Garlic is more difficult to conserve than seeds. Seeds can be kept in a jar or an envelope for year, sleeping until you sow them, but garlic has to grow continuously from each year to the next.
To back up our members' garlic varieties, we established a collection based in Ontario, with the intention of encouraging members to grow and re-offer varieties every year. Some varieties came from our Member Seed Exchange, but many were adopted from other collectors.
At first, we mailed full-size bulbs to growers, which was expensive. Since 2013, we've found it much more economical to mail the bulbils from the tops of the plants. Also, that method can help prevent garlic diseases and pests from being transmitted, so the garlic can grow healthier as we share it!