Recently I learned about public libraries "loaning" seed.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/889734
Then last month I met the executive director of Collective Roots which is a partner in the East Palo Alto Seed Library.
http://www.collectiveroots.org/whats-growing/community-based-programs/east-palo-alto-seed-library/
http://boingboing.net/2012/04/02/seed-libraries-crop-up.html
I'd had no idea that any of these projects were in our area. He pointed me to the Richmond library which he says is one of the largest. It's called Richmond Grows and has an informative website with gardening classes, crop swaps, and more.
http://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/index.html
Richmond's list of sister libraries around the world is dominated by Bay Area locales:
Alameda Free Library (Green Minds, Green Thumbs) - The City of Alameda
Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL) - Berkeley
SPROUT Seed Library - Bolinas
East Palo Alto Seed Library- East Palo Alto, in collaboration with Collective Roots
Hayward Public Library - Hayward
Hall Middle School Seed Lending Library - Larkspur
MVPL Seed Library - Mountain View
African American Library - Oakland
Seedfolks Seed Library- Oakland
Cesar Chavez Public Library - Oakland
Hayes Valley Farm - San Francisco - Farm being closed for housing development; will be moving to West Edition Public Library shortly
Pocket Seed Lending Library - San Francisco
San Francisco Public Library, Portrero Hill Branch- San Francisco
Santa Clara Seed Library, Santa Clara Public Library, Saratoga Branch - Saratoga
West County Community Seed Exchange - Sonoma County
Springstowne Seed Lending Library - Vallejo, a branch of the Solano County Library
In process:
Alameda County opening multiple sites, including Fremont - list of libraries to be published when they open
http://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/sister-libraries.html
The list has grown since I first looked at it a few weeks ago, so it seems to be kept up to date.
Though I'm not a gardener myself, I'd love to hear from anybody who has used the services to be able to grow food at home.
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