Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (April 4, 2023) – The Door County Seed Library is recruiting at least 25 seed stewards to participate in the 2023 Seed Steward Program to help preserve Ken Paschke beans, which are a unique, bred-in-Door County variety. In this program, volunteers will grow out these seeds, save them, and donate a portion back to the seed library.
Seed stewards can be experienced gardeners or those just beginning to learn about the art and practice of saving seeds. Seed stewards are responsible for ensuring that their seeds are carefully grown and skillfully selected for seed saving. If volunteers are new to seed saving, the Seed Library will provide information to help them successfully save the seeds.
Local gardener Ken Paschke has been growing and saving these beans for over 58 years. Due to his dedicated seed saving efforts, he has created a new variety that is adapted to our local climate and soil. “Since Ken gifted us with these seeds in 2020, we have been honored that he has trusted our members to help maintain this special variety,” said Cathy Edmundson, who is the Seed Steward Coordinator for the Seed Library.
Anyone interested in being a seed steward or finding out more details about the program should send an email to the Door County Seed Library at DCSeedLibrary@gmail.com.
The Door County Seed Library is a collaborative partnership of the Door County Master Gardeners Association, Door County Library, UW-Extension, Wild Ones of Door Peninsula, and The Community’s Garden that offers free seeds and gardening education. The Seed Library has nearly 900 members and is 100% supported by donations, grants, and the dedicated efforts of dozens of member-volunteers. The Door County Master Gardeners Association serves as the fiscal agent for this community program. For more information, go to https://www.DoorCountySeedLibrary.org.
About Door County Master Gardeners: The Door County Master Gardeners Association (DCMGA) was founded in 1995 to provide horticulture related services to the community. Master Gardener Volunteers maintain The Garden Door, sponsor free educational programs, provide answers to residents’ horticulture questions and provide outreach to youth and not-for-profit organizations throughout the county. For more information, go to https://www.dcmga.org/.
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