Written by: Alyson Buchanan, Colorado Master Gardener since 2023

2023 was the ten-year anniversary of the All Pueblo Grows Seed Lending Library. In 2013, Jared Miera, a Colorado Master Gardener (CMG), was inspired to gather a small group of CMGs to establish a locally grown seed bank that could be tapped into in the event of a wildfire like the Waldo Canyon Fire, which had occurred the previous year. The idea quickly morphed into allowing anyone with a library card to borrow, from the Rawlings Library, a variety of seeds to grow, eat, seed-save from, and donate back to the library. From there, the seed lending library was born. It has continued to grow with the help of many dedicated volunteers from All Pueblo Grows (allpueblogrows.org), CMGs, and the community. The program operates in partnership with the Colorado State University (CSU) Pueblo County Extension, the CMGs, and the Pueblo City-County Library District.

The seed stock offered has grown over the years to include not only vegetable seeds, but also a variety of herb, flower, and native seeds. Seeds may either be checked out at a participating library or ordered online for delivery to a Little Seed Library near you. The seed lending library is supplemented with a variety of season-specific classes that are taught by CMGs, e.g., seed starting, integrated pest management, harvesting, seed saving, etc. Classes are open to the community and take place on the last Saturday of every month between January and October, except August. Classes are held on the first floor of the Rawlings Library and start at 9:30am. The 2024 class topics may be viewed at https://www.allpueblogrows.org/events.

In 2020, the program expanded to include the distribution of seed kits to fourteen Little Seed Libraries that are dispersed all around the Pueblo area. Five diverse types of seed kits are offered at varying times between January and September including Basic, Spring, Kids, Salsa, and Fall kits. Each kit includes six to eleven different seed packets. The Little Seed Library expansion has been remarkably successful with 350 kits distributed in 2023. You can find the Little Seed Library locations and request a seed kit be delivered to the location closest to you (starting January 27, 2024), by visiting https://www.allpueblogrows.org.

The most recent expansion occurred in early 2023 when the program expanded from being offered only at the Rawlings Library Main Branch to include the Giadone, Pueblo West, Lucero, Lamb, and Greenhorn Valley Library Branches. As a result, approximately 2,000 seed packets were checked out in 2023. Find out how to use the seed lending library to check-out, donate or return unused seeds at https://www.allpueblogrows.org/aboutus.

All Pueblo Grows Seed Lending Library would love everyone who borrows seeds from the program to become a seed saver and donate them back so the library can continue to exist and grow. Seed saving is easy, it provides free seeds forever, preserves biodiversity of plants, creates a local supply chain, and ensures that plants will thrive in Pueblo’s local conditions because they are grown from locally grown seeds. In addition, volunteers are always needed for various activities, including but not limited to repackaging bulk seed into individual seed packets, cleaning seeds, creating or filming demonstration videos, presenting classes, staffing booths etc. For more information, email All Pueblo Grows at info@allpueblogrows.org or call the CSU Extension Office at 719-583-6566.