Good news on this topic:
I’ve been largely absent from GTS and this forum because I’ve been working on a local seed project.
If the below description looks complex, maybe it is. but last years’ projects had a low rate of return, all the seed libraries seem to (less than 10% return), so the physical copies, commitment worksheet etc felt like is needed to increase engagement). And honestly, sometimes I’m just tired of giving seeds and information away, hoping for the best, and rarely getting anything back. I don’t think it serves them, either.
Finally I’m the place where perhaps some of my experience can be useful to others wanting a local seed project.
On Saturday I gave a presentation at a local seed library. I’m lucky to have seed librarians in my county that are familiar and supportive of diversity and adaptation/Landrace Gardening. Also lucky to have a local financial supporter and volunteers to make it happen. But I want to help build a model that doesn’t require all of that.
For this presentation, I focused on the mindset shift the gardeners need to make. Like being a performance coach, or gardener therapist.
Empowerment/encouragement. Seed Libraries want me to reduce the barriers that they’re community of potential seed savers face.
Here are the slides of the most recent presentation. where I felt like I connected with the people the most during the talk, and afterwards they mentioned how now they felt different. (I have been giving plenty of talks and presentations, so I know the feeling of not feeling like I connected or got through to them).
They would all be getting a printed a handout of the resource booklet that can give them details. Several copies of Landrace Gardening available right there from the library. So I didn’t need to focus as much on ‘How To’ implement that I may have in the past during a presentation.
Explained the process – Baby steps: the first year they commit to choosing a single species/project that they intend to being back seeds to this Seed Library in the fall. They will get access to all the other seeds offered. (Stone Soup analogy).
The get a worksheet to fill out in the room and ask questions. (See 2nd and third pages for the actual worksheet). 2nd page will be for them to fill out when they get home and have more time/look stuff up from the resource book and what’s in their kit.
We collected their worksheets.
While they watched another short presentation, we:
- took photos of each front page of worksheet for our records/contact info.
- Gave them their “kit” based on their chosen species. Ask them to choose a 2nd choice in case too many of a single species). Seed Librarian chose the species. In some cases they got a packet of diverse seeds. In some cases they would choose starting varieties from the seed library’s collection.
- When done, we placed each species in a different part of the room so that each person who chose the same species would be encouraged to chat and meet each other, we may connect them via email soon. ‘Kale club’. The bean people actually made plans to go hang out! Some cases didn’t work out as well. There were 6 species options.
- Last half they mingled like this, chose seeds from the 2 local seed projects present, asked questions etc.
Felt like a success, so we’ll see if it actually translates into long term engagement.