Most people do not head to their local library to pick up a packet of seeds, but one group in the Macedon Ranges is slowly changing this tradition with the opening of its newest seed library in Romsey.
Macedon Ranges Seed Savers run seed libraries from the Woodend and Kyneton libraries, with a third location at the Romsey library opening at the start of August.
Macedon Ranges resident Kylie Swaine is referred to by others as seed savers facilitator extraordinaire, but Ms Swaine humbly said the idea was a community born and breed initiative.
“It started as an idea from the community and has really taken off, we even have a committee now,” Ms Swaine said.
“It’s a really nice place where you can have a chat about your garden and speak to like minded individuals.”
The project was born from a Facebook group brainstorming session, which Ms Swaine started following the death of her first daughter.
“I got into gardening because my first daughter passed away and I made a garden in her memory.
“Gardening for me was a positive way I could heal from her death … It’s been a hard journey but I wouldn’t be where I am today without that happening.
“It was about three or four years ago that I started a gardening page … and a seed library came up. Since then it’s really come to life and now we have three.”
Ms Swaine said the group packages and labels donated seeds which residents return after they have harvested their herbs, fruits, vegetables or flowers and saved some seeds.
“We are recycling in a different way for a new type of library,” she said. “We also use deregistered books from the library and fold them into packets for the seeds.
“It’s important to be able to have a seed production that isn’t commercialised, but is localised and affordable.
“In today’s climate where everything is so expensive it’s important to have a way to get seeds for free, grow food and then be able to put that back into the community and back into the seed library.”
Details: www.facebook.com/MacedonRangesLibraries
Zoe Moffatt
