Good news! We have some microgreens that you can order now and pick up during our curbside hours. You can order seeds for spring planting now and reserve tools as well.
The Monadnock Grows Together Seed and Tool Lending Libraries are a collaboration between the Keene Public Library, Cheshire County Conservation District, Antioch University New England's Community Garden Connections (CGC), and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).
Monadnock Grows Together is funded by the Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) established the Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative in 2016 to help conservation districts and their partners provide much-needed technical assistance for agricultural conservation in developed or predominantly developing areas. Since July of 2016, NAC and NRCS have awarded three rounds of grants, totaling $4 million to 81 conservation district projects across 34 states.
The Libraries
Now you can order seeds through the mail!
Our Seed Library is open to everyone in the community, at no charge. No library card is necessary to take seeds. We provide, in addition to seeds, education, and resources about growing and saving seeds and organic gardening. We hope that seed library patrons will return some seeds from their harvest to make the library self-sustaining
Want to start gardening, but don't have the right tools? Ready to tackle a big yard project, and need something unusual? The Tool Library can help! Our tool lending library is in the Kingsbury Makerspace and is open to all Cheshire County residents. No library card is necessary but borrowers must fill out and sign the Keene Public Library Tool Borrower Responsibility Agreement.
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How To Borrow From The Seed Lending Library
Now you can order seeds for curbside pickup!
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How To And What To Borrow From The Tool Library
Although the Keene Public Libray is closed to the public, you can place holds on tools through our online catalog. Or call us at 603-352-0157. We'll contact you when the items are ready for curbside pickup.
Broadfork
This is a tool used to manually break up hard soil, to improve aeration and drainage. It's indispensable when creating new beds or when trying to turn lawn/turf into a garden. This is a hefty tool, as it weighs 15 pounds.
Here's a great beginner's video on how to use the Broad Fork.
Push Seeder
This seeder is great for row crops. It has interchangeable plates, so it can be used with seeds of different sizes.
Here's a great beginner's video on how to use the push seeder.
Gardener Support
Do you have questions about the seed and tool libraries or library materials dealing with gardening? Contact Gail Zachariah at the Keene Public Library, 603-352-0157.
Do you need advice from a gardener? Contact Rachel Brice; the Monadnock /Grows Together Coordinator at the Cheshire County Conservation District. Rachel Brice is a current Environmental Studies Doctoral student at Antioch University New England; she relocated to the Monadnock region from Austin, TX. Rachel has more than ten years of experience as an environmental educator in a wide variety of educational settings, from outdoors to the classroom full-time, working with youth grades K-12, as well as adults. She serves as Cheshire County's Urban Ag & Gardens Coordinator. She works as the Garden Educator for the C&S Workplace Organic Gardens Project, both of which are a great fit with her small-scale organic growing and permaculture design experience. Rachel's interests intersect with food systems/food justice, environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, community work, organizational leadership, and program planning/design and evaluation.
Rachel is available to answer questions, provide 1-on-1 technical assistance, and will even come out and visit you and your garden to offer advice!
Reach out to Rachel via email: Rachel@cheshireconservation.org
