Our Community Seed Shed

The GRuB seed shed was built in 2015 by many volunteers!

The seed shed provides the farm with a cool, dry place for storing seeds, potatoes, and winter squash, and it is a resource for anyone in our community who needs free seeds. 

How to use the seed shed:

The seed shed is located behind the GRuB Farmhouse and across the bridge. Look for the cabinet with the words “Community Seeds” above it. This community seed cabinet is never locked and can be accessed anytime. Please take only the amount of seed that you can use or share in the current year. Please consider filling out the seed shed guest log so we know more about how our community is using the seed shed! You can also scan the QR code inside the cabinet door to donate to support GRuB so we can keep these community resources flowing!

We restock the shed weekly from February through July and every 2-4 weeks through September. 

We also donate smaller amounts to libraries and local schools, which you can apply for by emailing farm@goodgrub.org and letting us know how much you want and what you’re looking for (veggies, flowers, herbs). 

‍Where the seeds come from:

The seeds are all donated from many different seed companies, many of which are PNW local companies like Ed Hume. We solicit donations yearly, explaining our mission and that we are looking for seeds to share for free with our community. Sometimes, we also receive seeds from local home gardeners. 

Most seeds are good for 3+ years from the year they were produced. How long a seed lasts depends on the quality of the seed and how well it’s stored over time. As the seeds age, the germination rate can drop. “Germination” essentially means to sprout. The germination rate implies that instead of 10 out of every 10 seeds sprouting, you might have only 7 out of 10 seeds sprouting after a couple of years. Even still, seeds can last a long time! Seeds that are over 2,000 years old have been successfully germinated! 

Without realizing it, the economic systems we live within often reshape our understanding of what is good and bad because something loses its market value. Seed companies can only sell the seeds in the year for which they are packaged, so they are not valuable to the company after that year, but for gardeners, these seeds are still good! Thankfully, many seed companies are happy to send community organizations and school gardens the previous year’s seeds. As you pick out your seeds, you’ll notice they have an older year stamped on the package. Rest assured that these seeds are still good to plant. If the package is a couple of years old, you can always plant a few extra seeds just in case a few don’t come up!