Preparing the Launch: BCSL Runs on Seed Packing

Volunteers have spent hours cleaning and packaging seeds for the Brown County Seed Library. Their work to support local gardeners will pay off at the library’s third annual launch, coming up this Saturday at noon at the Brown County Central Library. 

On February 1st, volunteers prepared seeds at the STEM Innovation Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. One volunteer, Jared Warczytowa, wants to see improved access to healthy food. He said there was a good turnout at last year’s launch. 

“Honestly, I don’t have any particular seed variety that I’m most excited about,” Jared said. “But I kind of just want to, kind of peruse a little bit, and then just interact with other gardeners in the community, and maybe meet some new faces, new connections.”

The Brown County Seed Library provides free seeds for the public on the second floor of the Brown County Library’s Central Branch. On the 1st, New Leaf Foods talked with volunteers and with Melissa Wass, convener of the library’s steering team. 

Wass was excited to see many people of different ages at the event. She said that a young volunteer — possibly four years old — helped out by sealing envelopes with stickers. 

Wass thinks the seed library is a way for people to connect, talk about things they grow, and talk about things that are important to them and their family. 

“People just kind of get together and bond over their love of gardening and their love of food,” she said. 

Which seeds at the library are the most popular? It kind of depends on the season, Wass said. 

“People really love tomatoes, and getting tomato varieties,” Wass said, “but in Wisconsin, you can’t grab a packet of tomato seeds in June and get a tomato from it. So as the season progresses, different things go. So like right now in winter, the radish seeds are going. People use those for microgreens.” 

This weekend’s launch will include speakers and demonstrations related to growing and gardening, from successful seed starting to controlling invasive plants. Seed lovers will be able to make seed art, seed tape and seed bombs. 

At the launch’s seed swap, any kind of seed that is not invasive or illegal can be exchanged, Wass said.  It’s a good opportunity for gardeners to try seeds they may not normally have access to. The Green Bay Botanical Garden gives seeds to the seed swap.

“We get a lot of very interesting flowers that I’ve never heard of,” Wass said. 

The swap is also an opportunity for people to bring in seeds they bought and didn’t like, she said. Someone else might have a better space or environment for those seeds. 

“And people are more than welcome to come to the seed swap,” Wass said. “Even if they don’t have seeds to contribute, they can still come and take some.”

The organizations partnering for the Brown County Seed Library are the Brown County Community Gardens Program, Brown County Library, Green Bay Botanical Garden, New Leaf Foods, Inc., Northeastern Wisconsin Master Gardeners, University of Wisconsin — Green Bay, and UW Extension Brown County.