Where Herbalism Meets Seed Sovereignty
Herbalists Without Borders, Upcoming Seed Library Conference, and New Resources to Keep your Seed Work Growing
Featured Seed Library: Herbalists Without Borders
Based on a small homestead in Deerfield, Wisconsin, Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) distributes seeds to projects serving underserved communities nationwide. Founded in 2017 by herbalist and educator Denise Cusack, HWB has distributed tens of thousands of seed packets and helped launch hundreds of gardens over the past nine years. The program has grown into a powerful example of how a single seed system can ripple outward to support food justice and community resilience.
At its core, HWB proves that seed hubs donāt have to be housed strictly in public libraries or community centers; the HWB Seed Library is run almost entirely from Deniseās farm. From organizing seeds and managing donations to packing and shipping seed grants, Denise coordinates the program largely on her own with help from volunteers and growers within the HWB network.
The program began when Denise noticed a pattern across HWB chapters. Groups working in wealthier communities often had access to donated seeds, tools, and funding.
However, āthose in poorer, underserved areas didnāt get that same support,ā Denise explains. āSo I thoughtā¦ if I gathered seeds for dozens of groups and distributed them equitably to everyone based on location, scale, and need, we would make sure everyone got the seeds they needed.ā
That idea sparked the HWB Seed Grant Program, which now supports gardens from New York City to the rural lands of the Dakotas. Growers use their HWB Seed grants in youth education gardens, veteran-led community gardens, gardens supporting addition recovery programs, and much more.
Across all of these spaces, a shared philosophy ties the work together. These gardens prioritize both medicinal herbs and food crops, reflecting HWBās guiding philosophy that food justice is health justice.
This approach also allows the network to respond quickly in moments of crisis. Because seeds are already stored, cataloged, and ready to ship, HWB has been able to send seeds immediately after hurricanes, floods, and fires, sometimes before formal relief systems arrive.
āBuilding community to create mutual aid-based systems and networks is so important on a local scale. We are here to support people in building those connections and sharing seeds so that they can continue to serve their local communities,ā Denise said.
Since the program serves the entire United States, seed selection is both intentional and flexible. About 26ā50% of their seed supply is locally grown, including many plants cultivated directly on Deniseās farm to preserve less common medicinal species. These include culturally significant herbs and plants that are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and climate change.
Much of the work is hands-on; Denise cleans seeds using Japanese soil screens, then winnows them outdoors before storing them in jars until packing season. Volunteers assist with cleaning, labeling, and storing seeds, helping keep the system running smoothly. Each year, Denise also prepares seed ball kits for Earth Day activities, giving groups an easy way to host community planting events and engage new growers.
The long-term goal is sustainability: helping communities develop their own seed systems so they donāt need to rely on HWB indefinitely.
For anyone thinking about starting a seed library, Denise offers simple advice: āJust do it.ā
āYou donāt need fancy drawers or shelves or a lot of space,ā she says. āStart small and grow as you go.ā
At the same time, the work is ever-evolving. Looking ahead, HWB is expanding its educational work, including the launch of Herb Scouts, a new program designed to engage kids in herbalism, plant conservation, community service, and natural health.
In addition to expanding programming, Denise is also investing in long-term knowledge sharing. She is currently building a macro photography archive of seeds and plants to help growers correctly identify medicinal species and avoid common mislabeling problems that sometimes occur in commercial seed production.
Together, these efforts reflect a growing and deeply interconnected network. The HWB community continues to grow, bringing together herbalists, farmers, teachers, social workers, activists, and families committed to building healthier communities through plants.
āI see it as a stone in a pond that ripples outward forever!ā Denise says.
Learn More & Resources:
Subscribe to the Herbalists Without Borders Quarterly Magazine to learn more about seed starting and saving, medicinal herbs, community programs, and more.
Read Deniseās article: Saving Seeds for Resilience
Seed Disclaimer Sign
Let people know that your locally grown or commercially donated seeds may not meet commercial germination or labeling requirements. Itās important to have a simple sign in your library or on your brochures distinguishing yourself as a community-supported project:
Check out our website for a copy of the Seed Signage/Disclaimer sign to post in your library, as well as other signage ideas.
Seed Library Conference: Getting Started š± - Access
Are you just getting started with your seed library and missed out Seed Library Conference: Getting Started? Watch the program here. You can also see past recordings from previous conferences.
Sustaining a Seed Library š± Conference - May 16th
Join us virtually for the 13th Seed Library Conference: āSustaining a Seed Libraryā, on Saturday, May 16, from 9:00ā11:30 AM PST (12:00ā2:30 PM EST).
This conference will be recorded for those who canāt attend live. Designed to explore the next steps in seed library development, the event will offer practical ideas and strategies to help seed libraries remain active, resilient, and deeply rooted in their communities.
Auto Seed Wrapper - Metric Testers Needed
If you have not tried the Auto Seed Wrapper, it is an amazing program that can help you level up your seed labels for your seed library. Basically, it's a spreadsheet, where we have pre-added 70 common species (common name, scientific name, planting instructions, and seed saving instructions). You add in the varietal information and year then select what size you want to print. It is a game changer! šš„³ This was made for customary units and we want it to work for A4 metric. We are looking for people who would like to test it to make sure the metric sizes work for various labels used. Let us know if you can help. Email us at hello@seedlibrarynetwork.org. Once we get the sizing confirmed, we will create the Spanish, French, and Portuguese versions.
Want to learn more about the Auto Seed Wrapper? You can see images of it on our Envelopes and Labeling page (scroll half way down the page). Here is a support video.
SeedBroadcast agri-Culture Journal
Contribute! Participate! Propose! SeedBroadcast is accepting submissions for the 24th edition of their agri-Culture Journal. They welcome your Seed Stories, Art, Poetry, Recipes, Photographs and More. Each edition comes alive through the contributions of poets, farmers, artists, ecological caretakers and seed-lovers from local communities and around the world. Always free and open-pollinated, the journal embodies a commitment to hear and hold the wisdom that can only emerge through reciprocity between the seeds, the land, and each other. The journal is available as a limited edition print and all editions can be found online in their agri-Culture Library. Now in its 13th year, The journal continues to reflect the ever-shifting landscape in which the knowledge of seeds is shared.
The deadline for submissions is April 13th, 2026
To submit please email your contribution to seedbroadcast@gmail.com along with a short bio. Images should be at least 300 DPI 4ā x 6ā. Please include your mailing address so they can mail you a stack of printed copies to distribute in your own community.
Reach out to seedbroadcast@gmail.com for more information.
SeedBroadcast is a collective whose mission is to uplift the Culture in agri-Culture through broadcasting Seed Stories and pollinating resource networks to cultivate bioregional food and seed resilience.www.seedbroadcast.org
Here is another Herbal Seed Library, https://guides.library.umass.edu/herblibrary.