In less than 100 years, biodiversity in the everyday fruits and vegetables we eat has dramatically declined with the advent of industrial farms. It’s estimated that between 1903 and 1983, 93 percent of seed varieties have disappeared. Many of the varieties that remain are owned by chemical and agricultural companies like Monsanto, which own 90 percent of seed banks. 

Maintaining biodiversity and nutritional diversity is the driving force behind Library of Life, a new non-profit program that takes place at the Ortega Branch Library. Hosted by Heirloom Bay, which provides organic heirloom seed starters, the program allows participants to “check out” heirloom seeds, succulents, and air plants. 

Once seeds and plants are checked out, participants in the Library of Life can raise the plants to maturity, then return clippings and seeds back to the Library for others in the community. 

“You don’t have to bring a plant to get a plant,” notes Heirloom Bay co-founder Ben Miller, who grew up working on Wickham’s Fruit Farm in New York. “[Attendees] would be able to take one air plant and one succulent. If they bring plants, we can be more generous.” 

Now a resident of the Outer Sunset, Miller calls the Library of Life an accessible and literal “grassroots solution” to the issue of nutritional diversity. 

Miller partnered with SFPL librarian Jennifer Ambrulevich to bring the program to Ortega Library. “I think every library should have them,” he says. “The way technology is changing, books and movies are becoming less important. Why not make them community garden centers? Bringing people who love community and gardening together—it’s a magical feeling.”

While the idea of an heirloom seed bank isn’t new, Library of Life also includes the first succulent and air plant bank. Succulents are riding a current wave of popularity, especially in San Francisco, where the need for drought-tolerant plants hasn’t ended with recent rains. 

As for tillandsias (air plants), which do not need soil to thrive, Miller admits that they were chosen simply because they were fans of the plants at Heirloom Bay. “People don’t know what they are so we want to share them out. They get people excited about gardening and plants.” 

The heirloom seed bank is also available at Avenues Dry Goods, along with terrariums for sale from Heirloom Bay.

In the meantime, Miller is exploring fiscal sponsorship and funding for the Library of Life so that it can accept tax-deductible donations. He hopes that once he gets the infrastructure in place, he can expand the Library of Life across San Francisco and beyond to a national level. 

“By the end of the year, we’ll have done three events at the library,” he explains. “By the end of next year, we’ll know whether or not it's viable. If it is viable, we can start syndicating the program at libraries by providing volunteers with information about how we are doing them.”

To donate plants or inquire about starting your Library of Life, contact [email protected]