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  • From: Cory Brennan <cory8570@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] the evolution of lending libraries
  • Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 18:51:10 -0800 (PST)

Our community food forest programs always have a seed sharing element. So do
our book discussion groups, film showings, etc. In S Central LA, seeds that
were saved from heirloom plants for generations were being shared. That can
happen in a lot of neighborhoods. Seeds have become almost a form of currency
in some cases. At least they will get you a nice cold drink and some good
conversation :-)

I agree that local tool lending is a good idea. You could start just by
befriending neighbors and finding out what each of them has in the way of
tools and working out trades between them. It does take a trust factor as
tools lent out almost never are cared for like you would. That viewpoint
could change, and I make a point of returning things in better condition than
I got it, so people will keep lending me stuff.

Doing a "needs/resources" bulletin board somewhere in the neighborhood is
great. Keeping it on a web site or some sort of database is even better. The
more automated, the better (like a wiki or something everyone can access) so
people can add and subtract their own stuff.

This is a great excuse to get to know your neighbors and start creating
community. One way I did it at one point when people were not very interested
was briefing the neighbors on disaster triage, neighborhood safety, etc. That
seems to be something people will come to meetings for...

Cory
Cory

--- On Fri, 12/3/10, David Muhl <dmuhl65@yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: David Muhl <dmuhl65@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] the evolution of lending libraries
> To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Friday, December 3, 2010, 6:04 PM
> Hi Jason,
>
> I think the lending library concept is a wonderful
> idea.  If I'm not mistaken, this is a fairly common
> practice within many cohousing communities, or at least
> that's my impression.  I spent this past summer living
> at one, and they had adopted this practice.  Everyone I
> interacted with just loved being able to walk over to the
> common workshop area and grab what they needed.
>
> However, at a lending library, if I were to check out a
> string trimmer (for example), I can be pretty sure I'm
> getting a string trimmer (likewise for any tool).  When
> it comes to seeds though, we are also dealing with...how
> should I say it?..."genetic integrity."  A common
> phrase which many of us have heard tossed around (especially
> at the farmers' market) is "know your farmer."  With a
> certain level of interaction and "word of mouth," I feel
> comfortable that the food I buy from them is "organic," or
> "non-GMO," etc.  I'm curious to hear your (or anyone's)
> take on how I would achieve that kind of comfort level when
> someone at a library hands me a sack of seed, and I have no
> idea who grew the crops they came from.  What if the
> next door neighbors' GMO pollen blew over the fence and
> crossed with the plants, or the local pollinators did the
> dirty work, or some unscrupulous individual affiliated with
> a national GMO seed giant walks in and "returns" some bag
> of "who-knows-what?" 
>
> In the discussions you've heard about this seed lending
> library idea, what controls or checks have been explored to
> prevent something like this from occuring...if any?
>
> ~David
>
> --- On Fri, 12/3/10, Jason Gerhardt <jasongerhardt@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > From: Jason Gerhardt <jasongerhardt@gmail.com>
> > Subject: [permaculture] the evolution of lending
> libraries
> > To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> > Date: Friday, December 3, 2010, 12:43 PM
> > In Boulder, CO the Center for
> > Resource Conservation is opening a tool
> > library in a few days.  Here is the web link:
> > http://www.conservationcenter.org/ToolLibrary.htm
> >
> > There is also a new movement to establish seed
> lending
> > libraries.  Bill
> > McDorman of Seeds Trust is promoting this concept. 
> > Richmond, CA has one up
> > and running.  The idea is that people can borrow
> seeds
> > from the library, but
> > have to return a greater amount (by saving the
> seed). 
> > This way the library
> > grows its seed bank and seeds are adapted to the
> local
> > climate.  This of
> > course requires a lot of education for those who
> borrow to
> > be able to save
> > high quality and relatively pure seed.  A woman in
> > Lyons, CO is developing a
> > model for there and Boulder.
> >
> > The one observation I have made of lending libraries
> is
> > that big centralized
> > libraries are bound to inspire a lot of people, but
> when
> > you really get down
> > to it, it makes more sense to have lending libraries
> in the
> > neighborhoods
> > where they will be used most.  Many small community
> > tool sheds for example
> > are far more accessible than traveling across town to
> > borrow a chainsaw when
> > you only need it for 15 minutes.  All this means is
> > that the big lending
> > libraries will serve a huge purpose in spreading the
> word
> > and lending the
> > idea, but ideally to create many smaller ones. 
> > Neighbors can often pool
> > their tools together and keep them in one shed so all
> have
> > access to them
> > when they would otherwise just sit unused in
> individual
> > garages.
> >
> > I agree that lending libraries are a crucial piece of
> a
> > reslient culture.
> >  They just make sense.  In addition it builds a
> > greater sense of community.
> >
> >
> > Jason
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