DTES Seed Library

The Downtown Eastside (DTES) Seed Library, in partnership with Carnegie Centre Vancouver Public Library,  is a place where DTES community members can share and access local seeds to grow food, flowers and traditional medicinal plants, as well as access information on how to grow them. 

Our library focuses on a mix of easy to grow, hardy, pollinator friendly, traditional, medicinal, vegetable, flower, and herb varieties. Through this seed library, we encourage education and conversation around issues of food security, biodiversity, food autonomy, personal and community connectivity around nature and food.

Each seed package contains easy-to-follow instructions on how to start and plant seeds as well as resources to find out more about gardening and seed saving.

Our seed library can be accessed at the Carnegie Library at 401 Main Street.

We could not do this without generous donations from West Coast Seeds, Salt Spring Seeds, BC Eco Seed Co-op, Yoshi at Cedar Isle Farm, Good Earth Farm, Ssol Gardens, and Home Depot.  Donations of open-pollinated, easy to grow veggies, fruits, and pollinator friendly flowers are welcome.

Our seed project is very much a library (rather than a bank) as we encourage seed planting and gardening regardless of community members’ ability to return seeds.

The library was founded in memory of one of our gardeners at the Hastings Folk Garden, Neil Benson, much loved and missed. It was started through conversation with beekeeper and gardener Jim McLeod, through a successful Neighbourhood Small Grant in 2015.