KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — You'll find more than books in the Kershaw County Library in Bethune with a new “seed library” now available.
“A seed library is a place you can come and get different varieties of seeds to plant in your home garden,” Kershaw County Library Bethune Branch Manager Jill Fleischman said.
The space allows people to "check out" 5 free bags of seeds per visit. Fleischman says she's hoping the seeds will sprout veggies and flowers into the yards of many in the community.
“We have different types of veggies, other edible plants, ones you wouldn’t really think of as edible, like we have borage. We have other flowers you can eat, and others for pretty,” Fleischman said.
The Bethune location is the only one in the county with the new seed library. Fleischman says that's intentional since the community is a rural one big on farming.
“Yes, it is we are very rural. We are a food desert, and it’s something that it’s not always easy to get to a grocery store," Fleischman said. "From here, the closest things we have are Dollar Stores, and we have a discount grocery. I think it’s important to have access to fresh produce and, like how much fresher can you get than your own backyard?”
Fleischman is hopeful the seed library will grow into our Kershaw County libraries. “Maybe it will do so well, we can take it to other branches,” Fleischman said.
The library will host a Master Gardner class on October 3 at 4 p.m.