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Building an Inter-School Seed Library

Rayna Almas 

For the last 8 years, Youth in Food Systems (formerly known as Waterloo Region School Food Gardens) has been involved in school-based food production efforts in the Region of Waterloo. What began as a simple idea to provide microgrants to schools for building outdoor food gardens and learning hubs has become a network for more than 40 elementary and secondary schools with a collective total of more than 16,000 sq ft of growing space through the program. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of schools (the environment, priorities, and even access), we had to reimagine youth engagement in food systems. I recall those early days, when we couldn’t access school grounds at all and haphazardly spent summer 2020 building a youth portal online in order to reach the many, many young people out there sitting on their devices day in and day out, waiting for the shutdowns to end. Out of this initial pivot came our current program model that focuses on directly connecting with youth across Ontario for learning about food systems, and building skills and experiences for future endeavours within and outside of the food sector. Our work with educators and school communities lessened. 

 

Students at Rockway P.S. (Kitchener ON) tend to their garden in Spring 2019

 

But through this shift, we didn’t want to completely suspend our support of school food gardens, so we continued offering support in the areas we determined to be most vital: 

1. Funding resources - we keep a list, updated quarterly, of grant opportunities open to schools for gardens, food literacy, and environmental education

2. Summer maintenance - we, along with our dear friends at Nurture, offer to “take over” school food production spaces for July and August, bringing in staff and youth to care for and elevate the space so that its ready for use in fall learning 

3. Annual inputs - each spring, we offer free seeds and seedlings to school communities 

This last one - free seeds and seedlings - is what sparked what has now become YFS’ newest youth-driven project: 

 

Youth Seed Stewardship

Here’s how it works... or how we imagine it will - we’re beginning the pilot as I write this in early November 2024.

Youth Seed Stewards are to be the carers of the brand new Inter-School Seed Library, building and organizing the system that will allow schools across Waterloo Region to access free local seeds and support. 

 

Seedlings being grown for school gardens across Waterloo Region, as well as other community initiatives, in the greenhouse at Glenview Park S.S. (Cambridge ON) in spring 2021

 

The Inter-School Seed Library is a more robust, more localized, more engaged version of what we’ve been doing when we offer seeds to schools. Instead of purchasing seeds from local seed companies, the majority will eventually be seeds grown and collected from the very school gardens they’re being distributed to. Much like a traditional seed library model, schools will “borrow” seeds, with an informal promise to set aside a section, or a few plants, to grow for seed. 

We’ll need to have plenty of resources, of course, in order to empower school communities to save seeds effectively and to the standards we want to maintain. How-to guides, videos, workshops. Isolation distances are tricky when you have just a few raised garden boxes to work with, so some schools might only save seeds from a few species. Others that have large or multiple spaces can take on some of the more challenging varieties. And there may be some, like carrots, that are must-haves for many schools but that are tricky and time- and space-consuming to grow to seed; and so we can continue our partnership with local companies to supplement what’s reasonably available from schools. 

 

Students working in the greenhouse (left) and seedlings ready for distribution (right) at Resurrection C.S.S. in Spring 2024

 

The goal: to increase access to open pollinated, heirloom, and regionally adapted seeds for school based food production, and to support stronger school ground ecosystems through native plants and pollinator support - all while engaging young people as leaders and changemakers in our local food systems. We want to give youth a seat at the table in building and managing this valuable resource for schools and the community.  

Seed Stewards will connect with each other and adult allies around seeds and local food through monthly Steward Sessions at the Seeds of Diversity office in Uptown Waterloo, as well as through local field trips, workshops, and activities. Through this, they’ll lead and troubleshoot the development of the Inter-School Seed Library, from seed packing and germination testing to building the inventory database and designing the seed request process.

It all started this month with a series of two seedy workshops focused on seed saving and stewardship. 

 

Workshop #1: Seed Harvesting and Cleaning with Nancy Hainsworth

At our first workshop we had a blast learning about methods for harvesting and cleaning seeds with Nancy Hainsworth of Nancy’s Creations and Seeds. We also explored the gardens and grounds of Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate Institute (Kitchener ON) to put the lessons learned into practice! We collected seeds from at least a dozen different plants in the garden space; these seeds will be the first to be submitted to the Inter-School Seed Library!

 

The first seed workshop took place on October 1 at Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate Institute

 

Workshop #2: Seed Stewardship

At our second workshop, our very own Bob Wildfong led an exploration of Seeds of Diversity’s Seed Library. We learned all about how the project began and how the organization manages over 3500 seed varieties!! We then went through the process of cleaning and adding a new entry of Rojo de Seda (Red Silk Beans) to the library and packed many many seed packets that will be sent out to gardeners across Canada! We then started imagining what the Inter-School Seed Library might look like!

 

The second workshop took place on October 15 at the Seeds of Diversity office

 

What’s Next for the Youth Seed Stewards? 

Early in November, we held an informal Meet-and-Greet Event, in which the Youth Stewards gathered for an evening of games and food at the Seeds of Diversity office in Waterloo. This was intended to be a chance to get  to know each other before delving into the project.

Now is the real work! Beginning on November 21st, Stewards, adult allies, and staff will take part in monthly sessions, with a final celebration and showcase of the seed library in May 2025. 

The beginning of what will soon be the Inter-School Seed Library!

 

Session themes will include things such as: seed cleaning and drying, seed storage and inventory, seed distribution systems, and seedy reflections. Each session will be co-facilitated by these adult allies, who are key mentors and knowledge keepers/sharers.

 

Do you want to follow this journey as we embark on youth-driven seed stewardship? Follow Youth in Food Systems on Instagram or subscribe to the newsletter. Want to know more, partner with YFS, or interested in replicating this in your own community? Get in touch! info@youthinfoodsystems.ca 

Top image: Students at Resurrection C.S.S. (Kitchener ON) pose behind their 12-bed food producing garden in Spring 2021

 

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