The East Scarborough Pop-Up Seed Library project was created to address food insecurity in the Woburn, Scarborough community. The project developed an innovative solution to address financial and geographic barriers to accessing healthy food, while also helping to foster a sustainable and climate-resilient food system in the region. In collaboration with existing grassroots organizations and sustainable agricultural initiatives, project organizers came up with ideas that addressed the specific needs identified by the community.
The project is a mobile seed library that provides food-producing seeds free of charge to East Scarborough community members. The mobile seed library consists of two small cabinets that house a variety of seeds and that travel to different pop-up locations within East Scarborough each year. The mobile nature allows the seeds to reach a wider range of residents and circumvent typical accessibility and travel barriers. The seeds are food-producing in order to enhance community involvement in both food growth and sustainability. The team also developed a website with easily accessible information about how to grow each seed type, including an innovative digital seed-growing guide and printed seed information cards that serve as a beginner-friendly gardening resource.
The ultimate goal of the project was to have the seed library be entirely community-owned and maintained, with a long legacy. In January 2023, organizers established an agreement with a community hub called East Scarborough Storefront to continue the initiative. The hope is that the project will continually increase local access to gardening resources and facilitate sustainable food production in ways that support residents’ well-being for years to come.
In recognition of their inspiring efforts leading to positive impacts in its local community in the fight against climate change, Pivot Green, in partnership with the Small Change Fund, has awarded the East Scarborough Pop-Up Seed Library a $500 honorarium for their successful climate program.