Support Biodiversity. Donate today.


​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?

Come to the Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, Calif. and “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.

One Seed, One Community
Cherokee Trail of Tears

Join our community in preserving Cherokee Trail of Tears bean. We'll provide the seeds and planting and seed saving instructions. ​No previous gardening or seed saving experience needed! Sign up here.

Cherokee Trail of Tears is a bean that was carried on the tragic 1200 mile forced march in 1838 where 16,000 Native Americans were removed from the eastern U.S. to reservations in the Oklahoma territory. 4,000 died en route. In 1977, Dr. John Wyche donated this seed of his Cherokee ancestors to Seed Savers Exchange. Slow Food Ark of Taste designated Cherokee Trail of Tears as an endangered heirloom. Our California Seed Library Network chose this variety for our 2019 statewide seed project because it has great flavor as both a fresh and dry bean, and to preserve it. Its story reminds us to honor Native Americans who originally bred all varieties of common beans that we now share worldwide. Vining.

Beans can be picked up in Richmond Grows or other East Bay seed libraries. We'll send a monthly email walking you through planting all the way to harvesting and seed saving and sharing. 

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.


​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.

Face-Place-Story

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

    A project of the Richmond Rivets
          In collaboration with the Richmond Public Library

A fiscally sponsored project of
Urban Tilth