With spring right around the corner, Lambton County Library is helping gardeners get a head start on their planting.
The library is once again offering its One Seed Lambton program.
Youth Public Services Coordinator Vanitia Campbell said residents can pick up a free packet of seeds for the Cherokee Purple Tomato at their local library branch, while supplies last.
"They just have to go into their library and they will be available at the service desk," said Campbell. "We certainly encourage everybody to get a library card because then they have access to all of the resources will have available like books on gardening or we have online courses.
The Cherokee Purple Tomato is a highly productive heirloom, yielding large pink-purple fruits with a sweet, smoky flavor. In the past the One See program provided free seeds for beans, snow peas and zucchini.
Campbell said the initiative can offer several benefits to ones overall health and wellbeing, as well as improve food security.
"We hear a lot these days about food insecurity and access, maybe even especially right now with all of the things that are going on with tariffs and things," said Campbell. "People are maybe a little bit more concerned about being able to access things and access things in a cost effective way."
Campbell said they're also offering several events and workshops over the spring to help residents with things like preparing their garden, vegetable gardening and seed saving.
In addition to the One Seed Lambton program, there is also a seed library available with over 60 vegetable and flower seeds.
"You would come to the library and you check them out," said Campbell. "Now with seeds you can't return them, we understand that. You check them out, you plant them and if you're comfortable and confident with seed saving you could bring some back to the library at the end of the growing season, but we do not expect people to do that."
For further details visit www.lclibrary.ca/seedlibrary.