On a backroom table of The Goods in Soldotna, MaryAnn Dyke sorts through containers of arugula and dill seeds.
The volunteer packages the locally sourced seeds into small, brown envelopes. Handwritten or typed growing instructions will be affixed to the outside before they’re placed among thousands of other seeds in an old-fashioned library card catalog.
The catalog near The Goods’ main entrance serves as the hub for the Soldotna Seed Library, a free place for people to check out packaged seeds.
The initiative was first introduced in 2022 as a means of providing a space for growers to share local seeds best suited for growth on the Kenai Peninsula. The seed library was originally in the Soldotna Public Library, but moved to The Goods as the program grew. The idea behind the seed library is for locals to check out seed packets, grow them and return the next generation of seeds.
Ann Gravier is the Soldotna Seed Library coordinator. She says with each generation of local seeds grown and shared, the Kenai Peninsula’s food system becomes more secure.
“It sustains the seed library, but what you get back is locally adapted seeds," Gravier said. "These seeds have grown through a season here in our climate and, ideally, would be adapted to the conditions growing here.”
The seed library is labeled alphabetically, with more than 30 drawers. It offers turnips, bok choy, squash and several others. Commercially packaged seeds not yet accustomed to Alaska’s climate are also available for checkout.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices increased 25% between 2019 and 2023. Gravier says this has led some locals to take up gardening. But, she says the cost of seeds have also increased, which can make gardening a financial challenge.
“Seeds don’t necessarily cost a lot, but every day they cost more and more," Gravier said. "It’s just another barrier that we can remove. And then, the added benefit is if we get folks to grow their own vegetables, they’re sustaining themselves. If they can get us seeds back, as well, we’re growing a stock of locally adapted seeds.”
In April, the Soldotna Seed Library received a $600 grant from the Central Peninsula Garden Club to fund seed envelopes and commercially packaged seeds. The library has also received seed donations from the community. To date, the program has packaged about 2,500 seeds, and about 900 people have checked out seeds.
Although the seed library sees most of its use in the spring and summer months, Gravier says promoting locally grown food is a year-round endeavor. She says the community response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Most folks will grow vegetables without using chemicals and that sort of thing," Gravier said. "You have fresh vegetables as opposed to ones with a lot of miles on them to get here, and I think people can tell the difference.”
The Soldotna Seed Library is limited to 10 seed packets per person, per family member.
You can visit the library at The Goods, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
