Seed Library and Seed Saving

We need your help!

The Maitland Seed Library is a wonderful collaboration between Slow Food Hunter Valley and Maitland City Council Libraries. It began in early 2020, just as we went into our first lockdown. The seed from the seed library is free and available at the Maitland City Council Libraries in Maitland, East Maitland, Rutherford and Thornton.

There is also a Maitland Seed Library stall at our Earth Market on the first and third Thursday of each month from 8.30am. The range reflects what is donated to the library from all our local seed savers. 

Become a Seed Saver

The Maitland Seed Library is always after fresh seed stock. We are happy to accept vegetable, herb and flower seed from all sources including seed grown from seed borrowed from the seed library in the past or from plants grown from other seed sources in your backyard or property. Seed needs to be from non-hybrid varieties so that the seed will grow true to type. 

Seed donations are accepted at all the libraries and the Earth Market. These seeds will be packed and labelled by Slow Food volunteers and library staff. When ready they can be borrowed from the Maitland Seed Library stands in each library by all gardeners to take home, grow and continue the cycle. By lending and returning successful seeds over time we can develop a collection that is adapted to our local conditions, strengthening the biodiversity and food security in our local community. 

Why a Seed Library?

The Seed Library addresses food security and sovereignty issues and is another way by which we try to provide good, clean and fair food for all, Slow Food’s mission. Around 85% of all the seed available in Australia is sourced from overseas and many of the large, international seed companies have total control over the farmers to whom they provide seed. Seed is a precious resource and should be available to all who need and want it. 

What else is going on?

The Maitland Seed Library produces a seasonal newsletter called the Maitland Sprout which is emailed to all Seed Library members around the first day of each season. If you would like to be on this email list please send an email to slowfoodhuntervalley@gmail.com , we will forward your details to the Maitland Library and they will pop your name on the Sprout email list. We have  produced a simple planting guide for the local area put together by Jess Hodges. This guide is available at the Earth Market. We also have regular seed pack and chat sessions , provide children’s education and other seedy activities which are advertised on our SFHV Facebook page and in our regular Slow Food Hunter Valley twice monthly newsletter. We publish a monthly planting guide on Facebook on the first Saturday of each month. 

Any enquiries please contact Anne Kelly at slowfoodhuntervalley@gmail.com