay
Cabbage, Golden Acre

Rich City Rides, 1500 Macdonald Ave., a worker cooperative bike shop

Richmond Grows Little Free Seed Library
624 31st. St. (between Roosevelt & Clinton Ave.)
Mondays-Fridays

Kale, Kalebration Mix
Beets, Early Wonder Tall Top
Broccoli
Cabbage, Golden Acre
Lettuce, 5 Star Gem Mix
Rutabagas, Gilfeather
Miscellaneous seed packets - older seed stock or things that we have in smaller quantities

Shields-Reid Community Center
1410 Kelsey St., check City website for hours

Beets, Tall Top Early Wonder
Kale, Kalebration Mix
Broccoli

New to Gardening?

CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED.

Greenway Gardens
6th Street by Lincoln Elementary
Open 24/7 (on fence)

Beets, Early Tall Top
Lettuce, 5 Star Greenhouse Mix
Cabbage, Primax
Mustard, Dragon Tongue

North Richmond Farm
323 Brookside Dr,
Open 24/7 (on fence)

Beets, Early Tall Top
Lettuce, 5 Star Greenhouse Mix
Cabbage, Primax
Mustard, Dragon Tongue
Collards, Super

Not from the Greater Richmond California Area?
It's easy to create your own seed lending library or locate a sister seed library.

What's a Seed Lending Library?

A seed lending library is a place where you can borrow seeds for free. You may be asking, “How can you ‘borrow’ seeds?” The basic is idea is that you plant the seeds, let some go to seed, then return some of these next generation seeds for others to borrow. (Don’t worry. We don’t have fines if you don’t return seeds.)

We encourage home gardeners to save seeds from the "super easy" plants: tomatoes, lettuce, beans, and peas. Do not save seeds from plants in the "easy" or "difficult" drawer until you have more experience seed saving. Learn more about seed saving.

Richmond Grows is a non-profit seed lending library located in the public library. We’re open whenever the public library is open. You do not need to have Richmond Public Library card to use the seed library, but we do ask people to watch our on-line orientation. We provide free classes on organic gardening and seed saving, and of course, you can also borrow books from the public library on these topics.

Stories of Seeds
Highlights from our Collection

Take a picture of a plant that you are saving seeds from. We want to hear your story of the plant you saved seeds from. Maybe let us know what dishes you made with it or share a favorite recipe using the plant. Each month we'd like to highlight something in our collection. You can submit your photos and a little write-up to RichmondGrows@gmail.com.

Envelopes - Grow Out Program

Return quality seed that is well labeled. Use our envelope labels (make a copy) or see if the variety you are growing already has a label pre-made on our Grow Out Program list.
NOTE: Some plants readily cross pollinate, such as sunflowers, corn, and brassicas. If you are saving seeds from these plants and did not cage or hand-pollinate them, write "Crossed?" on the packet.

Help Us Grow Local Seed

Our intention is to grow more local seed for the benefit of the community. We're focusing on preserving varieties that have cultural significance or are rare or unusual while increasing food security and local resilience. What can you do to help?

Grow out seed - Never saved seeds before? We'll start you with "super easy" things you can save. Click on our Grow Out List plants and email us about what you'd like to grow. Pick ups of the seeds, seed saving instructions and return envelopes are at Richmond Grows.
Join East Bay Local Seeds - We're a group of individuals, seed librarians, public librarians and nonprofits working together to vision and create a network of local seed to be shared through and among seed libraries. Email us to get info about our next meeting.

Face-Place-Story

Video about Richmond Grows' Co-Founder Rebecca Newburn's garden