By Sam Lieberman
No matter what size your seed library, packing and labeling seeds to share with the community is a sensitive and labor intensive process. In our call to the community for seed envelope resources, we identified a few strategies to streamline the process for libraries of different sizes.
For the libraries with smaller collections, handwritten labels that make use of a pre-formatted sticker or adjustable stamp might suit their needs best.
Each stamped coin envelope is ready to be filled out and packed. One upside to this method is a reduction in waste and materials. If needed, multiple stamps could be calibrated to increase the number of envelopes that could be created simultaneously.
Whitby Public Library Seed Share in Ontario, Canada began by printing formatted labels onto sticker paper, but found the cost to be prohibitive. Now, they print the labels directly onto the envelopes. Depending on supply costs in your region, printed sticker paper is an excellent option for libraries with small enough collections and enough helping hands to fill out labels by hand. You can also print on regular paper and staple the labels on. If you use jars, these paper labels can be added into the jar so people take seeds home with all the information you want them to include. It is also helpful to have the species, variety, and year on the top of the jar for easy sorting of the seed library.
At this scale, most seed libraries reported keeping track of crop information such as the number of seeds packaged per crop as well as important information regarding growth, conditions, and origin in binders. Some suggest creating a binder per year to keep an annual archive.
Skillshare: Envelopes & Labeling Class
Classes are next week! Whether you are just opening your seed library or you’ve been open for years, this free skillshare class on envelopes and labels can help!
We’ll discuss the minimum requirements for envelopes and labels as well as useful info to include. Get inspired on how to take your seed library to the next level. Be prepared to be in awe! Other topics:
Pre-Packed vs. Self-Serve: Pros, cons, and community experiences.
Packing Seeds: Best practices for quantity, volunteer management, and efficient processes.
Binder vs. Envelope: Optimizing information placement for user convenience.
Interactive Discussions:
Share your experiences and challenges.
Learn from community tips and expert insights.
Connect with fellow seed librarians and elevate your seed library game. Register now and grow with us! 🌱
A big shout out to Hudson Valley Seed Company for sponsoring this class and allowing us to keep it free. (Historical note: The Hudson Valley Seed Company started as the Hudson Valley Seed Library and now focuses on locally grown, regionally adapted seeds. Check out their art packs featuring the work of local artists.)
Seed Keepers Spotlight: Kana Koa Weaver Okada
By Yasmin Abu Hamad
Kana Koa Weaver Okada embarked on her journey during her master's program in the Netherlands, where she supported La Via Campesina in Mozambique to protect local seeds and advocate for seed sovereignty. Recognizing similar seed enclosure issues in Japan, her homeland, she dedicated herself to educating people about seed enclosure and promoting local seed sovereignty, delivering over 100 lectures within three months. This journey led her to Okinawa, where she engaged with the traditional cultural communities in Okinawa striving to preserve native millet and farming traditions against rapid biocultural extinction.
The native millet in Okinawa, particularly awa millet, holds profound cultural and historical significance, predating the introduction of rice and wheat. Its cultivation is intertwined with rituals led by female priestesses, known as Noro or "Tsukasa" women, reflecting a rich cultural heritage and reverence for the land. During annual harvest festivals, freshly gathered awa millet bundles are prominently featured as offerings, and villages often have their own unique recipe for Miki, a sacred sake made from native millet, presented to the deities.
Kana is passionate about preserving native millet in Okinawa, central to ceremonies and cultural practices as many native millets like awa foxtail millet (Setaria italica), takakibi sorghum millet (Sorghum bicolor), and mochikibi proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) have been disappearing, leading to the loss of their accompanying rituals and traditions. These seeds symbolize resilience, adaptation to local environments, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge. Additionally, Kana noted the motivation within the Okinawa community to uplift the cultivation of millet comes from their unique taste alongside the conservation efforts related to the sacred values of the seeds.
Throughout her work, Kana has encountered challenges such as financial constraints, regulatory hurdles, and cultural barriers. She navigates these obstacles by leveraging her international experiences, building connections with local communities, and initiating crowdfunding efforts to support farmers. Despite not being permanently based in Okinawa, she works to engage with the land and people of Okinawa, fostering relationships through shared agricultural tasks and listening to their stories.
Kana advises aspiring seed keepers to start small and maintain manageable expectations to avoid burnout. She advocates for planting seeds, both literal and metaphorical, as small actions that can lead to significant societal changes. In Japan, she is trying to create a seed network to provide inspiration and support for ongoing efforts amongst fellow seed keepers.
Kana envisions her work as a cultural seed keeper contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage, promotion of food sovereignty, and fostering sustainable agricultural practices. By safeguarding traditional seeds and practices, she aims to empower communities, strengthen cultural identities, and enhance biodiversity. Ultimately, she believes that nurturing relationships between culture and agriculture will create ripple effects, positively transforming societal dynamics and promoting environmental stewardship.
If you’re interested in learning more about Kana’s work with native millets in Okinawa, you can read more about it in the Yu-ba-na-u-re: Sowing Seeds to Heal the World article.
You can learn more about Kana’s work at her website, SeedsfromEarth.com, and on Instagram @SeedsFromEarth and @seedcommunity_japan.
WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT!
While the Seed Library Network has been around since 2011, it’s only been since January that we became a fiscally sponsored project. We started off the year strong by launching the first Global Seed Library Census, but we also started with ZERO money in the bank! 💰 😢 We have big visions 🔮 for the future and in the meantime have ongoing expenses. Can you help us 🤗 to:
Revamp the website
Create online, self-paced classes
Translate website and resources (including Cool Beans!) into multiple languages
Every little bit helps ensure the Seed Library Network continues to grow, and provides free resources to communities worldwide.
Let’s grow together! 🌱🌻
If you want to be part of our three-hour visioning 🔮 meeting on Sunday, June 23 from 9AM-noon PST, email us at hello@seedlibrarynetwork.org for the Zoom link. (Time converter)
💚 us at Substack
🌾 Donate to Seed Library Network (tax-deductible in the USA)
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📌 Get on the seed library map
Connected? 🌐 💬
We are still working on sending the census out. We had 2,600 communities on the Seed Library Network list and now we are approaching 1000 seed libraries on the map… and there are so many more out there. We need your help! 🚨 Do you have a connection with a state, regional, or national library association? Are you part of a library listserv and could you post about the census on our behalf or can you give us information about how to sign up for the listserv, if it is public? Please send us an email at community@seedlibrarynetwork.org.