Events
Tomatoganza!
Tomatoganza! is the Napa County Seed Library’s tomato taste-off and seed saving event! In it’s second year, it will be a featured event of the Oxbow District, and you’ll again savor and vote for the season's best beefsteak and cherry varieties. We’ll bring in entries from up to 15 local farms to award "The Local Favorites.” Join live demos and learn how to save seeds from the world’s most popular fruit. Ask experienced local growers for best practices for producing the best tasting tomato varieties. Our event features kid-friendly activities, raffle prizes, music, and saved seeds to take home.
3rd Annual Seed Swap
Join us for our 3rd Annual Seed Swap at the CIA at Copia Garden!
Meet us downtown at the CIA at Copia for our 3rd Annual Seed Swap! Come to exchange seeds with garden enthusiasts and local small farmers; stay to enjoy refreshments, tips, and smiles that will bring your wildest garden dreams to life. This is a FREE event but you MUST bring seeds to exchange to participate in the swap.
Date | Sunday, April 14, 2024
Time | 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location | CIA at Copia Garden, 500 First Street, Napa, CA 94558
Label your seeds clearly and include:
📝 crop type
📝 common or variety name
📝 your name (as seed saver / donor)
📝 company's name (if from a commercial seed company)
📝 harvest date (or the “packed for” date if from a commercial seed company)
Seeds must be:
🫘 organically grown (labeled organic or non-GMO)
🫘 untreated, clean, dry, free of dirt, debris, leaves, stems, or pods
🫘 clearly labeled and sealed in jars, envelopes, paper bags, or commercial seed packets
Watch this video from our last swap! Lavender and Lauren show you how to prepare your seeds to exchange.
How to Prepare Your Seeds: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
19th Annual Ag Day
Join us at the Napa County Farm Bureau Foundation and the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner Office’s 19th Ag Day event celebrating local agriculture. This event is FREE!
California Organic Seed Summit
The annual California Organic Seed Summit, convened by the Organic Seed Alliance, is a gathering for California-based seed growers to network, exchange knowledge, and develop collective actions to build sustainable, profitable, and resilient seed systems.
Mumm Napa Health Fair
We are pleased to be invited to present to the employees of Mumm Napa the aspects of full-circle gardening that supports human health and wellbeing on November 16, 2023, 9 am to 12 pm. (This is a corporate-sponsored event and not open to the public.)
St. Helena Community Seed Exchange
We host a community seed exchange at the St. Helena Farmers Market on select Fridays from 7:30 am to 12 pm from May to October.
We offer organic seeds and seedlings, as well as educational workshops, to encourage new gardeners, and to re-skill experienced gardeners to grow locally adapted seeds. Bring locally grown, organic seeds and come “seed” us!
Note: We prioritize seed shares with those who have little or no access to seeds.
How to prepare seeds to exchange: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Cost: Free
Bring: Packets of mature, dry, well-labeled organic seed to exchange.
St. Helena Public Library Lecture
Join us on Tuesday evening October 10th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the St. Helena Public Library to learn how public libraries fueled the seed library movement. Find out all about how seed libraries work, and how public libraries play a key role in preserving culture, food, land, and seed saving skills!
Tomatoganza!
Tomatoganza! is Napa County’s first-ever tomato taste-off and seed saving event! Savor and select the season's best beefsteak and cherry entries from up to 7 farms to award "The Local Favorites.” Join live demos and learn how to save seeds from the world’s most popular fruit. Stay for kid-friendly activities, raffle prizes, music, and saved seeds to take home. Tickets are $12/person and $27/group of 3 people. (Tickets must be purchased in advance.) 🍅 Love to help out? Become a Volunteer for Tomatoganza! and receive FREE admission and a t-shirt! 🍅
St. Helena Community Seed Exchange
Tomato Seed Saving Lecture and Hands-on Seed Processing 🫘 🌱 💞
Seeds begin and end the life-cycle of many plant species and we rely on this seasonal rhythm in many ways. In this free, hands-on lecture and workshop, Lauren will show you three easy was to successfully save tomato seeds from your home garden. If you want to save your own homegrown tomato seeds, bring 1-2 beefsteaks or a basketful of a cherry variety and a small glass jar. We’ll show you the rest!
Seed saving is a great way to begin a conversation about the community’s role in sustaining local food systems by adapting food and pollinator crops to the changing environment and by increasing plant biodiversity for future generations. We’ll also have a booth at this Friday’s market where you can get hands-on a variety of dried seed and learn how to collect and harvest and process these seeds right at the St Helena Farmers Market. No materials needed... join us!
St. Helena Community Seed Exchange
We host a community seed exchange booth at the St. Helena Farmers Market on select Fridays from 7:30 am to 12 pm from May to October.
We offer organic seeds and seedlings, as well as educational workshops, to encourage new gardeners, and to re-skill experienced gardeners to grow locally adapted seeds. Bring locally grown, organic seeds and come “seed” us!
Note: We prioritize seed shares with those who have little or no access to seeds.
How to prepare seeds to exchange: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Cost: Free
Bring: Packets of mature, dry, well-labeled organic seed to exchange.
St. Helena Community Seed Exchange
We host a community seed exchange booth at the St. Helena Farmers Market on select Fridays from 7:30 am to 12 pm from May to October.
We offer organic seeds and seedlings, as well as educational workshops, to encourage new gardeners, and to re-skill experienced gardeners to grow locally adapted seeds. Bring locally grown, organic seeds and come “seed” us!
Note: We prioritize seed shares with those who have little or no access to seeds.
How to prepare seeds to exchange: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Cost: Free
Bring: Packets of mature, dry, well-labeled organic seed to exchange.
Grand Opening! Bird Nest Annex #5
Grand Opening this Friday, June 16th, from 4-6 pm! A collaborative event hosted by the Napa County Seed Library and our newest seed keepers, Carmen and Vivian.
Climate-Friendly Garden Tour 2023
The Napa County Seed Library is featured among 11 private gardens in the 2023 Climate-Smart Garden Tour! Come visit our three outdoor seed library annexes and tour their adjoining climate-friendly gardens during this open-house style tour. The tour is a partnership between the City of Napa Water Division, Napa RCD, UC Master Gardeners, the Napa County Seed Library, and the Town of Yountville. The eleven private and public gardens selected in Napa and Yountville will showcase beautiful and vibrant landscapes that are climate-friendly and water-wise. Tickets are $5 for adults, kids are free!
St. Helena Farmers Market Lecture
At our first appearance at the St. Helena Farmers Market we’ll give a workshop on “5 Easy Seeds to Save.” Join us on Friday, May 12 at 10:30 am for this lecture!
Earth Day Napa 2023
Earth Day Napa 2023 will be held on Sunday, April 23rd. This free festival brings the community together to celebrate and learn about our local and global environment. Hands-on educational activities, live music and more will keep the whole family entertained!
Napa Community Seed Exchange
We host a community seed exchange booth at the Napa Farmers Market on select Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12 pm—rain or shine. Our last market date for 2023 is April 1st. Come and get seeds and seedlings on this special date!
We offer organic seeds and seedlings, as well as educational workshops, to encourage new gardeners, and to re-skill experienced gardeners to grow locally adapted seeds. Bring locally grown, organic seeds and come “seed” us!
Note: We prioritize seed shares with those who have little or no access to seeds.
How to prepare seeds to exchange: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Cost: Free
Bring: Packets of mature, dry, well-labeled organic seed to exchange.
Napa Community Seed Exchange
We host a community seed exchange booth at the Napa Farmers Market on select Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12 pm—rain or shine.
We offer organic seeds and seedlings, as well as educational workshops, to encourage new gardeners, and to re-skill experienced gardeners to grow locally adapted seeds. Bring locally grown, organic seeds and come “seed” us!
Note: We prioritize seed shares with those who have little or no access to seeds.
How to prepare seeds to exchange: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Cost: Free
Bring: Packets of mature, dry, well-labeled organic seed to exchange.
2nd Annual Seed Swap
Details: Join us for Napa County’s 2nd Annual Seep Swap! Exchange seeds with local seed savers, community groups, and small farmers. Don’t miss it!
Date: February 18, 2023.
Cost: Free.
How to prepare your seeds: https://youtu.be/qQxPORNxQKg
Bring: Five (5) organically grown seed packets.
Location: Crosswalk Community Church, 2590 First Street, Napa, CA 94558
11th Annual Seed Library Summit
Join us for the 11th Annual Seed Library Summit! Local speakers: Lauren Muscatine, co-founder, Napa County Seed Library, co-presents and Pat Sobrero, Round Valley Seed Library on on “How to Start a Seed Library.” Keynote speaker: Beata Tsosie-Peña, founder of Española Seed Library, poet, activist, and the Organizational Director of Breath of My Heart Birthplace, a non-profit licensed birth center and midwifery practice based in Española, New Mexico.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seed-library-summit-tickets-386203664557
About our seeds
Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions we get about our seeds and seed libraries. If you have further questions, please let us know.
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Each seed library annex serves a unique and hyperlocal community. All are designed for you to borrow and donate seeds. Watch this video to see how easy it is to borrow and return seeds to the library annexes.
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We ONLY offer organically grown seeds that are dry, clean, and freshly packed or harvested. If seeds donated are 4 years old or older, they may not germinate to grow into mature plants. Although seed can be viable for 5+ years in optimal storage conditions, seed is best when grown within two years after harvest.
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Seed inventories and selections will vary by location. Keep our supplies abundant and return or donate organically grown seeds, grown locally or commercially. We accept seed donations in commercial packets, coin envelopes, glass jars, or heavyweight paper bags. No plastic, please.
How do I use the libraries?
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We exchange vegetable, herb, flower, medicinal, and ornamental seeds. At times we offer tree seeds. We stock seeds according to seasonal planting cycles. Visit the libraries to find what’s ready to plant!
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From February through April you’ll find radish, lettuce, carrot, beets, pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, arugula, cilantro, chives, flowers and ornamentals for pollinators.
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From May through August you’ll find summer squashes (zucchini, patty pan), winter squash (acorn, butternut), eggplant, okra, tomatoes, corn, beans, basil, tomatillos, melons, drought-tolerant flowers, and ornamentals.
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From September through January you’ll find beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, celery, pak choi, wildflowers, and cover crop.
Which kinds of seeds
do you have?
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Intake, handling, labeling, and storage are all essential to preserve the viabilty of our seed inventories.
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Our seeds come from commercial and locally grown seed sources. All seeds must be labeled with the seed type, year of collection or packed for date, and the name of the seed saver or company that donated them.
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Seed libraries are exempt from germination testing because they freely serve a common good. This testing is costly, requiring time and resources we do not have. We trust the labeling on seed from the commercial market and handle and store all seed to preserve highest quality. We do not share seed older than 7 years past its harvest date.
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Seeds are alive and people using the seed libraries have varying degrees of seed saving skills. Occasionally we test for good seed germination, when in doubt, but generally we trust that those who share seeds with us are giving us organic seeds that are vigorous.
How do you retain
seed quality?
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But hybrid seeds aren’t for saving or sharing. This is simply because their method of reproduction comes from two different species or varieties that are crossed using human intervention, usually in a lab or under controlled conditions.
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These types of seeds are adapted to a region pollinated by insects, birds, wind, humans, or other natural methods. As long as pollen is not shared between different varieties within the same species, then the seed produced will grow, look, taste, and reproduce the same way the seed its parent plants were saved from.
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Locally adapted seeds regenerate plant genetic material to produce healthier seed stock.
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Heirloom seeds are open pollinated seeds with an interesting legacy. Because we want our seed libraries to carry unique varieties that reflect the culture and people of Napa County, we prioritize for heirloom seeds to circulate through the libraries.
