Current members can choose their varieties until January 18, 2026.
Non-member application dates to be announced shortly.
1. CHOOSE YOUR VARIETY:
- Members have until January 18th, 2026 to choose their varieties for the 2026 growing season.
- Be sure to read this year's terms & conditions below.
- Members can choose up to 2 (two) varieties to steward this year.
- Our complete list of varieties available to steward is here.
- Fill out our request form with your chosen varieties.
2. GROW:
- Plant those seeds in the spring. You can find our seed starting guide here.
- Grow as many plants as you can!
- In the fall, harvest mature seeds. You can find our seed saving guide here.
3. RETURN:
- Send those freshly harvested seeds back to the library for the next member(s) to adopt.
- Send back as many seeds as you can, but remember to save some for yourself.
The more seeds that are returned to the library the better! This allows more members to have the chance to adopt and work towards preserving the variety the following year. As we build our seed bank, we can accept more members and build an even larger, diverse network of free seeds adapted to northern climates.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Please read all of these terms & conditions before requesting seeds for the 2026 growing season.
- Becoming a member and adopting seeds is FREE. From beginners to seasoned seed savers, we welcome seed stewards of all skill levels
- We are a volunteer-based, non-profit that connects with seed savers across Canada. Our physical seed bank is housed in Sturgeon County, Alberta
- The Northern Seed Library and it's affiliates will never sell or share your personal information
- You may opt-out and cancel your membership at any time
- Some varieties in our seed bank are fresh, while some may be several years old, and some may be from old seeds found in old seed collections.
- Sometimes we have a little bit of seeds to send sometimes we have more to spare. We will try to send as many as we can to allow members to grow as many as possible to preserve genetic diversity.
- Sometimes seeds just don't germinate if they are too old and that's normal and okay! Please don't feel discouraged from trying again or from trying a new variety to adopt the following year. It is better to try, than to let the seeds lose viability from sitting dormant in storage for a long time
- Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Please ensure that you are choosing a variety from THIS LIST and that you can accommodate isolation distances.
- As we are run on a volunteer basis, please allow 4-6 weeks for your request to be processed.
- We will start mailing out seeds in February via Canada Post.
- Ensure that you can accommodate isolation distances for your choices. Isolation distance is the distance that varieties need to be planted from other varieties of the same type to avoid cross-pollination. For example, tomato variety 'A' will need to be planted 10-20 feet from tomato variety 'B'. In some instances, isolation bags or barriers can be used when isolation requirements cannot be met.
- If you are new to seed saving, some great things to start with are peas, beans, tomatoes, and annual flowers like calendula. The isolation distance for the above varieties are smaller and/or can be easily isolated with isolation bags or barriers. You can always reach out to us at seedlibrary@shaw.ca if you are unsure
- Once you receive your seeds, you grow them out for the 2026 growing season! Be sure to follow isolation recommendations, minimum number of plants for healthy biodiversity, and to rouge out any unhealthy looking plants during the season. Find our seed saving resources here
- In the fall if you have a successful harvest, you will "return" fresh seeds back to the library via Canada Post lettermail to help keep the seed library's seeds fresh, viable, and available for the next steward. We encourage you to send as many seeds as you can so that more members can grow out the variety the following year. The more a variety is grown out in Canada, the more adapted and resilient to our short and cool growing seasons it will become
- Repeat the following year! Members have access to the seed library earlier than the public. They also have access to free seed saving resources, downloads, and more!
- Be sure to add seedlibrary@shaw.ca to your safe senders list. We communicate with members via e-mail
Let's break away from relying on large corporate seed companies and start a seedy revolution!