From seed to seed, knowledge is passed on
Seed Library
Farmers have saved seeds since the beginning of agriculture, shaping diversity and carrying knowledge across generations. Modern food systems are built on this collective work. Once farmers’ seeds resources were held in common, but today, they are increasingly fragmented by market control and unfavorable regulations at a global scale. In this context, networks become essential for seed sovereignty, shared learning, and mutual support.
This seed library is a collectively managed collection of seeds and cultivation knowledge. By keeping seeds in common, the library supports resilience and the ongoing work of preserving diversity against loss and enclosure.
Who we are
Spore’s Seed Library is operated by Planting Communities, a group of people rooted in the garden of Spore Initiative, based in Berlin.
Planting Communities connects people interested in hands-on ecological regeneration, agroecology, food sovereignty and landworkers’ autonomy, post-growth economies, food cultures, and community-based approaches to health. It is also a place to ask questions and seek community knowledge or support around these topics.
The Regenerative Garden at Spore Initiative is a space for learning by doing, where people can take part in garden work, workshops, and knowledge exchange.
Spore Initiative is a cultural center that operates translocally. It provides a platform, amplifies voices, and helps connect initiatives working toward social and environmental justice.This seed library is a collectively managed collection of seeds and cultivation knowledge. By keeping seeds in common, the library supports resilience and the ongoing work of preserving diversity against loss and enclosure.
Seed loan
To borrow seeds, browse the catalog and note the varieties you would like to withdraw. Contact the seed library using the contact form. As a rule of thumb, we lend up to two different varieties per person. This limit does not apply to community projects. Within seven days, you will receive a reply confirming your request and providing contact information.This seed library is a collectively managed collection of seeds and cultivation knowledge. By keeping seeds in common, the library supports resilience and the ongoing work of preserving diversity against loss and enclosure.
Online Catalog
Seed library catalog contains entries with detailed information on the plants cultivated in the Spore’s garden in Berlin. All seeds were collected from these plants.
Why to loan
Receiving seeds as a loan means taking responsibility for the care plants need. This care requires skill and time. By returning a portion of what is grown, participants keep varieties in circulation and ensure the library can continue to serve others.
Support the work
Interested in joining the Planting Communities group and participating in our work? We are organized via a Telegram group, you can find a QR code on the ground floor of the Spore Initiative. You can also send us an email.
Adapt the catalog
Interested to adapt the online-catalog for your seed saving project? Contact us.
-Spore’s Seed Library Loan Pledge-
By withdrawing seeds from the seed library, I acknowledge that these seeds are loaned, not given. I accept responsibility for cultivating them with care and respect.
I commit to undertaking the necessary research to understand the plant’s growth requirements, reproductive habits, and isolation needs, so that the variety may be grown true to type and protected from unintended hybridisation.
I further pledge to make a genuine and best-effort attempt to save viable seeds once the plant has completed its natural life cycle. A portion of the saved seeds will be returned to the seed library, in quantity and quality reflective of the plant’s success, so they may be preserved, shared, and grown by others in the future.
I understand that seed saving is both a stewardship and a learning process, and I agree to act in good faith to support the long-term sustainability and diversity of the seed library.