The Canastota Seed Exchange at the Canastota Public Library is a free seed exchange project committed to increasing the capacity of our community to feed itself wholesome food by means of education that fosters community resilience, self-reliance and a culture of sharing.
We have over 200 of varieties of seeds available now at the library!

Borrowing Seeds:  The seeds you borrow from the Canastota Seed Exchange are offered to you free.  A commitment to growing plants from seeds is a gift to yourself. We hope you learn much, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and fall in love with gardening!  It is optional to save and return some of the borrowed seeds at harvest time.  If you return seeds that you have purchased, we ask that they are Non-Hybrid seeds. Returning seeds to the library helps to keep the Seed Exchange self-sustaining. Look at all 237 varieties in our Seed Library inventory. In red are the ones new this year.

Why Save Seeds:  Humans have been saving seeds for over 12,000 years. In our culture, we’ve lost a lot of that knowledge along with significant biodiversity.  When you grow and save your own seeds, you develop seed stock that is well suited to our climate here in Central New York.  Additionally, you save money by growing your own food.  You also help to create a culture of sharing and abundance. Check out our Seed Exchange Facebook page.