Windham – When she learned that the area she served in Windham was classified as a food desert, Portage County District Librarian Sarah McCoy wanted to do something to change that. Inspired by a program at the Kent Free Library, McCoy worked to implement a Seed Library at Portage County District’s Windham branch – something available to library patrons and non-library cardholders alike. “I’ve always been interested in sustainability,” she shared, “and wanted give local families the opportunity and tools to grow their own healthy food.”
The Seed Garden was launched this growing season giving residents of Windham and anyone in Portage County, tools and resources to begin home gardening, seed saving, and eventually to learn food preservation techniques. Whether you’re interested in Armenian cucumbers, Genovese basil, southern cowpeas, or colorful sunflowers and zinnias, the Seed Library is full of options, and available during Windham library hours. Each household can select up to five seed packets at each visit, for a total of 20 seed packets per growing season.
In addition to a variety of heirloom, non-GMO, non-hybrid seeds, the Seed Library provides growing information. Additional gardening and propagation resources can be accessed at the Windham library as well. According to McCoy, deposits of saved seeds will be accepted beginning on September 1st to restock the Seed Library for the 2024 growing season. But the Seed Library isn’t the only thing growing at Renaissance Family Center.
The courtyard outside the building has been transformed into the AMETEK Food Forest, a permaculture garden where growing skills and edibles are available to all. For those unfamiliar with permaculture, a food forest or forest garden is a diverse planting of edibles that mimic the growing patterns found in nature. In the AMETEK Food Forest, edible crops are grown in guilds. For example, in the Bartlett Pear Tree Guild, the fruit tree is surrounded by flowers like bee balm and milkweed, herbs like chamomile and chives, and strawberry plants that that help improve the soil, attract pollinators, and provide food.
The Food Forest also contains cherry, peach, and apple tree guilds surrounded by a mix of beneficial herbs and vegetables like comfrey, fennel, oregano, and garlic. The productive courtyard also includes blueberries bushes, as well as red and black raspberry canes, and kiwi vines. Much like the guilds it contains, the AMETEK Food Garden is made possible through the interplanting of AMETEK funds as well as support from the OSU Extension, Portage County Master Gardeners, the Renaissance Family Center, and UH Portage.
McCoy noted that strawberries would be ready for harvest in the Food Forest sometime in June, while zucchini and tomatoes will be available later in the season. She explained that surplus raspberry canes would also be divided and provided to those who want them. From 5 – 6 pm each Monday evening, the garden is a hive of activity as volunteers tend the garden and are on-hand to answer questions from novice and future gardeners alike. Just like the Seed Library, no library card is required to access the AMETEK Food Forest.
The Seed Library can be found inside the Portage County District Library Windham branch at the Renaissance Family Center at 9005 Wil Verne Drive in Windham. The AMETEK Food Forest can be accessed through the Renaissance Family Center as well. For more information on the Seed Library, contact McCoy at (330) 326-3145 or visit www.portagelibrary.org.
