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Resources for Seed Libraries and Community Gardens
Feb 27, 2026
Are you considering starting a seed library or community garden this summer? Here are some resources for groups that support seed efforts for educators and not-for-profits.
Please remember that it is important to ensure that the seeds you are planting or offering are not invasive. We do not want to negatively contribute to harming our environment or the health of our community.
American Horticultural Society
The AHS maintains a list of master gardeners across the country, whom you can contact for donations and guidance. They also have some great educational resources, including a sensory garden manual. These are wonderful folks to work with who have extensive knowledge of all things gardening, so they are fabulous resources for programming and making sure that you aren’t sharing invasive plants. They can also often help with seed identification.
Free Heirloom Seeds is a grassroots effort to preserve species & empower individuals as well as communities with the resources necessary to provide for their basic needs, without chemicals, without corporate control & without mechanical genetic engineering. Through donations & volunteer power, they are able to offer free heirloom & open-pollinated seeds to the general public. Fair warning - it isn’t the easiest site to navigate, and it is all run by volunteers. If you follow the rules and instructions, you should have your seeds in a few weeks. This will be expedited with a small donation to the organization. They also have a Facebook Group for questions and support.
They have a Seed Share program that you can read about and then apply for here. They do request that you send some of the seeds from the plants you grow back to them. For additional information, take a peek at how community seed projects work here.
The Living Seed Company preserves the diversity in our food through the distribution and growing of open-pollinated seeds and educating about the life-affirming art of seed saving. They have a yearly Giving Seed Program that organizations can apply for and receive reasonably priced organic seeds for purchase.
Their mission is to supply backyard gardeners with education and amazing plant varieties. You can order a donation seed pack from them and only pay for shipping.
They handle their donations in September/October - but if you’re starting a library this summer, you will almost certainly need to restock by the fall!
Seed Savers Exchange stewards America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. We educate and connect people through collecting, regenerating, and sharing heirloom seeds, plants, and stories. Seed Savers Exchange donates seeds to schools, community gardens, seed libraries, and nonprofits that freely give the donated seeds and resulting produce.
The Seed Library Network is an organization dedicated to supporting communities to steward their seeds and our connection to each other and the food that nurtures us. Seed libraries can vary from community to community, but the basic idea is that seeds are made available to the community for free. They have wonderful resources available, including getting started and an entire page on obtaining seeds. They have an active forum called “Up Beet!” where you can ask questions and find support.
Sow True Seed is a small, dedicated employee-owned cooperative committed to making gardening approachable for everyone. They provide high-quality, open-pollinated seeds in support of sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture. They have a garden donation program with multiple opportunities that you can learn more about here.
Most of the distributors shared above are open to other organizations using the seeds they provide for a seed library or to start a community garden. But make sure to clarify your intentions so they can verify that they are the right match for your project.
It cannot be stated enough that you absolutely want to ensure that you are not sharing/propagating invasive plant species. Not every plant can be grown everywhere.
This is a nice getting-started article about helping a local library start a seed library from The Everyday Greenhouse.
And, last but not least, you’ll find information about starting a seed library in the Programs section of your iREAD 2026 Resource Guide: Plant A Seed, Read.