The Meriam Library's Seed Library provides free vegetable, fruit, herb, and bee & butterfly pollinator flower seeds. All the seeds are heirloom seeds and have been assessed for their hardiness for Chico's climate. The majority of the seeds have been purchased from small BIPOC farmers who are focused on saving seeds of plant varieties that would otherwise go extinct. Their mission is to maintain plant biodiversity.
This is a self-service collection. You may 'borrow' up to five packets of seeds. Please fill out the form letting us know which seeds you are taking so that we can maintain our inventory.
Seeds do not need to be returned, but you may choose to give back to the collection by saving seeds from the plants you grow and donating them back to the collection. There are numerous books available for check-out that show you how to save seeds.
The seed description tabs in this guide provide downloadable and printable information sheets on each type of seed in the library and how to plant and harvest your crop.
This guide also includes downloadable and printable tips sheets on seed saving, gardening, composting, and upcycling materials for a container garden.