Nearly 14% of Madison County residents are food insecure. That means they are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food. (www.kaco.org and www.feedingamerica.org).  With increasing food prices and supply chain issues, this problem has the potential to get worse.

People are looking for ways to stretch their dollar and to become more self-sufficient.

The Madison County Extension Office offered free seeds to the public this year. The staff created a “seed library” in the front hallway of their building. Dozens of different garden vegetable seeds were available to choose from. Each client that visited the library was allowed to take ten seed packets of their choosing.

In addition to the seeds, gardening and nutrition information was offered as well.

The library was available beginning in March until mid-September. The agents adjusted the seeds offered to correspond with growing conditions.

Over the course of the program, 818 people took seeds.

Feedback from the public was favorable. One client told the Horticulture Agent, “This was a great use of tax payer money.” The same client visited the seed library several times so he could get seeds to share with neighbors. He went on to say that while seeds packets are not very expensive, for people on a fixed income every dollar counts.

The Agents plan to offer the seed library again this spring.