the northern open-source seed library application

Free The Seed Project

Please read all conditions below before applying to adopt seeds. Becoming a member and adopting a variety is free

Some varieties will be relatively fresh seeds, while 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

Sometimes seeds just don't germinate if they are old or we are unsure of their origins 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. As we are run on a volunteer basis, often members can only meet once a month to process apps and package up adoption packages, so please allow 4-6 weeks for your app to be processed and seeds sent out

Ensure that you are adopting a variety from THIS LIST and that you can accommodate isolation distances for your choices. You can always reach out to us at seedlibrary@shaw.ca if you are unsure

Once your application is approved, the variety(ies) will be "checked out" from the seed bank. We will mail you the seeds via Canada Post. As we are run on a volunteer basis, we ship out checked-out items once a month. Please allow 4-6 weeks from your application to the time your seeds arrive

Once you receive your seeds, you can grow them out! Be sure to follow isolation recommendations, minimum number of plants for healthy biodiversity, and to rouge out any unhealthy looking plants during the season

In the fall if you have a successful harvest, you will "return" fresh seeds back to the library via lettermail to help keep the seed library's seeds fresh, viable, and available for the next adoptee(s). The more a variety is grown out in Canada, it will become more and more adapted and resilient to our short and cool growing seasons

Repeat the following year! Active members have access to exclusive free seeds, seed swaps, seed marketplace, seed saving resources, downloads, and more!

Let's break away from relying on large corporate seed companies and start a seedy revolution!