MCL Seed Library

What is the MCL Seed Library?

Mukwonago Community Library is committed to supporting sustainability in our community. To that end, we have developed the MCL Seed Library— a collection of open-pollinated, organic, and heirloom seeds that you are welcome to borrow, grow, and share.

Seeds provided by the MCL Seed Library allow people, regardless of economic means, to grow some of their own food, improving access to the freshest healthiest food possible. Through information provided by the Seed Library in the form of books, handouts, and workshops, community members will have access to a variety of support along the way.

How Does it Work?

Use the free, locally donated seeds from the library to grow your own vegetables and flowers. Plant and harvest. Let some plants go to seed. Collect seed from your healthiest and tastiest crops, place them in a baggie, and return some of the next-generation seeds for others to borrow. The library will then package them for distribution. Be sure to jot down on the return card a little information about your plants (what kinds of seeds they are, where you grew them, growing tips you discovered, etc.) If you need additional return cards, you can print them HERE. Everyone will be able to borrow seeds whenever the seed library is open.

The seeds you take from the MCL Seed Library are a gift to you. The seeds you save and return are a gift to your community—there is no obligation to save and return them. But as you grow as a gardener (and seed saver) we hope you’ll consider sharing your seeds with the MCL Seed Library community.

By saving seeds as a community, we help create seed stocks that are better acclimated to local soils and climate. The variety of seeds we have on hand will change all the time as some seed packets are donated and others “checked out,” so swing by and take a look.

Why Save Seeds?

Humans have been saving seeds for over 12,000 years. However, in our culture, much of that knowledge has been lost over the last hundred years along with significant biodiversity. When you grow and save your own seeds, you:

  • Save money
  • Grow your own fresh, healthy food
  • Develop seed stock that is diverse and well suited to our climate
  • Mitigate our dependence on agro-business.
  • Help save the bees. Your plants provide food for bees, butterflies, and beetles.
  • Build Community. Seed saving and seed sharing go hand-in-hand. Share with a neighbor, help a community garden, or take a new gardener under your wing and teach them how to save their own seeds.