The Fred & Louise Hubbard Seed Exchange
The Fred & Louise Hubbard Seed Exchange
How our free seed exchange works:
You are welcome to pick up seeds to grow, whether you contribute or not. We hope you will consider sharing seed-offspring from the seeds you plant, but this is by no means mandatory. The idea: the more people save their seeds to share, the more the Seed Exchange will expand to benefit all our gardens with increased diversity, and with seeds that are proven successful in this eco-specific locale.
To share: Please bring any seeds you'd like to donate in labeled envelopes and place in the Hastings Public Library seed drop box. The box is located inside the library and is accessible during library hours only. Self-harvested seeds and commercial seed packets are both welcome. We accept vegetable, herb, flower and all native plant seeds. Here is a good article on seed saving.
Label your envelopes with the following:
Plant name (variety and/or scientific name if you know it)
Type (native/cultivar, if you know it)
Date harvested
Any other specifics you can share: sun/shade, moist/dry, deer resistant, organically grown at home or otherwise
Your name and contact details (telephone or email), in case we have questions
To receive: pick up any seeds you'd like to take home and plant! They'll be organized by type in the file drawers. Please be prepared to plant your seeds this year – they will not last forever. Seeds in the Exchange will be replenished seasonally.
Fred & Louise Hubbard
Fred & Louise were a legendary pair. They lived in Hastings from 1973 until 2008 (Fred) and 2019 (Louise). Fred and Louise worked to restore ecosystems, build and maintain trails, and educate the public. Fred was Hastings’ first “Village Naturalist,” a title devised to recognize his contributions to the Village. He detailed his observations in several monographs: Birds of Hastings, Flora of Hastings, and Recreational Areas of Hastings. Louise lived to 105, regaling all who knew her with a kind and keen wit and depth of knowledge. Meet Fred & Louise here, in an interview with Spike Barkan, in January 2008.
Fred and Louise set up the original seed exchange with Thom Forbes, library board member. When they passed away, the exchange lay fallow until HPP relaunched it in 2022, with Debbie Quinn, library director. We thank the HPL for supporting this project!
Prior to establishing a permanent seed exchange at the library, HPP hosted a handful of outdoor seed swaps
