The USF Seed Library is a joint project of the USF Urban Agriculture Program and Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. All USF students, faculty and staff are welcome to use the seed library. It is located on the first floor of Gleeson Library, just beyond Thacher Gallery.
Because Gleeson Library is currently closed on account of COVID-19, please use this order form to request seeds from our Seed Library. Seeds will be mailed to you (within the United States).
Planting Times for San Francisco Bay Area from BASIL Seed Library at The Ecology Center
East Bay Planting Times from The Ecology Center
Planting Calendar from The Old Farmer's Almanac
What to Plant Now from Urban Farmer
Plant Hardiness Zone Map from the USDA
Growing Guides from The Old Farmer's Almanac
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners from The Old Farmer's Almanac
Starting Herbs from Seed from the Herb Society
Herb Growing Guide from Urban Farmer
Vegetable Container Gardening for Beginners from the Spruce
Container Gardening with Vegetables from the Old Farmer's Almanac
Container Gardening from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Books and Videos at Gleeson Library
Saving Seed from Your Garden: What You Need to Know is a really informative introduction to general concepts in seed saving, from the Seed Library at the Round Valley Public Library.
Easy Seeds for Beginning Seed Savers is a handy guide from the Seed Library at the Round Valley Public Library.
Seed Saving covers the very basics of what you need to know about seed saving, courtesy of the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Urban Farmer helpful planting tips for veggies, herbs, and flowers.
How to Collect, Process, and Store Seeds seed saving instructions for common plant varieties (from the Center for Food Safety's Global Seed Network).
Seed Saving Resources seed growing and saving instructions for common plant varieties (from the Seed Savers Exchange).
Planting and Seed Saving Notes crop specific guides to a wide range of things you may want to grow, including seed starting, growing, harvesting and seed saving tips, courtesy of Sow True Seeds.
Seed Saving Chart from seedmatters.org.
Seed Saving Chart from the Seed Savers Exchange, includes basic information on plant species and families, and primary pollination method.
Seed Viability handy chart from Clear Creek Seeds for estimating how long seeds remain viable.
Bay Area Seed Libraries Map of local seed libraries
Sister Seed Libraries Directory of seed libraries worldwide
Located between Lone Mountain and the Education Building, the USF Community Garden is a living laboratory for students, faculty, and staff interested in sustainable agriculture.
For questions about the USF Seed Library, please contact
David Silver, Environmental Studies Faculty (on sabbatical, Summer/Fall 2020)
Debbie Benrubi, Technical Services Librarian
Carol Spector, Government Information/Reference Librarian
Many thanks to Sloat Gardening Center, Berkeley Bowl West, Hudson Valley Seed Company, Plenty, and Victory Gardens for Peace for their generous contribution of seeds to our seed library! Thanks also to the many USF students that have helped keep the seed library running and contributed their creativity.