As a community service project, the VegHeads, a Lehigh Acres 4-H youth club, have started up the first Seed Library in Lee County. This VegHeads ages range from five to fourteen years old. Their seed library has gotten off to a great start with donations from Tomato Growers, Bobby’s Fruit Trees, 4-H Trail Blazers, the Harty, Heidenreich and Welles families, Sakata Seed, Lehigh Acres Edible Gardening Exchange, and the Lee County Master Gardeners.
The VegHeads Seed Library is striving to offer seeds that work well in our local climate, are “open-pollinated”, and to only offer seed when it should be planted. In addition to offering seed to the general public, it is hoped that this service will allow low-income families access to seeds and knowledge to grow their own food.
Gardeners have been saving and sharing seeds for thousands of years. By saving seeds, gardeners keep a plant line, which could be centuries old, from disappearing. Both commercial growers and fellow gardeners are encouraged to provide “open pollinated” seeds to the VegHeads Seed Library. While there is a bit of effort to save seed and keep it pure to its lineage, it is far from difficult for most vegetables.
Some seed provided by the VegHeads Seed Library are “hybrids” which is a deliberate pollination of one plant to another to create seed that makes a more desirable plant. We do not recommend saving seeds from hybrids since planting their seed will have unknown results.
As part of their community service project, the VegHeads are developing a free seed saving class to offer to patrons early next year. This class, taught by VegHeads youth, will be open to the public even if they are not participating in the VegHeads Seed Library.
To download a seed request form or to make a donation on eventbrite, go to vegheadseeds.blogspot.com, look for the links on the right-hand side of the page. For more information about the VegHeads Seed Library, contact their 4-H leader Karen Harty at 610.530.8883.