Library to farm to table: public libraries increasingly offer food production programs

Rivera, Destiny 

Inklebarger, T. (2016, November 1). Library to farm to table: Public libraries increasingly offer food production programs. American Libraries. Retrieved from https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/11/01/library-farm-to-table/

This is a beautiful and simple article presented by the online version of American Libraries Magazine about seed libraries and what they refer to as “food production programs”. This article profiles various libraries across the nation which offer “food-literacy” classes as well as access to farms, seeds and crops. While this article has many innovative ideas, it ends with a very powerful vision by Jodi Shaw, coordinator for the American Library Association’s Sustainability Round Table. She has a revolutionary idea to convert all 60 branches of the Brooklyn Public Library into rooftop gardens. In total all 6o branches equates to about 138 acres of of farmland. While she admits it is a radical idea, she keeps a close eye on other organizations within Brooklyn who are already converting this dream into a reality. Great read!

Not your garden-variety library: planting a seed library yields community connections

Rivera, Destiny 

Landgraf, G. (2015, January 5). Not your garden-variety library: planting a seed library yields community connections. American Libraries. Retrieved from https://americanlibrariesmagazine. org/2015/01/05/not-your-garden-variety-library/

This article discusses seed libraries, refugee communities and Omaha Public Library’s (and the City of Omaha’s) commitment to help link refugees to farm and seed.  They understand that having access to land and seed helps new arrived refugees feel settled and gives them a sense of place.