About

Borrow. Save. Share. is dedicated to supporting the free and open sharing of locally grown seed in British Columbia.

Each seed contains the story of a long and evolving relationship between plants, places and cultures.

Locally adapted, regionally appropriate seeds are stewarded in place. By growing and sharing seed in the public domain, we can create a resilient and diverse community seed collection that is ideally suited to our local growing practices and conditions.

Borrow. Save. Share. supports community seed saving by:

  • providing resources to help start community seed libraries
  • celebrating local seed heroes and telling the story of local seed
  • highlighting community seed saving initatives

This project came into being on Canada’s Pacific Coast, on the unceded Coast Salish Territories of the Lekwungen and W_SÁNEC peoples. We endeavour to honour the land and its treaties by strengthening our relationship and responsibilities to them. Many of our practices, including the seeds we plant, the ways we educate and our methods of growing food came to these lands through the ongoing process of dispossession and colonialism. We hold this understanding in our interactions and engagements with this land and its people.

HISTORY OF SITE

This website was created by LifeCycles as a way to support and inspire community seed sharing in BC.

Our work with seed began in the Fall of 2013. Partnering with the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) we hosted a “Seed Cafe.” This event invited local seed producers, hobby gardeners and other seedy folks to gather at the library for a conversation about community seed saving on Southern Vancouver Island. We had a rich and inspiring conversation with over 40 people and realized the time was ripe for starting a local seed library.

In February of 2014, the Victoria Seed Library was born!

In the following year LifeCycles partnered with the Surrey Libraries to launch the Surrey Seed Library. We also participated in the First International Seed Library Forum and presented at the BC Library Association Conference and BC Seeds Gathering, and learned from BC Seed Libraries in Langley, Richmond, Vancouver, Saltspring Island, and the Okanagan.