Kendall Young Library is giving away seeds, provided by another Iowa non-profit organization.

Next Saturday, January 31, the library will have individually packaged seeds for new gardeners and experienced gardeners, to plant and start a garden.

They are not just any seeds, they are seeds from an organization called Nine Square Feet, based out of West Des Moines.

Their mission is to share seeds, plants and food in the Des Moines metro area and central Iowa.

They are sending out free seeds to 55 libraries across the state of Iowa this year. They hope that younger people will start learning to garden, growing their own food and enjoying the healthier choices they provide.

“We buy seeds in bulk,” said Connie Johnson, executive director of Nine Square Feet, “We buy seeds in bulk. We know what seeds are good for beginners, we know what are good for small garden spaces, we know what seeds work in Zone 5.”

“The idea is to teach and give people some skills,” said Johnson.

Volunteers at Nine Square Feet help re-package seeds to be redistributed throughout Iowa.

“We repackage those bulk seeds and prepare the packages for those 55 libraries. Some of the libraries have been with us since 2023, our first year,” said Johnson, “Each year that number has grown.”

Nine Square Feet has 150 different types of seeds and 70% are heirloom seeds. The plants from these seeds will have seeds that can be harvested and replanted the following year or swapped at a seed swap. The seed swap program is the most popular event of Nine Square Feet.

This non-profit relies on donations and writes grants for things such as a greenhouse where they grow plants too.

When the library offers the seeds, spend the time to plan a garden, start the seeds, and learn how to manage your own healthy food source. That is what Nine Square Feet wants.