Check Out the Door County Seed Library

The Door County Seed Library will open in several Door County Library Branches beginning March 16, 2026 to give away free seeds to the community.

Ask a young child where apples come from and you are likely to be told that apples come from the grocery store. When you cut open an apple, that child will delight in the discovery of seeds in the core of the apple. To a young child seeds are like treasure… and why not?

Seeds are a promise of the plant to come. An acorn holds an entire oak tree within and waits patiently until conditions are right to germinate and grow. The Door County Seed Library (DCSL) collects and stores seeds and shares them with members of the community for free. A seed library doesn’t operate for profit; flowers in the garden offer their seeds for free and so do we!

Many varieties of vegetable, native and annual seeds are available thanks to donations from local gardeners and seed companies.

At a seed library people ‘check out’ free seeds, grow them, and watch the magic of the botanic life cycle unfold. It’s a gift economy; free seeds grow free plants; plants flower, bloom and mature gifting nourishment to people and pollinators; new seeds appear and the gift is passed on. While it is not required to return seeds to the seed library, many gardeners take great pleasure in donating seeds from a plentiful harvest, a variety of unique heritage tomatoes or a beloved bean that has been passed down through generations.

Ken Paschke has bred a new variety of bean grown and adapted in Door County. The DCSL preserves and shares these seeds for future gardens.

The goal of the Door County Seed Library is to help people become successful gardeners and seed savers. The DCSL helps to increase our sustainability and capacity to grow wholesome food, and foster a culture of sharing. On March 16, the Baileys Harbor, Sister Bay, Egg Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, Forestville and Washington Island branches of the Door County Library system will be restocked with free open-pollinated vegetable, herb, flower, and native seeds. Seeds for the winter sowing of native plants requiring cold stratification are available at several branches starting in January.

Native seeds requiring a cold period before germination are available in several branches in January for winter sowing in milk jugs outside. Information for Winter Sowing can be found on the Door County Seed Library Website.

You are invited to join the seed library for free by signing up at https://doorcountyseedlibrary.org/ then stop by the library to peruse the seed packet inventory and select your desired seeds. Laura Kayacan, Adult Services Librarian at the Sturgeon Bay Branch, appreciates the benefits the seed library brings beyond the garden; “I love the seed library because it draws many people into the library and many of those are not regular library users.  I also love that it promotes healthy eating, nature and science.”

The Door County Seed Library gave away over 20,000 seed packets in 2025. You are invited to take home some of this treasure and bury it in your garden!

After March 16 select seeds are available to plant in your home garden. Guidance for beginners who want to learn how to grow plants from seeds can be found on the Door County Seed Library Website.