They go together like pigs and mud…well, you get the idea.

LISTEN UP! Master gardeners, green thumb hobbyists, beekeepers and garden variety humans who love to grow things… I just found out about an amazing opportunity at our annual New Mexico Bee Meeting in February 2019. Our very own Bernalillo County library has free seeds to give away. Yes, you heard that right. FREE SEEDS. All you beekeepers and green thumb master gardeners (or not)out there, make a note to visit. This is an incredible thing. Every season new seeds are made available to the public to plant.

If you’ve ever priced out seeds at your local co-op or Burpees or those pricey heirloom catalogues, you will know that seeds are no longer cheap as dirt and readily attainable. They can cost upwards from $4 a packet.

ABQ-BernCO’s libraries have non-gmo and native plant seeds, specifically adapted for all 3 growing seasons and the high desert eco-system we live within. You will be able to choose from vegetable, herb and flowers packets. The collection is housed at the South Broadway Cultural Center, but you may request seeds from many library branches throughout Albuquerque. Just bring your Library Card along!!!

Even more spectacular, they offer classes on growing, harvesting and seed saving during the year.

The ABQ-BERNCO Seed Library was established in 2014 and has a mission of encouraging a community of water-wise home gardeners. The Seed Library aims to provide the access, tools, and skills to enable everyone to participate in this gardening community by offering free open-pollinated, non-gmo vegetable, herb and flower seeds to card holders and by offering free monthly garden-related programs to foster all levels of gardeners through growing, harvesting, seed saving and more—all within our unique high desert environment. 

Click on here to learn How the Seed Library Works

“Seed sovereignty” is picking up momentum around the world. If it sounds political, it is.

With the rise of genetically modified seeds (GMO’s), there has been a push by ag-industrial giants like Monsanto and Bayer to patent seeds. This would make it a criminal act to save seeds that they have patented. And, if the pollen from your “saved” seeds drifted to your neighbors GMO crop—in effect, “infecting” it with non-GMO stock—you might find yourself summoned to court by a lawsuit from these ag companies or their subsidiaries for a patent violation.

Seed sovereignty is about the freedom to save your own non-GMO seed stock and pass them on as a legacy to your children. For indigenous people, it is a rallying cry against the genocide of their land based culture. Funny that something so practical and wise, a practice small farmers annually have done for centuries— or for thousands of years as our indigenous brothers and sisters have demonstrated— is so threatening to the corporate ag establishment’s bottom line.

Here in New Mexico, our Indigenous pueblos have been saving seeds in beautifully hand molded pottery for generations. Seed saving is an ancient and important skill. It has allowed cultures over time to develop stronger seeds that are better adapted to our high desert climate, to increase seed diversity, and play a vital role in local food production. 

Seed saving and seed growing is a radical act. Giving away free seeds is a beautiful gift of Seed Sovereignty—a vote for food security, diversity and the freedom to choose what you want to eat, one household at a time.

Get your FREE seeds today!