Inspiration for the Seed Library

by Vicki Nowicki

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I went to Italy in 2012 with farmers from 150 countries at the Slow Food Terra Madre Conference. It was life changing. I learned that seed supplies were not secure. The following summer I attended The Seed Savers Exchange Summer Festival and met people and learned from them ways that were already happening to help secure our seed supply. Gary Nabhan, an inspirational leader in this field led me and 500 others in a pledge to preserve and protect these vanishing seeds. And you know what happened? My world turned upside down! So, mid-2013 I began to lay down plans to open a seed library in Downers Grove. Kathleen Davidson, Roberta Muehlhaus and Wendy Hudson were the first people who enthusiastically agreed that it was a wonderful idea and have worked tirelessly ever since. We have come a long way since then.